Avocados are packed full of nutrients and are among some of the best foods you can eat during pregnancy and preconception! They are known for having a good amount of vitamins, monounsaturated fat, dietary fiber, folate, and more! Avocados are one of the many foods that promote fertility for both men and women. And are even referred to as a fertility fruit.
Adding avocado to your diet can provide many benefits during your pregnancy. Offering essential nutrients during each trimester, avocados contain essential vitamins and minerals that help support the mother, the pregnancy, and the baby’s overall growth and development. So today, we are sharing a round-up of the specific benefits of avocados during each trimester!
15 Avocado Benefits For Pregnancy
First Trimester
Helps to Reduce Morning Sickness
A common symptom of early pregnancy is that dreaded morning sickness. Morning sickness can be exhausting and overwhelming. And puts a damper on those first three months of pregnancy. Avocados are rich in magnesium and B6. Magnesium and B6 are known to help combat nausea and vomiting. See if adding more avocado to your diet can help get that morning sickness under control.
Replenishes the Body from Morning Sickness
If you’ve been suffering from morning sickness, especially if you are actually vomiting, be sure you’re replenishing your body throughout the day. Regular food aversions and vomiting can deprive the body of essential nutrients. Avocados are easy on the stomach. And loaded with healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals to give your body a nutrient re-boot!
Helps You Meet Your Early Pregnancy Folate Requirements
Avocados are a rich source of folate, which is essential in early pregnancy to promote the proper growth and development of the baby’s major organs. In fact, a lack of folate or folic acid can put your baby at a greater risk for birth defects. Incorporating avocados into your diet can help make sure you’re getting the proper amount of folate for a healthy pregnancy. With just half a cup of avocado each day, you can get around 20% of the total amount of folate required for proper early development.
Supplies Some Calcium
Your body’s requirement for calcium actually stays the same when you’re pregnant. But it is especially important to meet your needs during conception and the first trimester. Consuming calcium is important for the development of the baby’s bones and teeth. And to keep the mother’s bones strong as well. Eating an avocado each day can help you maintain a calcium-rich diet with the help of other high calcium foods.
Helps Decrease Anemia Risk
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies in early pregnancy can lead to anemia if left unchecked. Anemia in pregnant women is usually caused by a lack of iron, folate, or vitamin B12. And can cause complications throughout pregnancy. Luckily, avocados are a rich source of folate, as mentioned above. So this can help with that piece of anemia.
Supplies Necessary Healthy Fats
Avocados contain two types of healthy fats that help promote fetal growth and development, poly and monounsaturated fats. These fats are not only great for a growing baby. But they also reduce the risk of heart disease. And can help keep your cholesterol under control during pregnancy.
Second Trimester
Helps to Promote Healthy Weight Gain
A typical concern for pregnant women in the second trimester is how to maintain a healthy weight gain during pregnancy. Your body needs extra calories from good fats to grow and develop in the most healthy way for you and your baby. Avocados are loaded with healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. And are great to keep you feeling full throughout the day plus help stabilize your blood sugars.
Reduces Muscle Cramps
During the second trimester, it can be really common to have uncomfortable back and leg cramps. To avoid this, it’s important to have a potassium and magnesium-rich diet. Avocados are a rich source of both potassium and magnesium. And can help reduce and provide relief from those painful muscle cramps.
Assists in Nutrient Absorption
Eating avocado can enhance the body’s absorption of essential, fat-soluble vitamins. A good diet can ensure you’re getting all the essential vitamins you need for a healthy pregnancy. But your body needs healthy fats to actually absorb and use these vitamins. The healthy fats in avocado help your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. This is why avocados are great to add to salads and put on eggs.
Supplies Essential Vitamins
Avocados are packed with vitamins and minerals that support a healthy lifestyle and pregnancy. According to the USDA, avocados contain vitamins C, E, and B6, potassium, fiber, and magnesium. Just one cup of avocado contains over 20% of your daily value of vitamin C and B6.
Promotes Digestion
Like leafy greens, avocados are rich in fiber and potassium. Eating avocados can combat stomach aches like constipation associated with pregnancy. And can also promote a healthy gut. Healthy fats are important in preventing constipation along with the well-known fiber. Other nutrients found in avocados like vitamins C and B6 are also associated with a healthier digestive system.
Third Trimester
Increases Antioxidant Intake
Avocados are rich in antioxidants that are good for both the baby and the mother. Antioxidants like zeaxanthin, beta carotene, and vitamin C, found in avocados are important for repairing cellular damage and the creation of new cells. They are also essential for the baby’s eye development and brain function.
Helps With Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Management
Avocados can help pregnant women keep their cholesterol and blood sugar levels under control. Including avocados in your weekly diet can help lower the bad, LDL cholesterol and promote the good, HDL cholesterol. In addition, keeping an eye on your blood sugar levels is important for every pregnant person. And avocados are a great pair to any meal for help with this!
Aids in the Baby’s Brain Development
Choline is an important nutrient found in avocados that are required for a baby’s brain and overall development. Getting enough choline during pregnancy is essential for the baby’s brain and nervous system development. While avocados can contribute to your daily choline needs, it is still important to consume foods higher in choline like egg yolks, meat, and fish in order to meet your daily needs.
Regulates Bowel Movements
It is common for pregnant women in the third trimester to experience constipation. Make sure you get enough fiber and fluids in your diet to help prevent constipation. Great sources of fiber are whole grains, berries, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, and avocados. A single avocado contains 10 grams of fiber. Which is already around a third of your daily needs during pregnancy.
Are you eating avocados during your pregnancy?
That wraps up our list of the benefits of avocado for pregnancy. Avocados are a great food to incorporate into your diet during pregnancy! Are you eating them regularly during your pregnancy? If so, definitely share your favorite avocado-rich recipes in the comments below. Avocados are delicious, healthy, and have a multitude of benefits for pregnant women. Just adding one avocado per day to your diet can have tons of positive effects on your overall health and pregnancy.
Check out the Prenatal Nutritionist Blog for other beneficial foods to eat (and not eat) during pregnancy. There you’ll find similar articles like Healthy Sweets for Pregnancy, Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Pregnant Women, and What Not To Drink While Pregnant.
If you are overwhelmed trying to figure out what you can and cannot eat during pregnancy, join The Prenatal Nutrition Library. Your one-stop online shop for everything prenatal nutrition by prenatal registered dietitians.
