The journey of motherhood is a roller coaster ride where the mother experiences a mixed bag of emotions. A pregnant mother is elated to hold her bundle of joy and, at the same time, feels stressed about the well-being of the baby. The mother undergoes tremendous changes ranging from mood disorders to crazy food cravings, which makes her question whether these are normal or not.

One of the biggest changes that are observed by every expected mom is the food cravings and more so for salty food items, as we all know that salt is an essential ingredient of our diet and is a rich source of sodium. Sodium is a crucial mineral as it maintains the fluid levels and pH of our body. The mineral is also essential for the healthy development of the baby, who relies completely on the mother to meet her nutritional needs. Excess of everything is bad, and the phrase holds true for salt as well.

Is salt intake crucial during pregnancy?

Like other nutrients, sodium is highly crucial for you and your baby alike. Here is a list of things that sodium is responsible for-

• Proper functioning of nerves, organs, and muscles
• Sodium deficiency causes weakness and fatigue
• Regulates the fluids in your body
• Responsible for your baby’s brain and neural development.
• Iodine deficiency can cause miscarriage, stillbirths, and various medical complications
• Low salt intake can cause under-weight births

So, it is needless to say that salt intake is important during pregnancy. But now, you must be wondering what’s wrong with eating too much salt, and we have an answer for you.

Why is too much salt unhealthy for you and your baby?

Here are some points that will help you understand why too much salt is unhealthy.

• It can cause swelling in body parts, including the face, legs, hands, feet, and ankles, to name a few, kickstarting a medical condition called Edema.
• Sodium consumption leads to increased body fluid levels that increase blood flow and, eventually, blood pressure. This makes you prone to conditions like kidney failure, osteoporosis, stroke, etc.

We know this sounds scary, but it doesn’t mean you don’t eat salt at all.

Craving for salty food is okay, but how much is acceptable?

It’s time to address the elephant in the room. According to a study, pregnant women should have at most one tablespoon of salt every day, which roughly amounts to 2300 milligrams of sodium or six grams of salt. Anything above this quantity can prove counterproductive, leading to unwanted medical complications. While we understand that your changing taste will make you crave extra salty food like French fries, it is not healthy.

What is the reason that you crave salty food during pregnancy?

Around 50-90% of pregnant women claim that they experience food cravings during pregnancy towards the end of the first trimester, peak during the second trimester, and decrease until birth. The experts are yet to find an exact reason. However, there are several theories, like hormonal changes increase the sensitivity towards certain smells and tastes. Some cravings are related to certain nutritional deficiencies, but women certainly don’t crave dark leafy greens; instead, what most of them drool over are sweets and high-fat food.

The cravings are more related to cultural norms than the physiology behind them. According to researchers, in the US, pregnant ladies mostly crave chocolate, while in Japan, it is rice.

How to reduce sodium intake?

Sodium is high in concentration in processed food items, and therefore, it is best advised to cut down on fast food and packed edible items.

• Stock-up fresh food items:

Always stack up on fresh veggies and fruits, which are rich in fiber and antioxidants.

• Be aware of the ingredients

Read labels to know how much sodium you are consuming, and always pick low-sodium or no-salt-added packaged food items.

• Eat at home

Outside food is loaded with salt to pep up the flavor, and therefore, you should cook fresh food at home to avoid excess salt in your diet.

• Avoid using table salt.

You can skip additional salt in salads or for seasoning.

• Check your diet

Suppose your meals have 2-3 curries along with pickles and pappad. Then you must check your salt intake as pappads and pickles are loaded with an excess of salt.

Key Takeaway

So, yes, you will have to control your taste buds from going on a salty food rampage and empty all those fried chips. What you can do is switch to organic snacks without adding too much salt to them. But all said and done, it will come down to willpower, and we know you will do about anything to ensure the health of your baby.

References

1. Mao C, Liu R, Bo L. (2018). High-salt diets during pregnancy affected the fetal and offspring renal renin-angiotensin system. NCBI