Eating lemons during pregnancy can have several advantages, but it carries some disadvantages as well. While the fruit provides a good amount of vitamins and minerals and may ward off morning sickness, it may cause damage to your tooth enamel and trigger or exacerbate heartburn or other gastrointestinal issues. If you have specific concerns about the way eating lemons may affect your pregnancy, contact your doctor.
Nutrition
Lemons contain good amounts of several vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. One medium raw lemon contains only 17 calories and almost no fat, while offering numerous vitamins and minerals. Some of these vitamins and minerals include calcium, thiamin, niacin, folate, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, manganese, panthothenic acid, vitamin B-6 and riboflavin. It also is an excellent source of vitamin C. Eating lemons during pregnancy may be an effective way to make sure you are getting these nutrients.
Morning Sickness
While their use is not scientifically proven, lemons may also minimize feelings of nausea associated with morning sickness, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Although eating the lemons may prove useful, sucking on or even simply sniffing them may also help ease your queasiness. If your morning sickness that seems particularly severe, do not rely on lemons to treat your symptoms. Instead, call your doctor.
Heartburn or Gastrointestinal Discomfort
During the latter part of pregnancy, many women suffer from heartburn or other forms of gastrointestinal distress. Eating lemons during this time may trigger or exacerbate these symptoms. If you are experiencing these issues, avoid eating lemons and other citrus foods until the symptoms go away.
Tooth Enamel
Citric acid may damage the enamel of your teeth. Lemons contain particularly high amounts of citric acid. Avoid consuming large amounts of lemons on a regular basis to prevent this from occurring. If you notice changes in your teeth that you believe may be due to your consumption of lemon, consult your dentist.
Considerations
Although eating lemons during pregnancy is fine to do in moderation, it is never wise to only eat one food item. You need foods from all of the food groups to ensure you and your baby are getting the right amount of nutrients. Consuming too many lemons may also fill you up to the point that you consume less of other foods. This may cause you to become deficient in the nutrients that are not present in lemons, such as vitamin D, vitamin A or iron. Lemons also do not provide any protein, which is required for a healthy pregnancy.
