Is it possible to drink hibiscus tea during pregnancy: benefit and harm, dosage
Hibiscus tea is a very useful drink, especially for women.However, such drinking during pregnancy can bring harm to the body instead of the expected benefit. This article will tell you more about whether it is possible to drink karkada during pregnancy, and also what dosages should be observed when consumed.
What is useful
Fragrant reddish drink prepared from hibiscus. This plant grows predominantly in countries with a rather hot climate and is characterized by very beautiful flowers. This plant has the second name - "Sudanese rose". People have long learned that drinks made from hibiscus petals bring great benefits to the body.
It was believed that tea made from Sudanese rose should always be present on the table of noble people and nobles of that time. Due to this popularity, this healthy brew is also often called the “drink of the pharaohs”.
You can drink karkade tea both for women and men. This useful drink contains many biologically active components that have a beneficial effect on the body. It is believed that the systematic use of such tasty and fragrant beverages not only contributes to the improvement of health indicators, but also helps to preserve youth and beauty for many years.
Pregnancy is a special period in a woman’s life. At this time, the female body is rebuilt and begins to work for two. Conditionally, the entire period of childbearing a baby is divided into three trimesters. Each of them is characterized by specific changes that occur in the body of the future mother. Making a diet for expectant mothers is very important. Moreover, pregnant women need not only to watch what they eat, but also for the drinks that they include in their menu. Obstetricians and gynecologists allow expectant mothers to drink drinks that cannot harm either the most pregnant woman or the baby developing in the womb.
Tea brewed from hibiscus petals contains quite a lot of components that can affect the state of the future mother's body. For example, it contains anthocyanins. These components have a beneficial effect on the tone of the vascular wall, which contributes to the strengthening of blood vessels. The stronger the vessels, the less the risk of developing pathological gaps, and, therefore, the formation of various pathologies.
Hibiscus petals contain flavonoids. These components can affect the functioning of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Drinking karkade tea can help reduce nausea and signs of toxicosis, which often worries expectant mothers at 3-9 weeks of pregnancy. Also, the intake of such an aromatic drink contributes to the normalization of stool due to the revitalization of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Tea made from Sudan rose petals is rich in ascorbic acid. Natural vitamin C helps the body improve the immune system.
It is believed that women who regularly consume a sufficient amount of food and drinks containing ascorbic acid, are less sick, even in the season of ARVI and flu.
Many have heard that taking hibiscus petals drinks helps normalize blood pressure. Indeed, in the tea of karkad there are components that affect the tone of blood vessels. These special chemicals also have a spasmolytic effect. Removing the spasm from the blood arteries and contributes to the fact that blood pressure indicators change. This action should be remembered for women who have a tendency to hypotension or suffer from hypertension.
Tea from Sudanese rose contains ingredients that have a beneficial effect on blood formation. The use of such a drink contributes to the fact that blood counts are beginning to change.Experts of traditional medicine recommend drinking tea to people suffering from diseases that occur with low hemoglobin levels. Drinks made from Sudan rose petals also contain components that affect the functioning of the organs of the excretory system. Many centuries ago, people living in eastern states believed that drinking such tea helps remove harmful substances from the body.
People who have tried hibiscus tea noted that this drink has a diuretic effect. During pregnancy, many expectant mothers are faced with the problem of the appearance of edema. Usually this symptom bothers a pregnant woman in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. Drinking karkade tea helps to remove excess fluid from the body, thereby leading to a decrease in puffiness.
What is harmful
During pregnancy, the functioning of the female body changes. Moreover, such specific changes occur almost after conception and up to the birth. In future mothers, hormonal changes are changing, the load on the internal organs increases, and the restructuring of the nervous system begins. In such a “special position”, the use of even familiar foods can bring harm to the body instead of the expected benefits. Moreover, the future mother in such a situation can harm not only herself, but also her baby.
