Pregnancy takes a toll on your entire body and mind. Thanks to the soaring pregnancy hormones, it makes you feel swollen and tired. You may also have to deal with the emotional upheavals. Additionally, pregnancy hot flashes cannot be denied.
Along with the natural pregnancy alterations, when it’s hot outside, sweaty feelings and heat exhaustion in pregnancy are also normal.
To keep yourself cool during pregnancy, besides drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water during pregnancy, sweet-sipping nutritional-based coconut water is good for you.
So, the health benefits of drinking coconut water during pregnancy would include:
Battles hydration, and Acts as a Natural Electrolyte
Coconut water is 95% pure water. When you’re feeling sweaty or parched during pregnancy coconut water is considered safe and the best. How ‘bout you drink it as a summer cool refresher? Maybe a margarita will do the trick for you. It keeps you hydrated. Along with this, when there are bouts of nausea and vomiting, during the first stage of pregnancy, you’ll lose valuable amounts of electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Drinking coconut water can make up for the losses during your pregnancy.
Improves Digestion
With the progression of the pregnancy journey, and the soaring progesterone levels, the baby bump also develops.
You may constantly keep your stomach filled up for the healthy growth of the baby inside you, but that may add up to the gastric juice in your stomach. That juice may gradually travel toward the oesophagus, causing sour burps, heartburns, acid reflux, and other discomforts inside the stomach.
Drinking coconut water during pregnancy helps in improving your digestion and bloating after your intake of meals.
Keeps the Skin Moist and Elastic
Since coconut water has all the essential vitamins in it – Vitamin B2 and vitamin B2, Vitamin C, and E, and lauric acid; drinking a glass of it can keep the skin hydrated, nourished, and glowing (by fuelling collagen production).
Prevents UTI (Urinary Tract Infection)
Coconut water has anti-bacterial properties and prevents you from UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) like E. Coli and group B Strep. Additionally, drinking coconut water is good for kidney function.
Relieves Joint Pain
Since you are undergoing constant physical changes during pregnancy, experiencing joint and muscle pain is a common pregnancy symptom. The essential nutrients in coconut water can relax the muscles and nervous system.
Strengthens Immunity
Coconut water is a rich source of minerals, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which helps in improving immunity during your pregnancy. Along with these nutrients, the lauric acid present in the coconut water, responsible for producing disease-fighting “monolaurin,” further prevents pregnancy flu, and HIV.
Keeps Weight in Control
Coconut water is cholesterol, fat-free, and has healthy Omega-3 fatty acids. It further helps in adding good cholesterol to your body to prevent the accumulation of excess fat and keeps the weight in check.
Exercise Drink
During pregnancy, you must stay fit and healthy to keep your baby inside you healthy and growing. Drinking coconut water could be as hydrating as plain water, especially after a long bout of exercise. After all, it has sodium, electrolytes, and carbs that keep you hydrated post-exercise.
It Helps Reducing Blood Pressure and Diabetes During Pregnancy
As per a 2005 study, drinking water constantly for 2 weeks would keep the blood flow regulated in your body and reduce the blood pressure. So, if you have high blood pressure during your pregnancy, undoubtedly, drinking coconut water may be to your advantage. Additionally, coconut water has a low sugar content in it, and it further helps in keeping the pregnancy blood sugar in control.
The Nutrients in Coconut Water Help in Foetal Development
Coconut water is a nutrient-rich drink. It also has the key macro and micronutrients in them essentially required for maternal and foetal health. So, with the intake of a glass of coconut water, you will be taking in Vitamin D, B12, omega-3 fatty acids, choline, iron, and calcium to help the baby grow inside you. It also has prenatal vitamins in optimal amounts and that is to your benefit.
It Increases Amniotic Fluid
Drinking tender coconut water throughout the pregnancy journey from the first to the third trimester, is a natural way to increase the amniotic fluid index. The amniotic sac and fluid can keep your baby cushioned and safe and pass down the essential nutrients from the placenta and the umbilical cord to the growing baby.
So, you can enjoy a variety of green and sweet-laden coconut water, but you need to drink it in moderation. Maybe a glass of water every day. After all, the subtle flavour and calming effect of the coconut water is a very good choice during pregnancy.