Watercress is a cruciferous vegetable that offers many distinct health benefits, like other vegetables from the same family, which include broccoli and kale. Watercress also contains high levels of beneficial nitrates and polyphenols, but what are the benefits of watercress for a pregnant woman? Does it have damage? This is what we will know in this article, so follow us.

Is eating watercress safe during pregnancy?

Yes, watercress is a safe vegetable during pregnancy, and a pregnant woman can eat it and enjoy it and its many health benefits, especially since it is rich in countless benefits and nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, folic acid and other important nutritional values ​​for the pregnant mother and fetus.

The benefits of watercress for pregnant women

A pregnant woman needs multiple beneficial nutrients, and for this she is looking for foods that guarantee her obtaining some of the important benefits for her health and the health of her fetus to eat, as she should get more iron, folic acid, calcium, protein, vitamins A, B, C, magnesium, and Zinc, and fortunately all these nutrients are found in watercress, as:

• Pregnant mothers need to eat foods rich in folic acid because this acid helps prevent and avoid any congenital abnormalities in the fetus, especially neural tube defects, which appear in the form of spina bifida, and folic acid is a good antidepressant and gets rid of it during pregnancy, and watercress contains about 97 micrograms of folic acid, so it is a good choice for pregnant women.
• Watercress contains a high percentage of vitamin C and calcium, and it is considered one of the important sources of these elements, so eating it enhances the immunity of the pregnant mother, and avoids exposure to any health problems or unwanted diseases during pregnancy, and the calcium component helps a lot in supporting bone health. It can support the development of a child’s bones while they are still forming.
• Watercress is relatively low in oxalates unlike some other vegetables, so it is considered safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

All these benefits can be obtained by eating a good amount of watercress.

Benefits of watercress for pregnant women in the first months

It is preferable to eat watercress during the first months of pregnancy because this will support the growth of the fetus, and its folic acid content will help support the health of your fetus during its formation in the first stage of pregnancy and avoid the occurrence of congenital deformities that may occur during the first stages of pregnancy.

Watercress for pregnant women in the ninth month

Watercress is one of the vegetables preferred to be eaten during the last period of pregnancy and the ninth month in particular, due to its important benefits in lowering and controlling blood pressure, because high pressure during pregnancy may expose the pregnant woman to the occurrence of preeclampsia in the last months.

Watercress damage to pregnant women

There are no researches or studies that have proven that there are harms to eating watercress for a pregnant woman, as long as it is eaten in reasonable proportions.

Some of the damages of watercress that have been presented can be explained as follows:

• The damage resulting from eating watercress for a pregnant woman without washing it well, because this will make the pregnant woman vulnerable to bacteria, so it must be washed well with water and vinegar to get rid of any bacteria or parasites that may endanger your health or give you problems that you are indispensable.
• If the pregnant mother is taking any blood-thinning medications, it is better not to take watercress because it contains high levels of vitamin K, which may lead to problems in the blood clotting process and bleeding.