Sugarcane Juice In Pregnancy: 9 Health Benefits And Precautions To Take

As a mum-to-be, you are probably highly watchful of your eating habits and carefully choose what to eat and drink daily. You may add lots of fibrous foods like veggies and lentils to your diet and also enjoy fresh fruit juices and smoothies to satiate your pregnancy sweet cravings. In fact, consuming fresh fruit juices can help increase your hydration levels and keep you energised throughout the day.

One of the ingredients that is commonly used in fruit juice recipes in India is sugarcane. While sugarcane juice is highly nutritious and benefits your health in various ways, you may wonder if it’s safe to consume sugarcane in pregnancy. Well, we got you covered with all the answers, including its safety, benefits, and precautions to take while drinking this juice during pregnancy. So read on!

Is Sugarcane Safe for Consumption During Pregnancy?

Yes, it is safe to consume sugarcane juice during pregnancy. However, in case you have health conditions like gestational diabetes, consult your doctor before adding it to your pregnancy diet, as it may interfere with your glucose tolerance levels.

Moreover, if you are going for packaged juice, instead of a freshly made one, make sure to do a quick quality check by reading the ingredient label, and checking its nutritive content, shelf life, and preservatives. In any case, it’s always a good idea to consume freshly made juice, and you can even consider making sugarcane juice at home if you have a juicing machine. 

Nutrient Profile of Sugarcane

Sugarcane is a variety of tall perennial grasses that are native to the tropical regions of Southeast Asia, and New Guinea, especially where warm temperatures prevail. While it is primarily used to produce sugar, its processing provides certain valuable by-products, such as bagasse and molasses. 

Sugarcane is also considered highly nutritious and is enriched with magnesium, iron, calcium, and essential vitamins like A, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, and C. It is also a rich source of antioxidants, fibre, and phytonutrients that make sugarcane juice nutritious, and beneficial for your health.

Benefits of Having Sugarcane Juice During Pregnancy

Strengthens Your Immunity

The antioxidants present in fresh sugarcane juice help strengthen your immune system and fight against flu, infections, and colds during pregnancy. Strong immunity is not only good for you, but it also helps safeguard the health of your baby. Additionally, sugarcane juice helps maintain your bilirubin levers and protects your liver. 

Reduces Morning Sickness Symptoms

Morning sickness is a common symptom experienced by many pregnant women. Drinking sugarcane juice with a bit of ginger can help ward off the symptoms of this condition, and also make you feel better and rejuvenated.

Helps Fight Urinary Tract Infections

It’s common for women to experience urinary tract infections during pregnancy. Sugarcane juice, being a rich source of natural antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals helps you fight this infection. Its consumption is also helpful in treating other health conditions like jaundice and kidney stones.

Boosts Your Energy

If you are feeling nauseous and weak, and need a quick boost of energy, a fresh glass of sugarcane juice can help. The sucrose content in the sugarcane juice helps heighten your energy levels, rehydrate your body, quench your thirst, and most importantly, replenish all lost levels of sugar.

Keeps Your Weight In Check

Excessive weight gain is a common concern for mums-to-be. Consuming sugarcan juice during this time can in fact help you tackle this concern. This is because sugarcane juice contains polyphenol compounds that help boost your metabolism and maintain healthy body weight.

Promotes Foetal Health

Sugarcane juice is enriched with essential proteins, which is good for both your and your baby’s health. Additionally, it contains vitamin B9 or folic acid, which is known to reduce the risks associated with congenital disabilities like spina bifida, a condition that causes learning difficulties, movement issues, and bowel problems in children.

Helps Cure Skin Concerns

Skin concerns like acne can become worse during pregnancy due to increased oestrogen levels. Sugarcane juice, being a good source of glycolic acid helps treat your skin concerns and fights blemishes and acne to give you a radiant glow from within.

Relieves Constipation

Due to the increase in progesterone in the body, many pregnant women experience stomach concerns like indigestion and constipation. The antioxidant and polyphenol compounds in sugarcane juice can help keep your bowel movements steady and boost your metabolism to relieve constipation. Its nutritive qualities also help fight stomach infections and maintain a healthy gut.

Keeps Dental Issues at Bay

Another common concern during pregnancy is tooth decay and bad breath. Drinking sugarcane juice regularly can help prevent these dental issues as its high calcium and magnesium content helps ward off bacteria and keep you feeling refreshed.

How to Make Sugarcane Juice At Home

You can make a fresh and flavoursome glass of sugarcane juice in just three simple steps.

• Squeeze the stalks of the sugarcane through your juicing machine
• Strain the juice in a clean glass
• Add additional ingredients for garnish, such as mint leaves, lemon juice, ginger, or black salt to enhance its taste.

Precautions to Follow While Having Sugarcane Juice During Pregnancy

Sugarcane juice is good for your overall health during pregnancy. However, like every other food, sugarcane should be consumed in limited quantities. Moreover, if you have gestational diabetes, it’s better to seek advice from your doctor before its consumption. Lastly, make sure that the glass of juice that you have prepared is fresh and hygienic. Otherwise, you may have to deal with unpleasant symptoms like stomach cramps and food poisoning. 

Conclusion

Having sugarcane juice in pregnancy can be highly beneficial, owing to its rich nutrient and fibre content. It also acts as a great energy booster and can help you feel refreshed, vehicle tackling symptoms of morning sickness and nausea. Make sure to consult your doctor before adding it to your diet as excess sugarcane consumption can interfere with your glucose levels. 

Also read:

Eating fish during pregnancy: Learn all about the safety and benefits of eating fish during pregnancy and tasty recipes to include in your diet.

Ajwain during pregnancy: How does ajwain benefit your health during pregnancy? Tap this post to know.

Jamun during pregnancy: Here’s everything you need to know about eating jamun during pregnancy and tasty recipes to try. 

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