Which fruits should be avoided during pregnancy?

Pregnancy is the time to cherish for every woman and her family. Pregnancy is also a very crucial time for every pregnant woman. There are lots of changes happening in the body with respect to hormonal changes, weight gain which need to be taken care of. As the baby is growing in the mother's womb, the baby demands lots of nutrients from the mother such as calcium, minerals, vitamins, proteins etc. The best way to get the vitamins and minerals is the fresh fruits and the green leafy vegetables. Fruits and green vegetables should be included in the diet of each of us so that we remain healthy and fit but for the pregnant women fruits and vegetables are the most important components in the diet and these should be consumed daily so that the mother and the baby remain healthy through out the pregnancy period and even after the child birth. Though the pregnant woman can have any fruits but because some reasons there are some fruits to be avoided during pregnancy.

Some of the pregnant women test positive for diabetes during pregnancy which is also called gestational diabetes. In diabetes, the blood glucose level becomes high as the insulin hormone formed in the pancreas is blocked and it could not convert the sugar, starch and other nutrient into the energy. Any pregnant woman should have a diet rich  in protein, carbohydrate, vitamins , minerals etc. but special care has to be taken in case the woman has some risk factors for gestational diabetes. It is recommended to have less sugary diet in case the pregnant woman has gestational diabetes. The fruits to be avoided during pregnancy are those which have high sugar content.

1. Papaya- It is a common belief that ripe or semi-ripe Papaya should be avoided during pregnancy as it has rich latex which helps in contractions of uterus thus could be responsible for early child birth. Though one or two pieces of ripe papaya is advisable as it is rich in vitamin C.
2. Mango, pineapple and jackfruits are also avoided by many pregnant women as these fruits have high sugar content and produce excessive heat in the body.
3. Many women avoid grapes during their last trimester as grapes also produce heat in the body.
4. Fruits should be washed properly before consumption.

Fruits and vegetables must be included in the diet of a pregnant woman but consumption of excessive fruits is to be avoided during pregnancy specially to avoid gestational diabetes.