Fasting and pregnancy

1 min reading time

The beginning of Spring and the period before Easter is dominated by the fasting of Great Lent, which was established by the Church as the proper preparation of Christians for the great celebration. Greek Orthodox fasting, apart from its religious dimension, could also be characterized as an effective and healthy diet based on vegetables, legumes, fruits, cereals, nuts and olive oil. In other words, it is a Mediterranean-type diet without the consumption of meat, eggs and dairy products. Many pregnant women choose to fast because of personal beliefs or religious commitments. Whether it is safe for a pregnant woman to follow a fasting program is something that must be decided together with her gynecologist and dietitian, especially if there are other health problems such as anemia, gestational diabetes or multiple pregnancies.

The main objections come from the fact that fasting excludes certain categories of food, which are essential for the pregnant woman. The absence of food of animal origin, and especially proteins derived from meat, poultry, fish and dairy products, is what divides the experts. These proteins are of high biological value, in contrast to proteins of plant origin (such as those derived from legumes, soy and nuts) which are considered of low biological value. A protein is considered to have a high biological value when it includes all 9 essential amino acids that our body must receive especially during pregnancy. These are mainly found in animal foods while plant foods contain fewer amino acids. The goal of a pregnant woman's diet is to cover her protein needs, to maintain her muscle mass and not feel weak, exhausted and other similar symptoms. Good sources of protein for a pregnant woman who is fasting include seafood, nuts, legumes and soy. In addition, appropriate food combinations can partially replace the important elements that meat and animal foods provide to her body. The combination of legumes with cereals or starchy foods (e.g. lentils with rice, chickpeas with potato, beans with wheat, chickpeas with pilaf, lentils with oatmeal, etc.) is a good alternative as long as it is not consumed meat.

An equally important problem faced by a pregnant woman who fasts is that she increases the chances of her body suffering from iron deficiency since meat is its main source. This happens because plant-based foods do contain iron, but it is of very low bioavailability, meaning it is not absorbed by the body and is not used as well as the iron found in red meat. This obstacle can be overcome by a pregnant woman by again making the right food combinations at each meal, as it has been proven that when we combine plant foods that contain iron and vitamin C, we have an increase in iron in food. Foods that increase the bioavailability of iron are orange, lemon, peppers, parsley and kiwi, because they contain vitamin C and one can consume them even when fasting. Thus, a pregnant woman should consume legumes with a glass of orange juice and put a lot of lemon on oily foods containing spinach, as well as accompany her food with a salad containing peppers or parsley or complete her meal with a vitamin rich fruit C.

Something else that should be pointed out among the problems that prolonged fasting can cause in a pregnant woman is the lack of vitamins of the complex B, which are necessary for the functioning of memory and the neuromuscular system. A particularly important vitamin for pregnancy is folic acid, the lack of which can lead to premature birth, placental abruption and the birth of an underweight newborn. For this reason, the pregnant woman during the fasting period should consume a lot of leafy vegetables, unsalted nuts, cereals enriched in vitamin B12 as well as tahini or their products such as peanut butter and halva.

In addition, the absence of animal foods and especially dairy products from the fasting diet of a pregnant woman can lead to a reduced calcium intake. As is well known, calcium is essential for the development and maintenance of good bone and teeth health. From the beginning of pregnancy the absorption of calcium increases to almost double in the third trimester of pregnancy, when the demands of the fetus are much greater. Legumes, nuts, sesame, halva, broccoli, cauliflower, dried fruits (figs) and enriched soy products (soy milk) are considered good plant sources of calcium.

On the other hand, during fasting a pregnant woman consumes a lot of legumes and vegetables, fruits and plenty of plant fibers that help her absorb a lot of vitamins and minerals as well as antioxidants. Furthermore, the absence of saturated fat from her diet contributes to a low lipid profile as well as to achieving a normal rate of weight gain. Finally, fasting is considered a preventative measure to increase the body's energy and general resistance to disease, because it rests the liver and other organs of the digestive system. In conclusion, we can conclude that a pregnant woman can fast as long as this is allowed by her doctor and her general state of health, and there should be strict dietary monitoring to make sure that she gets everything necessary, for herself and the baby. embryo, nutrients.

Kontopidou Irini

Clinical dietician, M.Sc.

www.adunatizw.gr

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *