Nutritionist: Pregnant women can avoid urinary tract infections by taking cranberries

According to statistics, 1 in 6 women will have a urinary tract infection in their lifetime. The rate of urinary tract infection in pregnant women is as high as 8%, which may cause premature birth, intrauterine fetal development retardation or the birth of a low-birth-weight baby. Pregnant mothers must be careful. Nutritionists suggest that improving the nutritional intake of pregnant women and enhancing immunity are important ways to prevent urinary tract infections, and moderate intake of cranberries is also a good preventive health care method. (Video/Photographer Chen Jianrong)

Nutritionist Lin Jiajing pointed out that natural cranberries are very sour and must be diluted moderately before they are suitable for consumption. In addition to adhering to the "4321 Golden Healthy Diet Principles", it is also recommended that pregnant women drink 330cc of cranberry juice every day instead of ordinary sugary drinks. (Photo by Zhang Shijie)

Senior nutritionist Lin Jiajing pointed out that the main reason why pregnant women have a higher rate of suffering from urinary tract infections is that high amounts of progesterone are secreted during pregnancy, and high amounts of progesterone inhibit the contraction of the bladder detrusor muscle and the relaxation of the smooth muscles of the renal pelvis and ureter, causing urine retention and even severe vesicoureteral reflux.

Starting from the 6th week of pregnancy until the peak stage of 22 to 24 weeks, nearly 90% of pregnant women will experience ureteral dilation, resulting in renal edema during pregnancy. In addition, another physiological phenomenon is that during pregnancy, the blood flow in the pregnant woman's body increases, and the concentration of urine decreases.

Up to 70% of pregnant women will have diabetes problems, which makes it easy for bacteria to grow in the urine; and the increase of progesterone and estrogen in the urine reduces the ability of the lower urinary tract to resist bacterial invasion.

It is worth noting that during pregnancy, the nutrients and intake required by women at different stages are different. How can pregnant mothers wisely consume cranberries to eat healthily and prevent urinary tract infections? Lin Jiajing pointed out that natural cranberries are very sour and must be diluted moderately before they are suitable for consumption. In addition to adhering to the "4321 Golden Healthy Diet Principles", it is also recommended that pregnant women drink 330cc of cranberry juice every day instead of ordinary sugary drinks.

The so-called "4321 Golden Healthy Diet Principles" means that the containers used to hold food should be divided into 4 equal parts, 3 of which should be filled with plant-based foods, including 2 or more kinds of vegetables, and 1 kind of non-refined whole grains (staple food), such as: brown rice, oatmeal, corn, red beans, mung beans, buckwheat noodles, whole grain bread, etc., non-refined starchy foods. The last part of the four equal parts is where you should put protein-rich foods such as meat, eggs, milk, fish, tofu (soy products), etc.

In addition to a regular diet, pregnant mothers in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy need to supplement with 1.5 cups of unsweetened soy milk or about 240cc of unsweetened yogurt every day, and then mix with a cup of about 330cc of cranberry juice. This can not only avoid excessive sugar intake, but also prevent urinary tract infections.

Furthermore, due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, intestinal motility is slow and constipation is prone to occur. Lin Jiajing recommends putting a bottle of cranberry juice (330cc), half a cucumber, and 30g of celery into a juicer and blending them. Finally, add cooked white fungus and just blend it before drinking. It tastes very good and is a holy product for urinary tract maintenance for pregnant women with high fiber immunity. However, Lin Jiajing also reminds pregnant mothers not to blend fruits into juice at will, so as not to cause high blood sugar.

In addition, in order to enhance immunity and avoid any form of infection during pregnancy, colds, inflammation, etc., Lin Jiajing also recommends that pregnant mothers can use a planer to slice a purple onion into thin strips, soak it in ice water to reduce the pungent smell, and then soak it in cranberry juice and place it in the refrigerator overnight. This is the best cold dish.