Apple Cider Vinegar and Pregnancy (Safety & Benefits & Uses)

Pregnancy is a magic time when everything changes, and you need to pay extra attention to what you eat or drink during this period. Apple cider vinegar is a popular product which has many health benefits. But can it be taken during pregnancy?

Fortunately, there is a good relation between apple cider vinegar and pregnancy, due to its high nutritional value. In this article of “Hipregnancy”, we will discuss tips and points every pregnant woman should know about drinking apple cider vinegar during pregnancy. Keep reading to the end to obtain important information, whole of this topic.

What is apple cider vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is one of the most common types of vinegar around the world, which is juice from apple.

It is made from the fermented, crushed apple juice and can be used in several ways, e.g. in salads or sandwiches.

This type of cider is a concentrated apple which has been left to ferment over times. During the fermentation process, the cider first ferments to alcohol, then by adding more bacteria, turns into acetic acid which is called apple cider vinegar or AVC. It is not recommended to drink ACV raw, because it can burn your esophagus. [1: stylesatlife]

Also Read: sparkling water pregnancy

Types of apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar falls into two categories, pasteurized, and unpasteurized;

• Pasteurized, or filtered ACV

The harmful bacteria such as, E.coli is killed throughout heating process. Also, in the process of filtration, sediment is removed, and it turns to clear, amber-toned liquid.

• Unpasteurized, or unfiltered ACV

It doesn’t go under extra filtration and because of that has sediment, alongside acetic acid and beneficial bacteria. It seems to be healthy, due to its components, but it is not as good option for pregnant women to consume.

PASTEURIZED ACV	UNPASTEURIZED ACV
Clear liquid	Murky liquid
Safe for pregnant women as harmful bacteria are cleared off	Should consult your doctor before consuming it
Refined and clear version of apple vinegar	Raw and unfiltered organic version of apple vinegar
Does not contain mother substance, which contains nutrients	Contains mother substance

[2: momlovesbest]

Also Read: How Much Water To Drink When Pregnant?

Apple cider vinegar and pregnancy; Safe or Not?

In fact, there is no research stating that consuming apple cider vinegar is safe or unsafe for pregnant women. But in general, it is safe to drink pasteurized, filtered apple cider vinegar during pregnancy, in dilution with water.

As you know, pregnancy is the time in which your immune system weakens in contrast with the time before pregnancy. Since unpasteurized ACV may contain harmful bacteria such as, salmonella, listeria, as well as toxoplasma like other kinds of unpasteurized food, apple cider vinegar and pregnancy may become against each other.

In other words, consuming raw or unpasteurized ACV may put you and the fetus at the risk of problems like, stillbirth, and miscarriage.

Although the safest option is pasteurized apple cider vinegar, but pregnant women can take unpasteurized ACV only with great caution and consulting doctor or health care provider before adding this type of vinegar to their diet during pregnancy. [3: healthline]

Also Read: orange juice during pregnancy

10 Benefits of drinking apple cider vinegar while pregnant

Before mentioning health benefits of drinking AVC during pregnancy, we should say that it is not recommended to drink apple cider vinegar without consulting your doctor.

If your doctor is ok with adding this type of vinegar to your diet during pregnancy, you can gain the following health benefits of this product which include; (check best food in pregnancy)

1.Treating morning sickness

Morning sickness in a terrible feeling, especially during first trimester.  Apple cider vinegar can settle the stomach acids, the main cause of nausea, due to its neutral pH. It other words, it is neither alkaline nor acidic and taking it early in the morning provides relief from nausea.

You can benefit from the good relationship between apple cider vinegar and pregnancy first trimester by the following way to treat and minimize the symptoms of morning sickness.

The way to treat morning sickness is to mix 1-2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a tall glass of warm water and drink it for about two times in a day.

2.Preventing heartburn and acidity

Usually, heartburn annoys pregnant women during second trimester, due to the extra pressure of growing baby on the digestive tract, which result in moving stomach contents back to the esophagus and leading to irritation.

Drinking a glass of water mixed with one tablespoon of ACV can neutralize the acidic food and prevent heartburn during pregnancy.

3.Curing acne

Experiencing acne during pregnancy is common among pregnant women, because of hormonal changes during this period. One of the best results related to consuming apple cider vinegar and pregnancy is treating acne.

You can mix 3 parts water with 1part ACV and apply it on acne-prone areas of your skin with a small cotton ball for acne treatment while pregnant. If you want to get better results, you can use this method in combination with certain light therapies.

4.Improving metabolism and digestion

Apple cider vinegar can alter digestive enzymes and fight the issues related to stomach, due to its antibiotic properties. It can improve digestion of sugar and fats in pregnant women bodies by promoting good bacteria in stomach.

It is recommended to add 1-2 teaspoons of ACV to a glass of water and drink it in order to improve metabolism during pregnancy.