Doctors say that to drink drinks made from the petals of exotic plants, including hibiscus, expectant mothers are not worth it. During the carrying of the baby is better to choose more familiar drinks. In this case, the risk of adverse symptoms is significantly reduced.
Experts note that the petals of hibiscus contain a number of components that may affect the functioning of the female reproductive system. Such an impact can contribute to changes in the level of sex hormones, which is extremely dangerous, especially in early pregnancy, when the internal organs and systems of the fetus are laid. Drinking beverages that affect the state of the female reproductive sphere may even contribute to the deterioration of the course of pregnancy and the formation of conditions dangerous for the fetus.
Hibiscus contains quite a lot of herbal ingredients that have an antispasmodic effect. This should be remembered for women in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Drinking drinks from Sudanese rose, especially in large quantities and firmly brewed, can lead to a shift in the expected date of delivery. The risk of such a situation is quite high among women with a burdened obstetric and gynecological history and previous miscarriages.
Contraindications
Drinks made from hibiscus petals, not all. In the presence of contraindications to drink this tea can not, because it can lead to the development of extremely dangerous symptoms. Doctors do not recommend drinking from the petals of Sudanese rose to women who are allergic or have individual intolerance to hibiscus. In this case, taking karkade tea can lead to allergic symptoms. These manifestations include:
- the appearance of itchy skin blisters or blemishes;
- respiratory failure due to allergic swelling of the larynx;
- puffiness of face;
- swelling of the eyelids, lips and neck;
- deterioration of health, sudden feeling of strong weakness.
It also happens when, for the first time, when drinking tea from hibiscus petals, a woman does not know that she is allergic to this plant. In this case, it should be remembered that in case of any signs of allergic pathology, it is better to immediately consult a doctor and, after the permission of a specialist, take an antihistamine.
Expectant mothers to experiment with the inclusion in your diet of new food and beverages is not worth it.
If before pregnancy you for some reason did not try karkade tea, then it is not worth doing it for the first time during the period of carrying the baby. In this situation, it is impossible to predict how the body will respond to hibiscus. Also, special care should be exercised and women who are allergic to various tropical fruits. In this case, drinking karkade tea is possible only after consultation with the doctor.
Drinks brewed with Sudan rose petals may also trigger increased production of gastric juice. That is why they, as a rule, are not recommended for people suffering from gastric ulcer or intestinal ulcers. The use of such beverages can provoke an exacerbation of the disease, which will manifest the appearance of severe abdominal pain, as well as the occurrence of dyspeptic symptoms. It should be noted that some women who do not have contraindications still drink drinks from the Sudanese rose during pregnancy.
Feedback from such women suggests that hibiscus tea helped them cope with an exhausting feeling of constant nausea.
You should not drink drinks from Sudanese rose to women suffering from urolithiasis and having a tendency to the formation of stones. The components contained in tea can have an effect on metabolic processes, and also have a diuretic effect. With the removal of excess water from the body and in the presence of an individual tendency to stone formation in the kidneys, new stones may appear (“stones”). During pregnancy, urolithiasis can significantly aggravate childbearing.
To avoid adverse effects, expectant mothers suffering from urolithiasis, should not drink hibiscus tea.
Tips for expectant mothers
Each future mother makes a conscious choice - to include drinks from hibiscus in your diet or not. However, in order not to harm either yourself or your baby before making any decision, you should still consult with your doctor. Also, before including hibiscus drinks in your menu, you can use the following recommendations.
- When drinking karkad tea during pregnancy, remember about the measure. One cup per day would be enough. The use of this drink in large quantities can contribute to the appearance of adverse symptoms.
- When buying, try to pay attention to the country of origin. So, teas brought from Egypt, when brewing, have a more sour taste. This particular acidity may not please many women.
- Carefully monitor your well-being after drinking. If any uncomfortable symptoms appear after taking Karkade tea, you should refuse to take this drink, as this may bring the body instead of the expected benefit.
On the benefits and dangers of tea karkade see the following video.