Even a person who has always been ignorant about her health becomes conscious when she’s pregnant. This is love. A child-bearing mother’s body bears a lot of distress to provide nourishment to the baby. That’s why it is necessary for them to protect themselves from the arrows of difficulties, manifesting as calcium deficiency, constipation, excessive body heat, and fatigue, among others. One such measure is eating edible gum safe during pregnancy.
It acts as a shock absorber to face the bumps in the journey of pregnancy. Gathered from the saps of acacia trees, edible gum or gond contains many healthy nutrients like protein, calcium, fiber, and magnesium. Read on to learn more about this natural wonder, and how to consume it to reap the most benefits for a pregnant woman.
In This Article
- What is Edible Gum?
- Can I Eat Edible Gum During Pregnancy?
- Nutritional Benefits of Edible Gum
- How to Consume Edible Gum During Pregnancy?
- Top 4 Benefits of Edible Gum During Pregnancy
- What Are the Risks of Eating Edible Gum During Pregnancy?
- Side Effects of Edible Gum During Pregnancy
- FAQ’s
What is Edible Gum?
Untouched by chemicals, edible gum comes directly from mother earth’s lap. The saps or liquid substance coming out of acacia trees are used to make it. Afterwards, it is dried and styled into flakes or crystals. It is tasteless and odorless.
The edible gum carries vital nutrients like protein, calcium, and magnesium. Even the healing sciences of Ayurveda uses gond for its medicinal properties. In India, women eat pregnant and lactating mothers eat gond ka laddoos with great delight. Because edible gum is water soluble, it blends well with plenty of ingredients.
Can I Eat Edible Gum During Pregnancy?
Yes, taking edible gum or gond in the right amount is comforting to the system while pregnant.
Edible gum is a trusty sidekick on this nine-month journey. Its fiber content gives bulk to stools and prevents constipation, a common irritant during pregnancy. Additionally, a pregnant mother’s immune system functions slightly less effectively than normal. This ensures that the body doesn’t reject the fetus and provides it with a soothing environment.
But a weakened immune system may make the mother fall prey to viruses and infections. As a result, problems like coughing and sore throat emerge. Because edible gum is warm in nature, it shields one against such problems.
Nutritional Benefits of Edible Gum
Nutrients | Value |
Calories | 94 Kcal |
Dietary Fiber | 22 gm |
Protein | 3% of DV |
Calcium | 83 mg |
Total Carbohydrates | 8% of DV |
Consuming edible gum in limited quantities can have multiple benefits for an expectant mother. Some of the advantages of eating edible gum are-
- Heightens energy levels
- Keeps the liver healthy
- Healthy for the Gut
- Immune booster
- Fights free radicals
- Anti-diabetic
- Promotes weight loss
How to Consume Edible Gum During Pregnancy?
One can add edible gum to various recipes like milkshakes, smoothies, puddings, and so on. But gond ke laddu, a traditional Indian sweet, offers miraculous benefits due to the presence of a wide range of nutrients. Therefore, it’s best to consume edible gum as gond laddu during pregnancy.
A variety of dry fruits come together to prepare gond ke laddu, and so the health benefits multiply manifolds when taken during pregnancy. Almonds, raisins, cashews, and coconut enhance the taste of this dish. Moreover, ghee or clarified butter is used to prepare the sweet. Ghee has so many benefits for pregnant mothers that it will require a separate article altogether.
[Read : Will Eating Ghee In Pregnancy Help Me Have A Normal Delivery?]
Top 4 Benefits of Edible Gum During Pregnancy
Include edible gum in your diet in any advised form. Its nutritional properties and health benefits will leave you thanking the acacia trees.
1. Delivers Calcium to the Hard-Working Body
Hardworking body? Yes, the most awaited family member growing inside you needs lots of nutrition. Your body really works hard to develop the baby, it even steals calcium from your bones to provide it to the fetus. While you should be getting calcium from a myriad of foods like milk, yogurt, and the likes, consuming edible gum on a regular basis will help you to meet your calcium requirements.
[Read : Calcium During Pregnancy]
2. Acts as an Energy Tonic
From finding out that you’re pregnant to delivering your little one, a constant feeling of tiredness follows you. Truly, it’s physically exhausting to grow another human inside you. In addition, your hormones are all over the place, they leave you fatigued. In such a scenario, gond as a snack option seems like a lifesaver. It’s rich in carbohydrates, which your body breaks down to make glucose, and it fills you up with energy.
3. Acts as Body Coolant
During pregnancy, you’re carrying some extra blood in your veins than usual. Plus, you have to count the body temperature of the fetus as well. All this adds up to spike your body temperature, so you feel hot. If taken in a certain way, edible gum sends a breeze of coolness throughout your system. Make your favorite juices, but this time invite gond to your recipe list as well.
4. Controls Craving and Supports Healthy Weight
Do you know why we crave junk food? The fingers can be pointed at nutrient deficiencies. To take an example, if your body faces poverty in magnesium levels, you’ll feel like munching on chocolates, nuts, and beans, among others. The consumption of essential nutrients keeps the cravings away. And so all the unasked-for fat doesn’t hug your body. Edible gum is nutrient-rich and helps to keep those unwanted cravings away. This also helps to avoid unnecessary and excess weight gain during pregnancy.
What Are The Risks of Eating Edible Gum During Pregnancy?
Wear your hat of the clever consumer. Traverse through genuine customer reviews, ratings, and buy edible gum from a trusted source. In the age of contaminants and empty claims, rare are the brands which offer edible gum in its purest form.
Adulterated edible gum not only dries the sea of benefits that you and your baby could have experienced but also increases the likelihood of health problems. But relax, you’re just one Google search away from recognizing the best and most reputable sources to purchase gond.
Side Effects of Edible Gum During Pregnancy
During pregnancy one has to be very conscious about each and everything. It’s the same with doing anything, consuming edible gum, or taking any other food. A basic criteria that needs to be marked is drinking enough water as gond contains fiber.
Not drinking adequate water will make the stools too hard or bulky to pass, and it may choke the intestines. Some people may even be allergic to gond. So it’s recommended to first try a small quantity.
Aside from this, edible gum is nourishing for the overall health of the body. Consume it with a relaxed mind.
The finest offering of the acacia trees has a plethora of benefits for a pregnant mother. The benefits are so parallel with pregnancy that edible gum seems like a natural medicine for child bearing mothers. Taking it as gond ke laddu amplifies the nourishing properties of edible gum during pregnancy.
[Read : Fiber Rich Foods During Pregnancy]
FAQ’s
1. Does Edible Gum Affect Pregnancy?
Let few weeks of pregnancy pass before you think of taking edible gum. It’s like a laxative, so it’s not advised to consume it during early pregnancy. And then to have it in limited quantities.
2. What is The Difference Between Edible Gond and Gond Katira?
Gond is collected from the saps or trees while gond katira is obtained from the roots of certain trees. The differences in their properties and uses are similar yet differ in certain ways. For instance, gond is used in Indian desserts and cuisines to add texture and thickness. And gond katira acts as a binding and thickening in ice creams and some beverages.
Read Also: Benefits Of Eating Jaggery During Pregnancy