The Health Benefits of Lime Juice During Pregnancy

What you put into your body is important, especially during pregnancy. The foods you eat directly impact overall fetal development. When you don’t eat enough nutrients for you and your baby, your body strips them from you to support their growth. If you’re looking for a way to make a positive difference in you and your baby’s health, try adding more lime to your diet. Here are seven benefits of consuming lime juice during pregnancy.

Seven Benefits of Drinking Lime Juice During Pregnancy

1. It increases your vitamin C intake

Oftentimes, pregnant women experience a vitamin C deficiency. Vitamin C is important for fetal brain development. After a certain point, fetal brain damage becomes irreversible. When you add lime juice to your pregnancy diet, you increase your vitamin C intake, which means you won’t have to rely on as many supplements.

2. It reduces swelling

One of the hardest parts of pregnancy is swelling. Your body retains a lot more fluid when you’re pregnant, so your feet are likely to swell up and cause pain. As your uterus grows, it also puts additional pressure on your veins, which causes ankle and foot swelling. By adding a teaspoon of lime juice to a glass of lukewarm water, you can keep foot swelling at bay.

3. It improves baby’s development

In addition to minimizing fetal brain development risk, limes help with other aspects of your little one’s growth. Limes have a large amount of potassium, which is good for bone, nerve cell and brain development.

4. It’s a remedy for blood pressure

High blood pressure can be dangerous, especially during pregnancy. Having high blood pressure during pregnancy can lead to preeclampsia. Preeclampsia can cause premature birth, as well as interfere with kidney and liver function, which may lead to clotting issues, seizures and even death.

By regularly drinking lime juice during pregnancy, you can regulate your blood pressure. Drink a glass of water mixed with a teaspoon of lime juice and two tablespoons of cream and tartar every three days.

5. It’s full of antioxidants

Catching a cold while you’re pregnant is inconvenient, especially since you can’t take certain medications. When you regularly drink lime juice, you increase your antioxidant intake, which eliminates toxins and free radicals that can otherwise make you sick.

6. It helps ease labor pains and delivery

This one may be an old wives’ tale. However, any woman in labor knows if there’s a natural way to ease the delivery process, it’s worth a shot. Rumor has it that taking a lime juice and honey mixture eases labor contractions. That is, if you begin taking it after the 20-week mark.

Keep in mind, there aren’t many health experts that can verify this remedy. Women have been using this remedy for generations, so it wouldn’t hurt to try.

7. It helps control indigestion and constipation

Naturally, your body produces progesterone. Progesterone is the hormone responsible for thickening the uterine lining to catch the egg for conception. On the one hand, it nurtures the fetus while it develops. On the other hand, it also causes constipation and indigestion in pregnant women.

Lime juice stimulates the liver, which helps regulate the digestive process. In addition to helping with bowel movements, lime juice improves indigestion symptoms while keeping you properly hydrated.

How to Consume More Lime Juice During Pregnancy

There are a number of ways to consume more lime juice. You can consume it the simple way by adding the juice or slices to a glass of water. You can also make a limeade out of honey and lime juice. Regularly drinking lime juice also helps with pregnancy-related nausea.

Remember, every pregnancy is different. While some women have an easy time drinking lime juice, others don’t respond as well. Therefore, speak with your healthcare provider if you experience any adverse side effects.

Lime juice isn’t the only healthy food choice you should make during your pregnancy. You’ll need to incorporate healthy proteins, eat leafy greens and drink lots of water. If you aren’t getting enough vitamins and minerals through your diet, speak to your doctor about taking supplements.