Good nutrition during pregnancy increases your chances of having a healthy baby. While your prenatal vitamins act as an insurance policy, there is no substitute for a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Pomegranate juice can provide you with a serving of fruit and a number of other benefits during your pregnancy. This vitamin- and antioxidant-rich juice has an appealing flavor that is both tart and sweet. Your doctor can help you to decide whether pomegranate juice is an appropriate choice during your pregnancy.
Pomegranate Juice
Pomegranate juice is safe to consume during pregnancy, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Like other fruit juices, pomegranate juice is relatively high in calories, with 134 calories per 8-ounce serving for 100 percent pomegranate juice. Many pomegranate juice blends are not 100 percent pomegranate juice and may contain not only other fruit juices, but also significant amounts of added sugar. For the best nutrition for you and your growing baby, choose a product with 100 percent fruit juice, preferably pure pomegranate.
Vitamins and Minerals
Pomegranate juice is an excellent source of several vitamins and minerals, including potassium, vitamin K and folate. One cup of pomegranate juice provides 60 micrograms of folate, helping you reach the 800 micrograms the Mayo Clinic recommends each day during pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects. You'll also get 25.9 micrograms of vitamin K and 533 milligrams of potassium in that glass of pomegranate juice.
Potential Benefits
If you're concerned about the potential of pre-term birth, consuming pomegranate juice during pregnancy may help protect premature babies from brain injuries caused by low oxygen and reduced blood flow, or hypoxia-ischemia. While hypoxia-ischemia is rare in full-term newborns, it often occurs in infants born prior to 34 weeks gestation. A June 2005 study in "Pediatric Research" found that consuming pomegranate juice during pregnancy reduced the damage from hypoxia-ischemia in mice. Speak to your obstetrician or midwife about the potential protective properties of pomegranate juice if you are at high risk for pre-term birth.
Warnings
Pomegranate juice can interact with a few medications. If you take statins for high cholesterol or medication for high blood pressure during pregnancy, you should talk to your obstetrician about potential medication interactions. You should also speak to your doctor or dietitian if you are managing gestational diabetes and would like to fit pomegranate juice into your diet.
References
- "Pediatric Research"; Maternal Dietary Supplementation with Pomegranate Juice Is Neuroprotective in an Animal Model of Neonatal Hypoxic-ischemic Brain Injury; D. J. Loren et. al.; June 2005
- Mayo Clinic; Can Drinking Pomegranate Juice Help Lower my Cholesterol?; Thomas Behrenbeck
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Pomegranate Juice
- Mayo Clinic: Pregnancy Diet: Focus on These Essential Nutrients
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Pomegranate
