Today, vegetarianism is quite a fashionable trend that is gaining more and more followers. Many famous personalities adhere to this nutrition system, including Pink, Brad Pitt, Uma Thurman, Adriano Celentano, Orlando Bloom, Paul McCartney, Kate Winslet, Keanu Reeves and others. Without a doubt, they all look great, are in great shape, which makes most of us follow their example. Everyone knows the expression – "We are what we eat." And the appearance of vegetarians confirms that in their daily menu – healthy products. But if everything is more or less clear with men in matters of vegetarianism, then with women who want to give birth to a child (and maybe not one), To date, the topic of this nutrition system during pregnancy planning and during it remains open. Neither doctors nor scientists have yet come to a consensus on the question of whether a normal pregnancy is possible in vegetarians.
Are Vegetarianism and Normal Pregnancy Compatible
Pros of Vegetarianism
The main advantages of vegetarianism include effective prevention of vascular and heart diseases. So, the apologists of this nutrition system rarely die from heart attacks and strokes.
Plant foods contain a lot of fiber and coarse fibers, which increase intestinal motility, help it cleanse from toxins and toxins, and lower cholesterol levels. Among other things, fiber remarkably saturates without harming the figure.
Vegetarians with experience are not aware of problems with excess weight, their digestive system works without failures, therefore these people hardly suffer from heartburn, constipation, ulcers, indigestion, etc.
Since the digestion of plant products by the body is much more efficient, the load on the liver is less.
Of the indisputable advantages of vegetarianism, it is also worth noting that when eating plant foods, our body removes excess salts and fluids much more easily: this, in turn, relieves part of the load in a similar work of the kidneys.
Most of the plant foods contain a considerable amount of slow carbohydrates, and they tend to be slowly absorbed by the body and, accordingly, energy saturation occurs smoothly. The absence of sudden changes in blood glucose levels contributes to the fact that a person is in a good mood for a long time and at the same time does not complain about well-being.
Cons of vegetarianism
The main disadvantage of this food system is the lack of individual vitamins and nutrients. So, in plant foods there are very few proteins that play a significant role in the normal functioning of the body, the breakdown of fats and the assimilation of food.
In addition to protein, vegetarians are severely deficient in calcium and iron. The value of the first – no doubt, because it is, first of all, an important building material for teeth and bones. If it is not enough, the risk of developing rickets and even stunting is very high. It is not possible to obtain the required amount of this element only from plant foods, and therefore pregnant women should definitely add dairy products to their diet.
Lack of iron in the body is fraught with anemia: the mother's hemoglobin decreases, therefore, the child receives a small amount of oxygen with the blood, which can lead to fetal hypoxia. Special vitamin preparations will help solve this important problem for the expectant mother.
Also, a significant drawback of vegetarianism is that there are very few B vitamins in plant foods, and in fact they are – guarantee the normal functioning of our nervous system. These vitamins can be found in plenty in eggs, dairy products, fish oil.
In order for a woman adhering to vegetarianism to be able to bear a full-fledged child, she must definitely contact a specialist: he will help to correctly adjust the diet for the duration of pregnancy. Of course, strict vegetarianism in this period is unacceptable, but if you do not exclude dairy and seafood, eggs, honey from eating, do not forget about taking vitamin complexes, then the nutrition of a pregnant woman can be completely balanced.
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