Aside from other healthy foods that your doctors are recommending for you to eat, are you aware that Apple Cider Vinegar is one of nature’s influential ingredients or drink for you? It has a wide variety of health benefits, beauty benefits, and even during pregnancy. It may smell and taste awful, but you never know the benefits it brings, most especially to pregnant women.
Most pregnant women are prone to illnesses and bacteria. That is why this article aims to explore the benefits and the side effects concerning drinking apple cider vinegar, as well as its safety. This article will give awareness to most pregnant women who consider adding this ingredient to their diet. Here’s what you need to discover about this ancient health remedy.
What is apple cider vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar or ACV is one of the most popular drinks that is a food condiment, and sometimes home remedies for certain ailments. Acv was claimed from wellness experts as the new miracle water due to its benefits so, what do we answer to the question “Can pregnant women drink ACV?” It’s a YES and maybe a NO.
Types of apple cider vinegar
There are two types of ACV, pasteurized and unpasteurized. The more common is the unpasteurized, mainly because it has good probiotic bacteria and also has many health claims among wellness enthusiasts. So maybe, some of these are appealing to pregnant as to help them with their pregnancy. The process of pasteurized ACV undergoes different kinds of filtration processes to remove sediments and bacteria. The unpasteurized does not undergo many filtration processes compared to the other as to preserve it. The mother, during the fermentation process, retains the acetic acids and beneficial bacteria, this happens naturally. That is why it is widely believed that these acids and good bacteria are the ones responsible for its health benefits.
On the other hand, Pasteurized ACV is one of the most recommended ACV during pregnancy because it lacks the bacteria that are called as “Mother”, which is feared to have detrimental effects on the unborn child.
ACV is essentially an apple juice/cider that is mixed with yeast which naturally ferments sugars in the fruit. Thus, forming alcohol. After the initial fermentation, more bacteria are mixed then forming acetic acid Vinegar too has known chemicals such as polyphenols. They’re antioxidant that battles cell damage that often leads to other known diseases such as cancer.
Some of the benefits of drinking ACV
These are the common benefits of a pregnant woman or any ordinary person who considers drinking apple cider vinegar.
- Diabetes: Studies show that drinking ACV may lower your blood sugar levels.
- Digestion: When drinking regularly, studies showed that ACV aids in helping detoxify the body. ACV contains probiotic bacteria that are good for gut health, also. improves bowel movement and balances out the body’s PH levels. This leads to better digestion and lessens the chances of constipation and acid reflux or heartburn.
- Weight loss: When drinking before meals, ACV helps you feel full thus eating less and lower your calorie intake. During pregnancy, it’s not advisable to go on a diet because it may hinder your child’s nutrition and vitamin needs.
- Heals Colds and Flu: Some of the pregnant women don’t like taking over the counter medication for colds and sore throats. Since ACV boosts your immunity and also has antibacterial properties, it has the necessary functions to help lessen the effects of cold. Still, just make sure not to drink the unpasteurized one.
- Leg cramps: One common occurrence during pregnancy is leg cramping thus disrupting/depriving sleep for pregnant women. One of the causes is low potassium levels and pressure on the uterus. Also, some ACV is used topically due to its antibacterial properties and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Sore throat: Gargling ACV is said to alleviate the pain of the sore throat. Although there’s a wide variety of mixings, the best and considered one of the top choices is, a teaspoon of ACV joined with a teaspoon of honey. Apple Cider vinegar is also used to whiten teeth.
Some side effects in taking ACV
As they say, too much good is bad. The same is true with Apple Cider Vinegar, there are also some side effects and risks in drinking this inappropriately. Here’s what you need to know.
- The Apple Cider Vinegar is highly acidic and it may cause your throat to be irritated
- Apple Cider Vinegar is distasteful, there are some methods you can use to mix with it so that it won’t taste that bad
- Apple Cider Vinegar has some substitute but research shows that it has a lesser effect than ACV itself.
- ACV can interact with other certain medication so it is best advisable to consult a physician.
My two cents
During pregnancy, women have more hormonal changes than normal and have a lower immune system, making them susceptible to food-borne diseases. So, avoid drinking/eating pasteurized food. Always remember that the baby in your stomach does not have a fully developed immune system. There are claims about apple cider vinegar on the internet. But some too good to be true stories are still not supported by Science. So it’s still best to consult a licensed physician.
Some people have recommended ACV for its natural healing properties but there are still not enough studies confirming that using ACV during pregnancy proves beneficial to both of them. Using ACV during pregnancy must be in the care of a physician to be monitored for safety purposes only. For utmost safety, use pasteurized ACV rather than unpasteurized or using kinds of vinegar with “Mothers” labeled on it. Still, there are health benefits when using the pasteurized version of it. There is more research to be held to weigh the risks and benefits of ACV when taking it during pregnancy. There are claims that Apple cider vinegar cures a variety of ailments. Many are still to be scientifically proven. So always take this with a grain of salt. Nonetheless, enjoy your pregnancy and the journey ahead.
Read also:
- Fasting: Is it Advisable During Pregnancy?
- The Best Ways to Use Apple Cider Vinegar to Pregnancy
- Fascinating Benefits Of Eating Walnuts During Pregnancy
