Soymilk During Pregnancy – Is it Safe?
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Pregnancy is the phase when a woman needs lot of nutrition. Nutritional intake must be double in order to take care of yourself and your baby. Since, soymilk is rich in some of the nutrients; it can be a way to consume some of the important vitamins. However, one important thing is that anything that enters a pregnant woman’s body; must be evaluated for safety for the good health of both the mother and baby. Read onto know more about soymilk during pregnancy.
Soymilk During Pregnancy – What are the Nutrients?
According to the American Pregnancy Association, soymilk is a rich source of calcium and helps in the prevention of blood clots. It even helps in building strong teeth and bones, aids in muscle function. During pregnancy, a woman needs 1,000 – 1,300 mg of calcium a day. The best thing is that soymilk contains iron that prevents low birth weight. It also has zinc and some brands of soymilk are fortified with some of the vitamins like A, D, and B12.
Another excellent benefit is that it helps to control the blood glucose levels. It also has amino acids and according to the Association of North America, soya proteins are equal to animal protein, but contain few calories. The best thing is that it has less cholesterol and fat. It even helps in the maintenance of cholesterol and minimizes the weight gain during pregnancy.
Soymilk and Pregnancy – What are the Side Effects?
There is no long-term toxicity with soymilk. However, there are some temporary side effects, which can result from consuming soymilk. Some of the possible signs are allergic reactions to this product. If you are allergic to soy isoflavones, then avoid the consumption of soymilk. Other signs of an allergic reaction are nausea, vomiting, difficulty in breathing, or swelling.
According to the Mayo Clinic, large doses of soy isoflavones when given to pregnant animals, it resulted in reproductive changes and tumors in the offspring. However, this test was not done in humans and it remains unclear.
According to Mayo Clinic, soymilk is considered safe for consumption even during pregnancy. It can be taken as part of the normal diet.
However, too much of anything is not good and in the same way high amounts of soymilk is also not recommended. The Association of North America for Soyfood’s has recommended that a pregnant woman must consult her health care provider before consuming soymilk.
Now that you have come to know the importance of
soymilk during pregnancy,
I hope that you would talk to your doctor before consuming soymilk for a healthy and happy pregnancy!