5.Helping in common cold

Catching cold and sore throat are usual disease happens for all of us, and also pregnant women. Since pregnant women should avoid taking over-the-counter medicines for this type of disease as much as possible, apple cider vinegar can be a good alternative.

ACV has antibacterial properties and can boost the immune system. Therefore, mixing 1part this type of vinegar with 5 parts warm water, and 2-3 teaspoons of honey can be a good remedy for cold and sore throat.

6.Preventing Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

You should be aware that cloudy urine is a common symptom of urinary tract infection during pregnancy. Fortunately, ACV can prevent UIT by slowing down the growth of bacteria cause this problem, due to its useful enzymes and minerals.

Adding a little apple cider vinegar to your bath water or drink a glass of water mixed with 2 teaspoons of ACV can help you in preventing this infection.

7.Treating diabetes

Since apple cider vinegar and pregnancy are known as good friends, pregnant women who suffer from diabetes can take ACV to treat their diabetes. Because apple cider vinegar can be a good option for reducing blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivities.

It can be a good option for controlling and treating gestational diabetes during pregnancy, but keep in mind that you should talk to your diet about adding ACV to your diet during pregnancy, especially if you are a pregnant woman who is on medication for diabetes.

Recommend you read on article “list of foods to eat with gestational diabetes“.

8.Promoting weigh loss

There is magic trick for weigh loss! You can drink apple cider vinegar before your meal, in order to make you feel full and eat less. Don’t forget that, pregnancy is time when you need to eat enough healthy food, so if you want to get weigh loss during this period, always consult your doctor and go forward based on his/her guidelines. Recommend you read article How To Lose Weight After Pregnancy?

9.Combating yeast infections

Drinking apple cider vinegar during pregnancy can control and cure yeast infections, e.g. candida infections, due to its distinctive components. Diluting apple cider vinegar and apply it on the infected area can cure infection and reduce its symptoms. Also, it can be used in hot water bath for disappearing the infection.

10.Normalizing blood pressure level

During fermentation process, the acetic acid is created in ACV. Acetic acid can lower and normalize blood pressure in pregnant women, due to its effect on the activity of the rennin enzyme.

Rennin enzyme has a role of increasing blood pressure, but you can control its level in your body by drinking a glass of warm water containing 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar one in a week. [4: rockydad]

Also Read: Best Prenatal Vitamins Before Pregnancy

How to take apple cider vinegar during pregnancy?

Now, you know that pregnant women can drink ACV during pregnancy, but how? Keep reading to get ideas about consuming pasteurized apple cider vinegar and pregnancy-safe guidelines.

• Use as drink

You can add 1-2 teaspoon or tablespoon of ACV to a tall glass of water and consume if twice a day.

• Use as an ingredient

Maybe you don’t like the taste of apple cider vinegar. In this situation, you can add ACV to your food as an ingredient, e.g. in salad, smoothies, or even a slow-cooked winter stew.

• Use for treating headache

Before explain this idea, it is better to say that there is no scientific evidence for proving this remedy, but it doesn’t harm you and makes you feel better. Just soak a clean washcloth in cold vinegar for a few minutes. Then wring it and place it on your forehead. [5: peanut-app]

Side effects of drinking ACV during pregnancy

“I drank unpasteurized apple cider vinegar while pregnant; what will happen to me?”

Unpasteurized apple cider vinegar is unsafe for pregnant women and higher the risk of stillbirth and miscarriage. But don’t panic if you drank unpasteurized ACV once. Talk to your doctor and let your doctor know you had unpasteurized apple cider vinegar.

Consider that even pasteurized ACV can lead to some issues if taken in high quantities. Having too much ACV can lower potassium levels, erode tooth enamel, irritate the stomach and throat. So, it is recommended to limit your intake to prevent the risks associated with apple cider vinegar and pregnancy.

Apple cider vinegar pregnancy test

Some pregnant ladies prefer to try homemade pregnancy test to know whether they are pregnant. There are various homemade pregnancy tests and one of the well-known ones is the vinegar test. You can use apple cider vinegar to do such test.

To do apple cider vinegar pregnancy test you should do the following steps, including;

• Collecting a sample of early morning urine in a sterilized container
• Pouring some ACV into the container
• Keeping the container aside for 5 minutes
• Checking the color of the solution

If the color of the solution changes after a few minutes, that means you are pregnant. There is HCG hormone in pregnant ladies’ urine, and it reacts with vinegar resulting in changing solution color. Although this test might show being pregnant, it is recommended to do a blood test to confirm pregnancy.

Conclusion

Apple cider vinegar is a type of fermented apple juice which has several health benefits. But is there a good relation between apple cider vinegar and pregnancy? Can pregnant women enjoy drinking ACV? Yes, it is safe to consume pasteurized and filtered ACV while pregnant, but it should be taken in moderation and also based on your health care provider guidelines.

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