Today’s Usage Tip: Fruits and Vegetables in Pregnancy.

During pregnancy, fruits and vegetables are healthy dietary choices. In general, they are high in nutritional content (vitamins and minerals) compared to their caloric content, meaning that they help provide for your cellular needs and those of your developing baby. While you can safely enjoy  fruit and vegetables during pregnancy and rest assured that you're making a healthy choice some categories of fruits stand out as particularly wise choices while some are advised to be avoided.

Apples

Apples are an excellent choice during pregnancy for several reasons. First, they are high in vitamin C, which is an important antioxidant vitamin that you need to help maintain the immune system and the integrity of the skin and connective tissue. Your developing baby also uses vitamin C to help build connective tissues. In addition, however, apples are high in fiber. During pregnancy, your digestive system slows down, explain Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel in their book, "What To Expect When You're Expecting." Fiber can prevent the constipation that often accompanies this digestive delay.

Brightly Colored Fruits

Brightly-colored fruits, especially those that have colored flesh in addition to colored skin, are rich sources of many different biologically active molecules. The brighter the fruit, the greater the variety of phytochemicals and flavonoids in the fruit. Research suggests that these chemicals foster health in many different ways. For example, a 2003 study in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" notes that phytochemicals and flavonoids act as anti-inflammatories and support cellular health. Because your developing baby pulls nutrients from your body in such large quantities during pregnancy, eating fruits rich in protective chemicals can help support your own cellular health. Good choices for brightly colored fruits include berries, mangoes and red grapes.

Wide Variety Of Fruits

In addition to specific fruits that are high in nutrients, research shows that it's best to eat a wide variety of foods, including fruits, during pregnancy. ScienceDaily.com notes that women who eat a wide variety of healthy foods -- including plenty of different fruits -- during pregnancy help predispose their babies to a lifetime of preferring healthy food choices. Your developing baby can taste the foods you eat via the amniotic fluid, and tends to prefer those flavors it has been exposed to before. As such, eat a wide variety of fruits each day throughout your pregnancy to encourage your baby to do the same throughout life.

In general, eating a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables during your pregnancy is a good thing. You need the vitamins, minerals and fiber they provide. Plus, opting for unprocessed, "whole" foods is generally a healthier choice overall. There are no specific types of fruit pregnant women are advised to avoid, but there are still some categories to keep a watchful eye on.

Control Papaya

Many cultures firmly believe that eating papayas during pregnancy is a strict no, no. Papaya intake apparently brings on labour early. This is partially true. Papayas, especially the unripe and semi-ripe ones are rich in latex which is known to trigger uterine contractions. There are also heating in nature and are better avoided during the third and final trimester of pregnancy. However, ripe papayas are excellent during pregnancy. Ripe papayas are rich in vitamins such as vitamin C and other wholesome nutrients that prevent the onset on pregnancy symptoms such as heartburn and constipation. Papayas mixed with honey and milk is also an excellent tonic for pregnant women especially during lactation. 

Control Pineapple

This fruit too is considered by many as a pregnancy no, no. Pineapples are rich in bromelain which can cause the softening of the cervix leading to early labour. However, for that to happen, a pregnant woman has to drink pineapple juice in excessive quantities that will first lead to diarrhoea! One can have pineapple in moderate quantities as it will have no effect on labour and delivery. However, its intake should be restricted during the first trimester to avoid any unforeseen event such as softening of the cervix. Many women also claim that one can drink a lot of pineapple juice if they want to induce labour!

Control Grapes 

It has been suggested by many medical professionals that pregnant women in their last trimester should avoid fruits such as grapes because of their heat content.

Avoid unwashed Raw Fruits and Vegetables

The most important advice for pregnant women is to avoid unwashed and unpasteurised vegetable and fruits during pregnancy. It is critical that food hygiene is given primal importance during pregnancy to avoid infections from toxoplasmosis. 

The outer surface of raw fruit can harbor harmful bacteria such as listeria, which can cause devastating complications in pregnant women. Other pathogens such as E. coli are of lesser danger but still serious threats to both you and your fetus. Rinse your fruits and vegetable well before consumption.

Non-Organic Fruit

The data on the danger of pesticide residues on fruit and vegetables to pregnant women is still skimpy. Nonetheless, if you're at all worried, choose organic fruit over conventionally grown produce. According to The Environmental Working Group, the fruits with the most pesticides are peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, cherries, grapes and pears.

Pregnancy is a crucial time for women and their families. It signals the beginning of a new life with a new member in the family. During pregnancy, every woman is bombarded with suggestions as to what to eat and what foods not to eat when pregnant. Elders in the family tell every woman that there are certain fruits and vegetables that are to be avoided during pregnancy. In case you have missed out this instruction, we present to you vegetables and fruits to avoid during pregnancy.

References

• "What to Expect When You're Expecting"; Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel; 2008
• "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Health Benefits of Fruit and Vegetables are From Additive and Synergistic Combinations of Phytochemicals; Rui Hai Liu; September 2003
• ScienceDaily.com: Maternal Choice of Foods
• Mayo Clinic: Pregnancy Nutrition -- Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy
• The Daily Green: The Dirty Dozen -- Twelve Foods to Eat Organic