Use of lingonberry during pregnancy

Popular berries with remarkable health benefits and a distinct tart flavor are lingonberries. It’s important to keep a balanced diet during pregnancy, and lingonberries can be a great addition. These berries, which are rich in vital nutrients, provide a number of benefits that could benefit the health of both the mother and the fetus.

Minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants abound in lingonberries, which can enhance a balanced diet. They have a reputation for enhancing immunity and promoting general health, which is crucial during pregnancy. Knowing how to include lingonberries in your diet can help you get more nutrients in a tasty and natural way.

In addition to discussing their potential health benefits, this article offers helpful advice on how to incorporate lingonberries into your meals. You can take full advantage of this nutrient-dense berry and reap its benefits throughout your pregnancy with the right guidance.

Doctors" opinion

Despite the fact that there are many articles on the Internet about the great benefits of northern berries for the body of expectant mothers, opinions about lingonberries in the professional community are ambiguous. There are no questions about the use of berries – they are always useful, and here doctors are in agreement. But lingonberry leaves, which are considered an effective diuretic, raise doubts. In any case, the WHO monographs and the Handbook of medicinal herbs by James A. Duke does not support the use of lingonberry leaves during pregnancy. At the same time, doctors emphasize that you can gargle and wash your face with a decoction of leaves, but it is better not to take it internally.

However, the official instructions for using the drug "Lingonberry Leaves," which is available at any pharmacy, do not list pregnancy contraindications. For this reason, Russian women continue to take lingonberry leaves as an anti-inflammatory and diuretic if their cystitis suddenly worsens or edema appears during pregnancy, and the entire world does not give lingonberry leaves to pregnant women in accordance with WHO recommendations. Whether or not to take it is a decision that you and your doctor must make. There are only two official positions that we have discussed.

Benefits

Lingonberry, all its parts have a diuretic effect. Also, berries and lingonberry leaves contribute to moderate disinfection of the urinary tract. This is due to the presence of arbutin in lingonberry greens – a substance that is considered a natural, natural diuretic and antiseptic. Berries also contain arbutin, but in much smaller quantities than in leaves. Arbutin acts quite straightforwardly – when it gets into the kidneys, it begins to irritate the parenchyma, which stimulates the kidney to produce urine more actively. On the way to the bladder, arbutin continues to act as an antiseptic on the urinary tract. All this has made lingonberry a medicinal plant that is respected by medical professionals around the world, in any case, your doctor can recommend you tea and decoction of lingonberry leaves as an adjuvant treatment for cystitis, urethritis.

Certain physicians who think the treatment is safe for expectant mothers also suggest it to them.

Considering that the berries contain less of the active ingredient, the expectant mother should consider the issue of taking berries, since in this form lingonberries during pregnancy, in general, do not cause controversy among the professional community – it is useful for normalizing metabolism and against edema. Berries are tasty, pleasant, and healthy in terms of vitamin content. The composition of berries helps thin the blood in cases of varicose veins and thrombosis. In the third trimester of pregnancy, blood viscosity increases in all women, and a small amount of lingonberries in the diet will not hurt. The diuretic effect of berries is not strong, but gentle and delicate. Lingonberries contain almost all the necessary vitamins, for which traditional medicine values ​​them. You can and should use antiseptics – gargle with a decoction of leaves for colds, rinse your mouth for stomatitis, treat the skin locally, if necessary. Cranberry juice effectively reduces blood pressure, reduces headaches.

Since the fruits lose many of their therapeutic qualities when heated, the impact of compote made from these berries is less noticeable.

Consuming berries encourages the digestive system’s regular operation. The berry is particularly helpful for gastritis patients whose stomach juice has a low acidity.

Risks and contraindications

The concentration of the active substance in lingonberry leaves is so high that it has a full-fledged therapeutic effect, which cannot be said about most other folk remedies. And therefore, the harm from intoxication, which can be caused by a decoction of leaves, can be significant both in the early stages and in the late ones. If you drink a decoction of leaves on your own, trying at home on your own, for example, to cope with cystitis, you can encounter another dangerous consequence – increased tone of the uterine muscles, which can lead to a miscarriage or provocation of premature birth. Lingonberry leaves can cause hydroquinone poisoning, and this effect has been clinically confirmed. True, only on animals. It is unethical to conduct such experiments on people, and especially on pregnant women, but experts still advise not to take risks. Berries never lead to hydroquinone poisoning, and do not affect the tone of the uterine walls. But they also have contraindications for use, and they will have to be taken into account.

• high allergic readiness status — the woman has an allergy or previously had an inadequate immune response to blueberries, lingonberries, cranberries;
• the woman has increased acidity of gastric juice — the berry increases it even more, leading to a complete imbalance and the development of gastrointestinal diseases;
• the expectant mother is diagnosed with urolithiasis — diuretic properties can lead to the mobility of stones and blockage or injury to the ureters;
• the woman has hypotension, low blood pressure prevails — lingonberries additionally reduce it, which can lead to attacks of severe dizziness, loss of consciousness, weakness.

The use of lingonberries should also be discussed with the attending physician because experts do not think that the benefits of berries outweigh any potential risks.

The video below will teach you more about the advantages and disadvantages of lingonberries.

Because lingonberries are high in vitamins, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory qualities, they can be a useful addition to a pregnant woman’s diet. They support a healthy digestive system, strengthen the immune system, and lessen swelling. As with any natural remedy, it’s crucial to take them moderately and speak with a physician to make sure there are no risks or contraindications while pregnant.

How to take at different stages?

It can be challenging to respond to questions from women about gestational restrictions and even more challenging to persuade them that there is generally no discernible difference between eating the berry in the first or third trimester. The berry’s effect is not affected by the time of day. Furthermore, a woman won’t be in danger if she consumes the berry as prescribed and makes the leaf decoction according to instructions.

The medical literature only offers one helpful suggestion, and that is for the later stages. Berries are not advised to be consumed in the final weeks before giving birth in order to reduce the chance of an early delivery.

A woman should always keep in mind that this berry should only be consumed in small amounts and never go overboard. It makes sense to steep the leaves for stomatitis, laryngitis, and acne in the oral cavity; a decoction or water infusion can be used topically to soothe the skin, throat, and mouth.

You can consume fruit juice or berries if you need to take a diuretic, but if the situation calls for it, it’s best to get a prescription from a doctor and take the prescribed medication.

Indications

It may be suggested to include lingonberries in your diet if you have increased swelling. Moderate swelling is relieved by diuretic properties, which encourage more frequent urination.

You should be aware that severe swelling does not call for lingonberries; rather, hospitalization is necessary because gestosis is a risky pregnancy complication whose outcomes are hard to predict.

Because lingonberries, sugar or not, do not have a potent diuretic effect, their assistance may not be sufficient.

Expectant mothers may benefit from lingonberry juice and fruit drinks in the complex treatment of pyelonephritis, cystitis, and hypertension, as well as at elevated temperatures during the acute phase of an inflammatory or viral illness. However, it should be noted that ordinary tea in bags without lingonberries functions similarly when brewed and consumed during a sickness; it aids in restoring the proper balance of water, wards off dehydration, and eases the symptoms of intoxication.

Pregnant women can benefit from including lingonberries in their diet as they provide vital vitamins and antioxidants that promote general health. They should be eaten in moderation, though, just like any other food.

Before adding lingonberries on a regular basis, it’s crucial to speak with a healthcare provider, particularly if there are any underlying medical conditions or concerns.

Although lingonberries have many health benefits, expectant mothers should always be aware of how their bodies are responding and make decisions that will support both their own and their unborn child’s healthy development.

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