The pomegranate is a nutritious fruit that has also been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. There is not medical evidence that eating pomegranate fruit and drinking pomegranate juice is harmful during pregnancy, though pomegranate extract might be harmful and toxic, according to the University of Maryland medical Center. Talk to your doctor if you have questions and concerns about pomegranate use during pregnancy.
Vitamin C
One average-sized pomegranate, or approximately 282 grams, contains 28.8 milligrams vitamin C. Not only does vitamin C help your body absorb anemia-preventing iron during pregnancy, the vitamin is important for tissue repair, wound healing and healthy skin and bones. Vitamin C also helps your body prevent cell damage and fight infections. During pregnancy, women over 18 years of age need 85 milligrams of vitamin C each day and those 18 years of age or younger need 80 milligrams daily, according to BabyCenter. Pomegranate juice contains varying amounts of vitamin C, depending on its ingredients.
Folic Acid
One pomegranate contains 107 micrograms of folate, or folic acid, which is 27 percent of your daily allowance, according to the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory. Folic acid is important during pregnancy because it helps prevent neural tube defects of the spine and brain like spina bifida and anencephaly. Folic acid is especially important early in pregnancy when important developments occur. Women of childbearing age and pregnant women need at least 400 micrograms of folic acid daily. Your doctor might want you to have additional folic acid during pregnancy.
Fiber
One average-sized pomegranate contains 11 grams of dietary fiber, which is slightly less than half of your recommended daily allowance. Fiber helps you avoid constipation during pregnancy, which roughly half of all pregnant women experience. The American Pregnancy Association recommends consuming 25 to 30 grams of fiber daily through fruits, vegetables, prunes, cereals, whole-grain bread and bran products.
Precaution
According to a study published in "Reproductive Sciences" in 2010, pomegranate seed extract caused uterine contractions in rats. For this reason, you should avoid pomegranate extracts while you are pregnant. The University of Maryland Medical Center indicates that pomegranate extracts contain fruit rinds and roots which can stimulate uterine contractions and are therefore dangerous during pregnancy. Eating the fruit and juice from a pomegranate does not stimulate uterine contractions and is likely safe during pregnancy, reports UMMC.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Pomegranate; December 2009
- USDA: Nutrient Data Laboratory
- American Pregnancy Association; Pregnancy and Constipation; March 2007
- "Reproductive Sciences"; The Effects of Pomegranate Seed Extract and Beta-Silosterol on Rat Uterine Contractions; W. Promprom, et al; March 2010
- BabyCenter: Folic Acid in Your Pregnancy Diet
- BabyCenter: Vitamin C in Your Pregnancy Diet
