You plan to get pregnant: Don't forget to add fiber

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Fiber supplements from before and during pregnancy are the advice of researchers to help your pregnancy reduce the risk of gestational diabetes.

1. The role of fiber for pregnant women

Fiber is found in plant-based foods. There are two main types of fiber: water-soluble fiber and water-insoluble fiber. Each type of fiber plays a different role, so when you're planning to get pregnant, eat a variety of foods with both types of fiber.
Water-soluble fiber is found in many legumes such as soybeans, beans, kidney beans, vegetables, fruits, ... This fiber can lower cholesterol and help the body regulate blood sugar.
Fiber insoluble in water such as: wheat bran, unmilled grains, vegetables. This fiber absorbs water, increasing the volume of waste, making the process of waste removal faster. Supplementing enough fiber for the body helps pregnant women deal with common digestive difficulties during pregnancy such as bloating, heartburn, constipation, hemorrhoids, especially gestational diabetes. According to the National Institutes of Health & Human Development (NICHD), gestational diabetes affects about 5% of pregnant women in the United States, or about 200,000 women each year. Besides, when having a diet rich in fiber, helps prevent glucose intolerance, the cause of gestational diabetes.
When a woman is pregnant, she will experience a lot of intestinal and digestive problems. This is because the increased progesterone and the expanding uterus loosen the intestinal muscles, which in turn slows down your digestion. Even when pregnant women add iron to the body, there are side effects such as making the stools become more solid, making you very uncomfortable. Constipation can put you at risk of developing hemorrhoids. Therefore, fiber supplements will play a role in helping your gut feel more comfortable during pregnancy.
Experts recommend that people consume 14 grams of fiber for 1,000 calories and 28 grams of fiber per day, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. If you increase your fiber by 10 grams per day, there will be a 26% reduction in your odds of developing gestational diabetes.
Eating high-quality carbohydrates has also been linked to avoiding gestational diabetes. Instead of eating cakes and candies, switch to fruits and vegetables, which will help keep your blood sugar at a steady level, not rising too quickly or dropping sharply.
Fruits and whole grains are common sources of fiber. But that's not your only option. Legumes, vegetables, and whole grains are also rich in fiber and are high-quality carbohydrates.

2. Some notes when adding fiber

The benefits of fiber supplements are undeniable, but using too much fiber will have certain limitations. If you eat too much fiber, it will cause gas, bloating, malabsorption of minerals such as zinc, magnesium, iron and vitamin B, as well as reduce the efficiency of converting vitamin A to vitamin A. group A, but not at all dangerous. Therefore, pregnant women should balance the amount of fiber in the menu. When supplementing with fiber, pregnant women should have the following notes:
Should use natural fiber rather than processed fiber. Do not eat too much cooked fiber because it turns into powdered sugar. So if you can eat vegetables that are just cooked, especially raw and crunchy vegetables. Wash fruits and vegetables before use to remove pesticides. It is best to eat fruit that should not be peeled because this layer is high in water-insoluble fiber. Between meals, dry fruit should be consumed on an empty stomach. Fiber in the diet increases slowly so that the digestive system can adapt to this indigestible food and avoid bloating. Drink plenty of water, as fiber absorbs quite a bit of water in the intestines.

Here's a list of foods and grams of fiber per serving:
1/2 cup cooked beans: 9.5 grams 1/2 cup 100% ready-to-eat bran cereal: 8.8 grams 1/2 cup cooked black beans: 7.5 grams 1 medium baked sweet potato : 4.8 grams 1 whole wheat muffin : 4.4 grams Small pears: 4.3 grams 1/2 cup mixed vegetables: 4 grams 1/2 cup raspberries: 4 grams Almonds: 3.3 grams Apples: 3.3 grams Oranges: 3.1 grams 1/2 cup cooked pear barley: 3 grams 1/2 cup whole-grain spaghetti: 3, 1 gram 1/2 cup cooked greens: 2.7 grams

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Reference source: Webmd.com