Can pregnant women drink orange juice?

Many women wonder whether pregnant women can drink orange juice? The good news for pregnant women is that it is completely possible to drink orange juice during pregnancy. Orange juice contains many essential nutrients for the health of the pregnant mother and the growing fetus in the womb. Here are the great health benefits that orange juice brings to pregnant women:
1.1.Support to strengthen the immune system during pregnancy According to leading experts, orange juice contains high levels of antioxidants. rich in vitamins and calcium, higher than dairy products. When pregnant women drink orange juice in moderation, it can promote the health of the immune system and fight against seasonal flu.
Not only has the ability to prevent flu, drinking orange juice is also quite effective in treating cough. During pregnancy, women can easily catch the flu and have an unpleasant cough, if the cough is severe or persistent, it can lead to premature birth. To soothe a cough during pregnancy, you can apply natural methods such as drinking orange juice, eating baked orange peels or ginger marmalade.
1.2.Help to supplement abundant vitamins and minerals for the body To know if drinking orange juice is good for pregnant women, we need to consider the nutrient content in this drink. One of the most abundant vitamins of orange juice is vitamin C, which helps to strengthen the resistance as well as the body's barrier to protect the body from pathogens during pregnancy.
On the other hand, orange juice also provides a large amount of essential minerals such as iron and zinc, which are very beneficial for the immune system of the fetus. Therefore, pregnant mothers can completely drink orange juice or eat fresh oranges every day to supplement the best source of nutrients for the body as well as the baby in the womb.
1.3.Help prevent and reverse constipation in pregnancy Constipation during pregnancy often causes discomfort for pregnant women. In the long term, constipation can negatively affect the digestive tract. Moreover, pregnant women are often prone to morning sickness and often have problems with eating. However, these phenomena can be effectively reversed by drinking orange juice in moderation every day. Not only that, oranges also contain high fiber content, which enhances intestinal peristalsis, thereby promoting food digestion and eliminating waste from the body more effectively.
1.4.Support brain development and prevent birth defects During pregnancy, the need for folate (folic acid) is always an important issue, because this nutrient is very necessary for the development of the fetus. development of fetal brain, and help prevent birth defects 5 to 10 times. One of the foods that can meet the folate needs of pregnant women is orange juice. Therefore, pregnant women should regularly add orange juice to their diet to ensure an adequate supply of folate for both mother and baby.
1.5.Improve respiratory system health and control blood pressure Fresh orange juice contains rich carotene content, which helps to improve and maintain respiratory health for pregnant women during pregnancy. . Moreover, orange juice also provides a large amount of magnesium and flavonoids, which have the ability to control blood pressure at a stable level. This is especially beneficial for pregnant women with a history of blood pressure problems.
1.6.Promote hydration and beautify the skin The promotion of hydration can help increase the reproduction of new cells, accelerate the replacement of old cells, thereby helping pregnant women stay healthy and anti-aging. and prevent free radicals. The abundant amount of vitamin C in orange juice is considered an ideal drink for hydration in the body. Pregnant women who drink orange juice in moderation every day can bring antioxidant effects, keep the skin taut and maintain the necessary moisture. This also contributes to helping pregnant women cope better with acne during pregnancy.
The mechanism of promoting body hydration of orange juice is thanks to its abundant supply of potassium and sodium. Therefore, in the first 3 months of pregnancy, pregnant women should drink orange juice regularly to support the rapid regeneration of new cells and collagen restructuring on the skin. This helps to keep the skin fresh and healthy. Not only that, orange juice also includes an abundant amount of B vitamins, bringing the following effects:
Vitamin B1: Promotes increased blood circulation, helps balance metabolism and beautifies the skin for pregnant women. Vitamin B2: Helps regenerate blood cells, skin, intestinal mucosa, supports blood circulation and helps pregnant women's skin become smooth and ruddy. Vitamin B5: Helps improve skin health and ensures that the pregnant mother's body works effectively. Vitamin B6: Prevents and reverses anemia, helps to produce more hormones to regulate and support a healthy pregnant mother's body. 1.7.Drinking orange juice during pregnancy helps prevent allergies During the first 3 months of pregnancy, the hormones in the mother's body tend to change markedly, progesterone and estrogen levels increase rapidly, stimulating some components. plasma as prolactin and glucocorticoids. This sudden change can cause the blood vessels in the venous system to dilate, leading to an itchy reaction. In addition, pregnancy allergies also cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, nausea and difficult bowel movements.
Orange juice contains active ingredients that help reduce the risk of allergic reactions in pregnant women during pregnancy. Therefore, women can enjoy this drink right from the time of pregnancy to prevent the above problem.
1.8.Helps prevent and treat kidney stones Containing an abundant amount of citric acid, orange juice is known for its ability to prevent and support the treatment of kidney stones very well. Citric acid has the effect of dissolving minerals into crystals, reducing the risk of stone deposition in the kidney. Thanks to this use, pregnant women drinking orange juice regularly can reduce the risk of complications caused by kidney stones, such as bloody urine, severe abdominal pain, fever, chills, nausea, etc. .. harmful to the health of both pregnant mother and fetus.
1.9. Pregnant women who drink orange juice in the last 3 months can help prevent postpartum bleeding Pregnant women who drink orange juice in the last 3 months can prevent bleeding after giving birth. This effect is achieved due to the abundant vitamin C and calcium content in orange juice, which helps the blood vessel walls to increase elasticity and elasticity, thereby avoiding the risk of postpartum bleeding in pregnant women.

