Is it advisable to take cinnamon during pregnancy?:
Cinnamon is a spice that has positive effects on the body. Now, is it recommended for everyone? What effect can it have on pregnancy? Find out in this article.
This is a spice that is often used to prepare sweet dishes. In addition to having a particular flavor, it provides beneficial properties for the body, but can you consume cinnamon during pregnancy?
Of the different types of cinnamon that exist, the Cassia variety is the best known and most commercialized. In it there are phytochemical compounds that are responsible for the positive effects on human health, however, there are also secondary substances that can have a negative impact. Find out more in this article.
Can you take cinnamon during pregnancy?
Cinnamon contains different nutrients and components, therefore, in this spice, you can find vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, complex B, C, E, and K. It also provides calcium, iron, and magnesium.
If it is seen in this way, through its intake it can provide substances to the body that are necessary for proper functioning. On the contrary, as gestation is a stage in which the body prepares for extrauterine life and involves metabolic changes and adaptations, some considerations about the consumption of certain products must be taken into account.
Effects of cinnamon in pregnancy
Some documents show that this spice, in humans in general, serves to relieve pain, regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels, to prevent colds, asthma, and digestive diseases, among others.
All this is because it has antioxidants and compounds that act as anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. The effect on cellular aging has to do with the ability to inhibit free radicals that circulate as waste from metabolism. In part, it is the same explanation that supports its antidiabetic potential. So, is cinnamon safe during pregnancy? The answer is yes cinnamon is safe during pregnancy.
Benefits
So, if it is ingested constantly, but moderately, the contribution of cinnamon has a positive action. These benefits include the following:
- Helps reduce nausea and digestive discomfort.
- Control possible spikes in blood pressure.
- Collaborates in the control of blood sugar and the prevention of gestational diabetes.
What contraindications can cinnamon have in pregnancy?
Contrary to what has been described, cinnamon also has a substance called coumarin that, in high concentrations, can cause damage and develop complications during pregnancy.
Specifically, this compound is a secondary phytochemical (natural substance of plant origin) that, according to the article Coumarin Toxicology and Risk Assessment: Focus on Human Data, has toxic and carcinogenic effects. Also, as pregnancy is a sensitive period, especially the first trimester, abuse of this can involve risks.
As expressed in a study published in the Cuban Journal of Pharmacy, some of the possible documented consequences that it entails in pregnancy are the following:
- Deformations in the fetus: include abnormalities in the synthesis of cartilage and bones.
- Increased miscarriages.
- Premature births
- Respiratory difficulty: of children at birth.
- Fissures in the placenta: in this case, the main cause is a component called glycyrrhizin.
In addition to this, in children who begin to taste foods and are genetically predisposed, cinnamon can cause allergic hypersensitivity. For this reason, it is advisable to be cautious and not introduce it at this stage.
Can you have cinnamon tea during pregnancy?
Another use that can be given to this spice is to prepare it as an infusion. According to the study, Consumption of medicinal plants by pregnant women, 55% of pregnant women use medicinal plants to prepare tea or other infusions, including cinnamon.
Because the first few months cause certain digestive discomforts, the probability of drinking these drinks increases. In this sense, it is advisable to know what components they have in order, in any case, not to abuse their intake.
It never hurts to remember that natural herbs, although traditionally considered safe, can alter sensitive processes, such as the formation of a fetus. That is why the advice from obstetric professionals is important to support. So, is cinnamon tea safe during pregnancy? The answer is yes it is safe.
What to remember about using cinnamon in pregnancy?
As you will see, in moderate doses, the consumption of cinnamon can have positive effects on pregnancy, especially in the control of blood glucose, digestive problems, and blood pressure. Remember that only in the face of permanent abuse do the risks associated with coumarin appear.
Besides, it is not the only substance that can cause them. Also consider that there are other components contraindicated in pregnancy present in medicinal plants, such as rue, wormwood, and aloe Vera.
To conclude, it cannot be said that cinnamon is prohibited or that it cannot be consumed under any circumstances, but that it must be used conscientiously. But if you still have doubts, it is advisable to avoid them as a precaution.
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