Celery during pregnancy - the benefits and harm

Celery is a widespread vegetable crop in the circles of admirers of a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. This plant has earned its popularity due to the rich mineral and vitamin cocktail, which is included in its composition. Nutritionists and phytotherapists, in one voice, argue that if you use celery fresh, the body will receive all the necessary for the normal functioning of the substance. At the same time, obstetricians and gynecologists, with all due respect to the product, warn future mothers and nursing mothers about the danger and advise them to exclude this vegetable from the diet during pregnancy.

What is celery? What is the composition and the health benefits of its use? Why do doctors not recommend pregnant women to use this vegetable on their menu? How can you apply it without harming yourself and your unborn child? Let's try to understand these issues.

Celery Overview and Composition

With the useful properties of celery, people met for a long time. Even in the times of ancient Greece, it was used for medicinal purposes, as decoration of dishes, they even attributed magical abilities to it, considering that carved leaves bring happiness. In the 19th century, the vegetable brought to America was appreciated in terms of taste and nutritional qualities and is currently a desired and popular product all over the world.

Celery is a different species, eat root vegetables, succulent stems and leaves. Its useful qualities are due to the high content of health-friendly substances. Of the minerals present here are magnesium and phosphorus, a lot of iron and zinc, more potassium, sulfur, selenium and other elements. In the green mass there is a lot of carotene, vitamins C, E, A, group B. This vegetable is a valuable source of ascorbic, folic and other acids, essential oils and fiber.

Such a rich chemical composition has successfully found its application in folk and traditional medicine. Due to the presence of vitamins and amino acids, aging processes are slowed down, metabolism improves, and digestion is normalized.Essential oils have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, stimulate the appetite, and have a positive effect on the nervous system. Fiber is known for its cleansing effect, helps reduce cholesterol in the blood, perfectly promotes weight loss.

Taboo for pregnant women

The reason is the high content of essential oils, which, by increasing the blood flow to the muscles of the uterus, can cause increased contractions. As a result, such changes are fraught with premature termination of pregnancy.

Celery contains some ingredients that can cause an unwanted reaction in the unborn baby, and allergies to the ingredients of the product may persist even after birth.For the same reason, you should not eat this vegetable for mothers while breastfeeding, since unwanted allergens can get into the baby’s body with milk. In addition, a specific spicy flavor can trigger chest failure.

Another unpleasant consequence of the use of this vegetable culture is increased gas formation, which leads to bloating. It becomes a cause of discomfort for the pregnant women, feeling unwell, even painful sensations.

Celery is strictly contraindicated in cases of:

1. The presence of signs of threatened miscarriage or premature birth in the past, as well as the present tense.
2. If you plan to conceive a child during the current menstrual cycle.
3. With pain in the lower abdomen and the presence of bleeding.
4. With an increased tone of the uterine muscles (according to ultrasound).
5. The presence of problems with digestion, with such diseases as gastritis and ulcers, increased secretion of gastric juice in the use of celery, can provoke exacerbations.
6. When toxicosis, irritation of the gastric mucosa can increase nausea and vomiting.

How can I use

In pregnancy, you can perfectly use the healing qualities of celery, using it for external procedures. Its properties such as rapid healing of wounds, pain relief for bruises, removal of edema can be safely used by making infusions for compresses or ointments. These healing preparations are very easy to make.

To prepare the infusion, you need to chop the celery root and leaves, mix 1 tbsp. l root and 2 tbsp. l green mass, pour a glass of boiling water and insist 3-4 hours. Then strain and use as a lotion.

Ointment perfectly copes with cuts, ulcers, inflammations. To cook it at home will not need much effort.

It is necessary to wash the leaves and stalks of celery, mince them, mix with melted butter in a 1: 1 ratio. Keep this ointment in the refrigerator.

Some gynecologists allow pregnant women to drink a drink from celery, diluted, for example, with carrot juice or 1: 3 water, of course, in small quantities. But it is up to the observing specialist and the very future mother.

After childbirth and the feeding period, you can safely include your favorite vegetable in your diet.It will help restore not only the internal balance of the body, but will add strength, vitality, transform and refresh the skin, and also, if necessary, contribute to weight loss.

And during pregnancy you need to remember that while caring for your health at the moment, you care about the healthy future of your baby and nothing, neither your lifestyle, nor food, nor your habits should harm the little man.

Video: the benefits and harm of celery