Eating Curry Leaves (Kadi Patta) During Pregnancy – Benefits & Precautions

It is normal to be concerned about your diet during pregnancy. Choosing which food items to include and what to avoid can become a major challenge during this important phase of your life. If you like the taste of curry leaves and are pregnant, then you will wonder if you can eat it during pregnancy. Therefore, it is essential to know if curry leaves can be consumed during pregnancy or not. There are many advantages of including them in your diet, but with a few precautions in mind.

Is It Safe to Eat Curry Leaves During Pregnancy?

Consuming curry leaves or kadi patta during pregnancy is safe and is even recommended by doctors. Curry leaves have numerous benefits and also provide essential nutrients to the mother-to-be. Eating curry leaves also reduces the risk of anaemia, premature birth, as well as any infections.

Nutritional Facts of Curry Leaves

Curry leaves are usually considered as a food additive that enhances the flavour of a dish. However, they provide a fair amount of nutrition as well. A single curry leaf is about 0.5g in weight, and it contains the following proportioned elements.

Benefits of Curry Leaves During Pregnancy

Consuming curry leaves can be extremely beneficial for your health during pregnancy. Curry leaves help maintain cholesterol levels in the body by controlling the LDL and HDL cholesterols that can harm the body. The antibacterial properties of curry leaves also play a significant role in streamlining the process of the digestive system. Curry leaves contain ‘carbazole,’ which helps in clearing out any harmful bacteria present in the gastrointestinal tract, including Salmonella and E.Coli as well. These bacteria can be quite dangerous to the foetus and can result in the baby developing congenital disabilities as well.

Another substance present in the leaves is alkaloid. It stimulates the blood flow through the body as well as helps in the secretion of a serum that protects the intestinal walls from inflammation and bacterial attacks. This results in a smooth and trouble-free bowel movement that prevents the occurrence of diarrhoea and other intestinal problems. However, in some cases, people are administered medicines to ensure healthy bowel movements, which might not be safe during pregnancy.

Curry leaves contain a good proportion of fibre and vitamins. These work together in cutting down the risks of an acute fatty liver, which is a possibility during pregnancy.

How to Include Curry Leaves in Your Pregnancy Diet

Curry leaves can be included in a number of food preparations. Making sure they are present in at least one food item on a daily basis should help you suffice any nutritional requirements as well as derive the major benefits from it. You can also prepare a quick concoction from it, especially if you are suffering from diarrhoea or other intestinal issues.

Take about 5-8 stems full of curry leaves and grind them all together. Add cumin seeds and grind further to make a fine powder. Add this to a glass of water and allow it to brew steadily. Strain the concoction and add a spoon of honey to it, in order to balance the taste. Drinking this four times a week will help reset the functioning of the digestive system rather effectively.

Precautions to Be Taken While Consuming Curry Leaves

Curry leaves have many benefits, including improving your skin tone as well as the health of your hair by a regular application. However, using it more often than needed can weaken your hair roots, resulting in hair loss.

The constitution of curry leaves makes them extremely rich in carbohydrates, and if you tend to eat curry leaves regularly, it could increase your sugar levels rapidly. Our diet usually contains carbohydrates in refined form. Complementing them with a fistful of curry leaves could cause a significant imbalance of sugar levels, which can affect the lipid profile of your body, including the good cholesterol levels. It is best to be safe than sorry.

Include 8-10 leaves in your food on a daily basis and nothing more than that. Eating kadi patta during pregnancy is not unsafe; however, you need to be careful with how much you consume. A diet that provides balanced nutrition during pregnancy is essential. Eat everything in moderate amounts, and consume kadi patta in the right quantity to derive maximum benefits of this nutritious herb.

Also Read: Eating Pickles during Pregnancy