[ANSWER] Can pregnant women eat pickled cabbage?

It is very normal for a pregnant mother’s taste to change. Mothers often feel that their mouth is bland and their appetite is not good, so they look for dishes like sour vegetables to eat as a side dish. However, a pregnant mother’s diet needs to ensure nutrition to be nutritious and safe for both mother and baby. Sopregnant women can eat pickled cabbage? Let’s find out with My Auris through the following article. 

Can pregnant women eat pickled cabbage?

Sour pickled cabbage is a familiar dish of Vietnamese people. This is a side dish that enhances the flavor of daily meals, especially during holidays. 

The sauerkraut is fragrant and mildly sour, very stimulating to the taste buds. Therefore, some pregnant mothers crave and choose to eat to reduce morning sickness and dry mouth during pregnancy. However, a pregnant mother’s diet needs attention to ensure nutrition and safety, so family members are worried about whether pregnant women can eat pickled cabbage. 

According to nutrition experts, if pregnant women eat sauerkraut in moderate amounts and are not allergic to any ingredients, they can absolutely eat it during pregnancy. This dish even brings many health benefits to pregnant mothers. Because although pickled mustard greens are low in nutrients, they are rich in beneficial bacteria, vitamin C, sodium, and potassium, which are good for the digestive system, resistance, cardiovascular health, and anti-aging. In addition, sauerkraut does not contain protein, fat or cholesterol to help maintain weight during pregnancy. 

However, doctors advise pregnant mothers to only eat homemade sauerkraut to ensure they are not contaminated with harmful microorganisms that affect the health of mother and baby. 

Health benefits when pregnant mothers eat pickled cabbage

Sauerkraut is rich in beneficial bacteria, enzymes, fiber and some essential vitamins and minerals, so it brings many health benefits to pregnant mothers such as:

• Electrolyte balance: Pickled cabbage contains a lot of potassium and sodium – important electrolytes that stabilize the voltage between cell membranes and balance water. 
• Does not cause weight gain: Pickles are low in calories and do not contain fat and cholesterol, so they do not cause weight gain.
• Supports the functioning of the digestive system: The fermentation process makes sauerkraut rich in probioticsn. These beneficial bacteria help enhance the activity of the digestive system, helping pregnant mothers absorb nutrients and digest well. 
• Strengthens the immune system: Probiotics and antioxidants and vitamins in pickled cabbage are factors that help strengthen resistance and the immune system for pregnant mothers. A healthy immune system protects mother and baby from harmful external agents, preventing infections, infections, fungal infections, etc.
• Rich in essential vitamins and minerals: Pregnant mothers’ need for micronutrients increases 2-3 times compared to normal people. Accordingly, sour cabbage is a dish that helps provide a large amount of vitamins and minerals to the body, including: vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, calcium and potassium,…  

Mrs. What problems will eating too much pickled cabbage cause?

Although pickled cabbage is delicious, increases appetite and brings many benefits to the body’s health, mothers who eat too much will cause some problems such as:

• Eating freshly salted pickles: Freshly salted pickles are not good for pregnant mothers. Microorganisms will convert nitrate into nitrite, affecting the health of mother and baby. Furthermore, sauerkraut combines with amino acids in some other foods to form nitrosamines that cause cancer.
• Eating old sauerkraut that has been left out for a long time: Mothers who eat old sauerkraut that has been left out for too long can lead to bloating, stomach pain, and indigestion, affecting the digestive system.
• Causes dehydration: Eating pickled sauerkraut will increase sodium levels, leading to dehydration. 
• Stomach effects: Mothers with stomach diseases need to be careful when eating sauerkraut because it will cause some symptoms such as flatulence, abdominal pain, digestive disorders or some other problems. Besides, the high acid concentration in sour cabbage also increases heartburn in mothers. 
• Causes high blood pressure: If you eat too much pickled cabbage during pregnancy, mothers may face high blood pressure, kidney damage and affect the supply of oxygen and nutrition to the fetus. 

Some notes for pregnant mothers when eating pickled mustard greens 

Mothers can eat pickled cabbage during pregnancy but to be safe and healthy, mothers need to pay attention to a few things after:

• Mothers with kidney disease, blood pressure, stomach disease, etc. should not eat pickled cabbage during pregnancy. If you crave, mothers can consult a doctor or nutritionist before using to avoid abnormalities.
• Do not eat too much at one time and do not eat continuously for many days.
• Do not eat melons that are newly salted or still green
• Avoid eating when the cabbage is too sour or appears abnormal like black, white or slimy scum due to mold. 
• Mothers should pickle pickled cabbage at home to eat instead of buying it at the store. This helps mothers reduce salt intake and not use preservatives. 
• If you pickle cabbage at home, please pay attention to choosing and wash the ingredients and tools thoroughly. During fermentation, store carefully to avoid harmful microorganisms from entering.