So you have the answer to the question of whether pregnant women can drink orange juice, but how should pregnant women use this drink properly and get the most optimal health benefits? Here are the tips for using orange juice for pregnant women from leading nutritionists:
2.1.How much orange juice should pregnant women drink? According to the recommendations of experts, pregnant women should only use up to 200ml of orange juice / day, avoid drinking more. This is because orange juice contains many organic acids, which easily damage tooth enamel if consumed in large amounts and for a long time. In addition, orange juice also contains a lot of vitamin C, if loaded into the body too much, it can lead to the formation of urinary stones, vomiting and diarrhea,...
2.2. Pregnant women should drink orange juice. on time? The most appropriate time for pregnant women to drink orange juice is when the stomach is not too full or too hungry, usually 1-2 hours after a meal. At that time, the mother's stomach has just performed the function of partially digesting food, if drinking orange juice at this time will help reduce the load on the stomach. On the other hand, drinking orange juice within 1-2 hours after eating also helps prevent the harmful effects that the acid in this drink affects the mother's stomach.
2.3.Some important notes when pregnant women drink orange juice In order to best promote the benefits that orange juice brings to the body, pregnant women should note the following:
After drinking water Oranges should avoid drinking milk immediately, because milk contains tartaric acid, which easily interacts with vitamin C in orange juice. This reaction can cause conditions such as abdominal pain, bloating, or diarrhea in the mother. Avoid drinking orange juice late at night because it contains a lot of vitamin C and has high diuretic properties. When drinking orange juice at this time, it is easy to increase the frequency of urination at night, significantly affecting the quality of sleep of pregnant women. Pregnant women with duodenal, stomach or pancreatitis problems should avoid drinking orange juice. This is because orange juice contains many organic acids, which can adversely affect the existing ulcers in the body and cause severe abdominal pain. If pregnant women encounter the above problems, drinking orange juice regularly can make the sores spread and deepen. At that time, the frequency of abdominal pain may come more often, more intense, even causing duodenal or gastric perforation. Pregnant women with digestive disorders such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, heartburn, flatulence, ... also need to limit the consumption of orange juice. In this case, drinking orange juice regularly can make symptoms worse, easily causing ulcers or bloating. 2.4.Instructing pregnant mothers on how to choose standard oranges To have a delicious and nutritious cup of orange juice, pregnant women should choose fresh oranges with clear origin and buy them at reputable locations. This can help you avoid choosing oranges that use a lot of growth drugs and pesticides that can cause poisoning.
Freshly squeezed orange juice is the best choice for pregnant women, so you should limit the use of bottled orange juice because it often contains added preservatives. This substance when loaded into the body will combine with other substances to form toxins, or directly affect the nervous system, circulatory system of the fetus and pregnant mother. Moreover, the risk of fetal malformations, rashes, cancer or diarrhea in pregnant women is also very high if a lot of preservatives are loaded into the body.
2.5.How to make "super" easy orange juice for pregnant women You just need to cut an orange in half to squeeze the juice by hand or use a blender to squeeze the juice. Pregnant women should drink orange juice immediately after squeezing / squeezing to avoid substances in the water that are easy to be oxygenated or penetrated by bacteria when exposed to air for a long time. In addition, you also need to limit adding sugar to orange juice because this can increase blood sugar levels, easily cause fatigue and aggravate morning sickness symptoms.

Although orange juice offers many health benefits for the mother and fetus, too much can cause dangerous side effects, including:
Causes sore throat or tooth enamel damage high citric acid content in orange juice. Increases the amount of fiber, negatively affects the digestive system and has a potential risk of abdominal cramps. Increases the amount of sugar and calories in the body, putting pregnant women at high risk of gestational diabetes. Causes heartburn due to the high acidity of orange juice. Causes an excess of vitamin C, leading to premature labor and premature birth. Drinking orange juice properly will help pregnant women receive many great health benefits. Therefore, mothers should only drink in sufficient quantity, avoiding abuse so as not to affect the health of both mother and baby.
To protect mother and baby's health comprehensively, Vinmec International General Hospital now has a package maternity service, with a team of highly qualified doctors, ultrasound system, and medical equipment. Modern equipment will promptly recognize abnormalities during pregnancy, help monitor the health of mother and baby right from the beginning of pregnancy, early detect and intervene in time health problems.