You’re pregnant. Everybody and their great aunt must be calling you with questionable advice. Don’t worry. Taking a bath won’t drown your baby, although it may increase its stress level if your water is too hot (via UAMS Health). Cutting your hair while pregnant? Nothing links that to hairless babies or poor vision (via nib).
But if your second cousin twice removed told you that eating citrus while pregnant will make your baby smarter, she may be onto something. In February 2020, a University of Alberta study confirmed what previous studies had suspected: eating a fruit-rich diet while expecting will positively contribute to the cognitive development of your baby (via Neuroscience News). And if oranges are part of that fruit-rich diet, not only can the folate in them prevent neural tube defects, but your body will feel the better for it, too (via Medical News Today).
More reasons to eat oranges during pregnancy
No one is celebrating the fact that Tylenol in normal doses is safe during pregnancy (via Insider). As anyone who’s ever given birth before will tell you, Tylenol is about as effective for pregnancy’s pains as sugar pills are. Oranges, however, might do what Tylenol can’t.
Constipated? Eat oranges. Upping your intake of the fiber-rich citrus does wonders for your digestive tract (via MMC). Are you anemic? Or are your prenatal pills causing nausea? Taking your prenatal vitamin with orange juice increases your ability to absorb iron and help decrease queasiness (via Medical News Today).
One out of every 12 to 17 women between the ages of 20 and 44 in the United States struggle with high blood pressure while pregnant (via CDC). Are you the one? The potassium in oranges can help by easing the tension in your blood vessel walls and limiting the effects of sodium (via First Cry Parenting and American Heart Association).
Not only this, but oranges’ high potassium and calcium content might banish the leg cramps waking you up every night a 2 a.m. (via The Daily Meal). Yes, your pregnancy leg cramps may be caused by nerve compressions, changes in blood flow, or extra pregnancy weight. But they’re also commonly caused by mineral deficiencies and dehydration, something that oranges can help fix (via American Pregnancy Association). The moral of the story? Make oranges a part of your regular diet for these nine months — and beyond.
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