PT Health Life – Eggs are nutritious foods that provide many vitamins and minerals, but they also need to be eaten properly. What is the most beneficial way for pregnant women to eat eggs?
1. Benefits of eating eggs during pregnancy
Because they are packed with quality protein and essential nutrients, eggs are a great choice to meet the nutritional needs of pregnant women .
Eggs contain 13 different vitamins and minerals, omega-3 fats as well as antioxidants and are a rich source of quality protein, which is essential for the healthy development of your baby.
Eggs contain a variety of vitamins including vitamin A , which supports healthy eye and skin development and contributes to a healthy immune system. They also contain other important nutrients for pregnancy such as iodine, folate and iron.
Eggs are also rich in choline , a nutrient that plays an important role in the development of the brain and spinal cord during pregnancy. In addition to folic acid supplementation, consuming choline during pregnancy may reduce the risk of neural tube defects . However, choline is rarely found in prenatal multivitamins, so it is important to consume foods that contain choline, such as eggs.
National Institute of Nutrition, with a diverse source of nutrients, it can be seen that eggs are a necessary and nutritionally balanced food for the body, suitable for many subjects.
Eggs provide protein, strengthen the immune system, provide choline to help the metabolic processes of cells, the brain and nervous organs perform their functions, and at the same time support the process of transporting nutrients throughout the body, supporting the fetus in the first 3 months to avoid malformations and develop the brain.
In addition, eggs also improve memory, prevent skin aging, strengthen the digestive system and have many beauty uses.
2. Note how to eat eggs that are beneficial for pregnant women
Eggs are a particularly nutritious food for pregnant women, so pregnant women can enjoy eggs every day throughout pregnancy as part of a healthy, balanced diet that includes a variety of foods, protein from lean meat, chicken, vegetables, fruits and whole grains…
During pregnancy, eating eggs helps meet daily nutritional needs, but women with gestational diabetes or high LDL cholesterol levels should note that the Heart Foundation recommends limiting egg intake to seven per week.
2.1 Eat eggs properly
- Make sure all egg dishes are thoroughly cooked. Avoid raw eggs in foods like aioli, homemade mayonnaise, cake batter or mousse. Store-bought mayonnaise is usually safe because it is heat-treated to kill any harmful bacteria.
- Check the best-by date on egg packaging before eating.
- Avoid choosing eggs with cracked or dirty shells.
- Store eggs in a box in the refrigerator.
- Do not store eggs with other foods, keep them separate.
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap after handling eggs.
- Egg dishes are best eaten immediately after cooking. Leftover eggs should be stored carefully in the refrigerator and should not be left for more than 24 hours.
2.2 Beware of salmonella infection from eggs
Raw eggs can contain salmonella bacteria . This type of bacteria is found on eggshells and inside eggs. Therefore, if we eat raw eggs or prepare them improperly, such as not washing eggs or poaching eggs, we can easily get food poisoning. In particular, pregnant women are susceptible to food poisoning and have a more serious risk than normal healthy people.
Typical symptoms of acute poisoning include: abdominal pain, cramps, fever, chills, diarrhea , muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, signs of dehydration, bloody stools… Salmonella strains sometimes cause infections in urine, blood, bones, joints or the nervous system (spinal fluid and brain)… which are very dangerous.
2.3 Be careful with the risk of egg allergy
Eggs are one of the foods that easily cause allergies . Allergic symptoms after eating eggs include: abdominal pain, digestive disorders, rashes, respiratory problems, and rarely anaphylactic shock.
Most of the allergenic proteins are found in egg whites. Therefore, egg white allergies are more common. The best treatment and prevention is to avoid eggs in the diet if you have an egg allergy. If you are not allergic to eggs, you should eat eggs during pregnancy as part of a varied and balanced diet that includes a variety of healthy and nutritious foods.
