Ginger Root – The Pregnancy Super-food
Ginger is one of the very few “superfoods” actually worthy of that term. Lets take a look at why!
WHAT IS GINGER?
Ginger is among the healthiest and most delicious spices on the planet. It is a flowering plant that originated from China and belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, its closely related to tureric, cardomon and galangal.
The rhizome – often called ginger root, is the part most commonly used as a spice and in tea.
WHATS THE HEALTH BENEFITS DURING PREGNANCY?
A lot changes when you are pregnant, your body is suddenly facing a much weaker immune system due to the hormonal imbalance, this means you get sick a lot easier and what was once considered healthy requires re-evaluation. One of the key parts of your life to consider more closely when pregnant is your diet. What you eat and drink is extremely important.
IMMUNITY BOOSTER
Your lowered immune system during pregnancy, can leave you more vulnerable to sickness. Ginger is packed with properties that are known to fortify your immunity. It’s a wonderful addition to when you are pregnant as it constantly combats numerous diseases and prevents illnesses. Its antibacterial properties help fight virus and infection.
MORNING SICKNESS / NAUSEA RELIEF
Ginger is considered a natural fortifier of both the digestive tract and the respiratory tract. It has a lovely soothing effect on the throat and has been known to aid in preventing vomiting, extremely common in early pregnancy. It gently helps calm the digestive system therefore reducing the queasy side effects.
DIGESTIVE RELIEF
The progesterone hormone during pregnancy can cause your system to become slow and sluggish, which means what we eat backs up and can cause excess wind, constipation, bloating and heartburn.
Many doctors recommend ginger during pregnancy due to the positive impact that it has on your digestive system to help keep things flowing. It is believed that delayed emptying of the stomach is a major driver of indigestion and heartburn.
Interestingly, ginger has been shown to speed up emptying of the stomach in people with this condition.
NUTRIENT ABSORPTION
Getting enough nutrients every day to support both your body and your growing baby is extremely important, but can also be extremely difficult. Not all of the nutrients we eat are absorbed. Ginger is rich in vitamins and minerals that are critical for your body, a good balance of these vitamins actually helps your body absorb nutrients much better.
STRESS RELIEVER
During pregnancy its very common to experience anxiety about everything from “am I doing this right ?” “ will I be a good mother ?” “ I’m scared about giving birth!”
Ginger has amazing properties that help relax the brain and is known to help manage anxiety. In limited doses, ginger tea can help you unwind and relax, which is very important as stress can be dangerous for the baby and in some cases lead to miscarriage or preterm labour.
GROWING PAINS
As your body stretches and expands to accommodate for your growing bub, you might muscle and ligament pain, inflammation of the joints and tension becomes part of your everyday.
The soothing nature of ginger also helps your body recover from muscle fatigue, drinking a cup of ginger tea during pregnancy can help your joints, bones and body relax and recover from the extreme fatigue pregnancy places on your body.
GINGER ROOT AND MATERNITEA
At MaterniTea we use this amazing super-food in two of our blends. StabiliTea – our nausea and morning sickness relief tea and PuriTea – our digestive support blend.
Developed by our team of Naturopaths, Dietitians and Tea Master to ensure every cup is dosed correctly for maximum therapeutic benefit, safety and flavour. It's what makes MaterniTea the #1 choice for pregnant mums around the world.
