Cinnamon is one of most popular spice. It is often used in cooking, in making of liqueurs, chocolates, meat dishes. Besides, cinnamon is often included in various recipes for beauty and its oil finds use in the manufacture of some medicines and ointments. The essential oil is also often used in aromatherapy to soothe and relax.
Is it Possible or Not to Consume Cinnamon During Pregnancy?
Despite good feedback about its benefits, the spice has serious contraindications. It is worth to understand the possible dangers of this product during the period of gestation of the baby. General info Cinnamon is a spice, which is obtained from the bark of the tropical trees belonging to the Laurel family. The spice has several types.
Usually we distinguish the following types of cinnamon:
- Chinese cinnamon. It has a sharp taste and aroma, it is also called Indian spice.
- Ceylon cinnamon. Sweet spice with burning taste, but gentle fragrant accent. The most expensive of all types, the origins of Ceylon spice are Brazil, Ceylon, India, Indonesia.
- Malabar cinnamon. It has a sharp and slightly bitter taste.
- Cinnamon. This type grows in Indonesia, has a sharp spicy odor and pungent taste.
What is cinnamon composed of? The product has lots of saturated fatty acids, carbohydrates predominate over fats and proteins. Mono-and disaccharides are present in the spice. The spice contains vitamins, especially high content of choline, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine. Cinnamon is rich in vitamins C and E, as well as niacin. There are trace nutrients in its composition, these are calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and sodium. But leaders in content are manganese, iron and zinc.
Cinnamon During Pregnancy
Benefit
The spice has diuretic properties, it impacts favorably the gastrointestinal tract. During pregnancy, many women complain of constipation, so it is a good remedy for sensitive issues. Cinnamon relieves the different kinds of pain, in particular headache and muscle ache. In connection with the ban on many medications it may serve as a way of getting rid of unpleasant sensations. Besides the spice is useful for colds as it possesses powerful antiseptic properties.
Harm
A large number of cinnamon causes uterine contractions. Activation of smooth muscles in this organ can cause adverse effects. In the first trimester of pregnancy contractions of the uterus can result to miscarriage (spontaneous abortion). In the third trimester uterine motility activation may cause premature birth.
Indications
In the absence of contraindications cinnamon can be used in the following cases:
- colds;
- headache;
- pain in hepatic and renal colic.
Contraindications
Cinnamon is contraindicated for pregnant women who have in medical history obstetric pathology. If the pregnancy proceeds with such a feature, as the threat of miscarriage and predisposition to the bleeding, the use of this tropical spice is dangerous.
How Can I Use Cinnamon During Pregnancy?
Doctors don’t recommend future moms big portions of cinnamon and its taking on a regular basis. Optimum norm for healthy women is a pinch of spices or ½ teaspoon not more often than once per day. Cinnamon can be used in cooking, the presence of the spice in pies, pastries and other products will not harm the mother and the fetus. Although here you need to adhere to reasonable rules of use – do not get carried away with sweet pastries.
Essential oils can adversely affect the fetus, and cause an abortion. There is a list of hazardous essential oils during the period of gestation, composed by doctors, cinnamon is included in this list. It is advisable to postpone aromatherapy with essential oils of cinnamon for the period of gestation. You can calm down and perk up the mood in other ways.
Precautions
You should put aside the spice if you have individual intolerance, obstetric problems. It is advisable to use the Ceylon type of the product in cooking. In addition, you must not eat expired or poor quality spice. The cinnamon imported from China or Vietnam raises concerns because of content of coumarin. This substance is dangerous for humans, as it does harm to liver tissue, so for expectant mothers it is forbidden to eat. Its smallest content is in the Ceylon cinnamon, while in the fake equivalents it is a hundred times more.
So, Can the Pregnant Eat Cinnamon Or Not?
Cinnamon can be used in cooking, where it is represented in small quantities. The spice is contraindicated in case of obstetric problems. If there is a threat of miscarriage, the spice should be rejected. External application is not either recommended homemade beauty recipes with cinnamon in the period of gestation should be better replaced with other ingredients. The essential oil of cinnamon is also considered harmful and dangerous during pregnancy.
