Entering pregnancy, pregnant women may be extra careful about food, including spices such as cinnamon. In fact, consuming cinnamon when pregnant is not prohibited. how come. Precisely cinnamon can provide many health benefits for pregnant women.
Cinnamon is a kind of spice made from sliced tree bark Cinnamomum. Having a distinctive smell, cinnamon is often used as an addition to the aroma and taste of food or drinks.
Besides being used as a cooking spice, cinnamon has long been used as a traditional medicine because it is believed to have extraordinary benefits for the health of everyone, including pregnant women.
A series of benefits of cinnamon for pregnant women
As long as it is consumed within reasonable limits, cinnamon will not harm the health of pregnant women and fetuses. In fact, cinnamon can provide several benefits for pregnant women, including:
1. Lowers the risk of infection
During pregnancy, pregnant women tend to have a weaker immune system, so they are more susceptible to infection. nowOne of the benefits of consuming cinnamon is to increase the body's immune system, thereby reducing the risk of infection.
The efficacy of this cinnamon comes from the active compound cinnamaldehyde and various other active compounds that have antioxidant effects. Besides being able to increase endurance, these compounds also help the body fight excess free radicals that cause chronic diseases.
2. Helps overcome inflammation
During pregnancy, you will usually gain weight. This weight gain can put extra pressure on the joints, causing them to become sore and swollen easily.
In pregnant women, cinnamon can act as an anti-inflammatory that can overcome and reduce inflammation throughout the body, including joints, thereby reducing joint and muscle pain during pregnancy.
3. Lowering blood pressure
Conditions accompanied by high blood pressure during pregnancy, such as gestational hypertension or preeclampsia, can pose a risk to the health of pregnant women and their fetuses.
To lower blood pressure and prevent complications, pregnant women can try the benefits of cinnamon, because this spice is thought to have properties to lower blood pressure.
4. Helps control gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes occurs when the body is unable to produce enough insulin, resulting in high blood sugar levels. If you experience this, pregnant women can consume cinnamon to help control blood sugar.
The polyphenol content in this spice is believed to be able to increase insulin action, so that the use of sugar from the blood is maximized and its levels are controlled. Therefore, cinnamon is suitable for consumption by pregnant women, either in the form of food or drink.
Those are the various benefits of cinnamon for pregnant women that pregnant women need to know. Although nutritious, do not necessarily consume cinnamon in excess, yes. Just consume cinnamon as a taste or aroma enhancer in pregnant women's dishes or drinks.
Some pregnant women can experience a cinnamon allergy which is characterized by itching in the mouth or tongue, skin rashes, and difficulty breathing. In addition, consuming too much cinnamon can also cause pregnant women to experience heartburn and bloating.
If pregnant women experience these symptoms after consuming cinnamon, immediately consult a gynecologist to get the right treatment, so that the health condition of pregnant women and fetuses is maintained properly.
