Goji Berries During Pregnancy – 7 Key Benefits

As you’ve likely already found out, pregnancy is a time of careful, healthy eating. You have to be mindful about the food you eat, and to make sure that it’s safe for you and your baby. Goji berries are healthy, but is it safe to eat goji berries during pregnancy?

We know how stressful the journey gets for pregnant women. Having to double-check everything just to make sure that what you’re eating poses no risk to you or your baby. However, we’re here to help you make an informed decision about the foods you eat.

From grapefruit to acai, we aim to provide a comprehensive guide for pregnant women.

Goji berries have a long and rich history. For thousands of years, these nutrient-dense, small, red berries have been consumed for their positive benefits. While some foods can have a healthy effect on pregnant women, some foods have to be avoided at all costs.

What about goji berries? In general, it’s considered safe to eat goji berries during pregnancy, but you have to stay mindful about the quantity of consumption, since over-consumption of goji berries while pregnant can can cause adverse symptoms and risks.

In moderation, you’re likely safe. However, it’s important to note that there’s a distinct lack of scientific research and studies in regards to eating goji berries during pregnancy.

In the following article, we will examine the nutritional content of goji berries, the health benefits they provide for pregnant women, as well as the risks of over-consumption.

Are Goji Berries the Next Superfood?

Goji berries have many health benefits, but are they actually a superfood?

Well, the term ‘superfood’ itself is thrown around loosely. It’s important to note that the term ‘superfood’ is not a scientifically recognized term. To be frank, it’s likely a marketing ploy. That’s precisely the primary reason why we have to examine the nutrients carefully.

There’s no such thing as a superfood that provides all the nutrients you need.

With that in mind, why are goji berries considered so healthy?

Goji berries are considered a superfood due to their high nutritional content. Specifically, the antioxidant properties prevent or delay certain types of cell damage, which helps reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and age-related degeneration.

In general, antioxidant-rich foods are associated with a lower risk of stress-related diseases. During pregnancy, your changing body is producing a higher amount of free radicals, and that’s why eating antioxidant-rich foods is important with a baby on the way.

Aside from its antioxidant properties, goji berries provide a valuable source of vitamins and minerals, making this nutrient-dense, brightly-colored berry great for overall health.

On top of that, goji berries are known to have a low calorie content and potential anti-inflammatory effects, but the question stands: are goji berries safe during pregnancy?

For the most part it’s perfectly safe to eat goji berries during pregnancy, but in moderation.

While these berries – or any kind of food, for that matter – are by no means a superfood, their high nutritional content and numerous health benefits make them a popular option.

Due to a lack of scientific research, it’s important to analyze the ingredients thoroughly in order to understand the benefits, but also the risks involved with over-consumption.

7 Key Benefits of Eating Goji Berries

Now that you know that it’s safe to eat goji berries during pregnancy, what exactly are you getting out of them? These tiny berries provide a good source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients important for expecting mothers and their babies.

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of this small, miraculous berry.

1. Goji berries help maintain efficient energy levels.

As a pregnant woman, you experience fatigue on a daily basis. Due to the increased demands on your body, ordinary tasks seem all the more difficult. To counteract low energy levels, goji berries make for a healthy, low-calorie pregnancy diet option.

Eating goji berries during pregnancy provides a source of sustained energy to last the whole day. However, you want to make sure that you consume them in moderation.

Since consuming goji berries during pregnancy provides the body with a dose of complex carbohydrates, your body gains an extra oomph which is released gradually. With goji berries, you’re certain to maintain a more consistent level of energy on a daily basis.

Still, goji berries during pregnancy shouldn’t be your only source of energy.

Especially with a baby on the way, an expecting mother needs a varied diet with nutrient-rich foods, especially fruits and vegetables in order to combat fatigue and stay healthy.

2. Goji berries have immune-boosting properties.

A healthy diet allows expecting mothers to boost their immune system in a natural way.

In regards to your diet, including goji berries during pregnancy allows you to maintain a strong and healthy immune system despite your changing body causing it to weaken.

Boosting immunity, therefore, is highly important. Consuming goji berries during pregnancy protects against illness due to the minerals and vitamins they contain.

What kind of vitamins and antioxidants help the immune system function optimally? Eating goji berries during pregnancy provides a good source of vitamins C and A. Vitamin C protects cells while vitamin A regulates the immune system and prevents inflammation.

Vitamins C and A are important for expecting mothers and their babies, but what about antioxidants? Goji berries contain polyphenols and carotenoids, which work together to enhance a healthy and sustained immune response, which decreases the risk of illness.

Overall, a moderate consumption of goji berries during pregnancy is a healthy addition to a pregnancy diet, but expecting mothers need other immune-boosting nutrients, as well.

3. Goji berries improve your baby’s vision.

Speaking of vitamins, eating goji berries while pregnant provides a sustained source of vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for expecting mothers because it contributes towards healthy eye development for the baby, leading to overall better eye health after birth.

Specifically, vitamin A sustains the health of the cornea and the retina. These parts of the eye process light and images. Vitamin A helps protect them from damage caused by free radicals. As such, eating goji berries during pregnancy protects your little one’s vision.

However, it’s not only the vitamin A contained inside goji berries that supports and sustains eye health, because eating goji berries while pregnant also provides antioxidants and carotenoids, which are scientifically proven to protect the eyes from oxidative stress.

So, incorporating moderate doses of goji berries while pregnant can help support the healthy development of your baby’s eyes while reducing the risk of vision problems.

4. Goji berries help alleviate constipation.

Pregnancy introduces a variety of health issues that expecting mothers have to work hard to overcome. One of the more common issues is, in fact, constipation. The growing fetus puts pressure on the intestines, which causes the digestive process to notably slow down.

Eating goji berries while pregnant alleviates the symptoms of constipation due to its high fiber content. Naturally, fiber increases the weight and size of your stool. Fiber also softens the stool and makes it easier to pass, which lessens the intensity of constipation.

Moderate consumption of goji berries during pregnancy can be considered as a sort of treatment for pregnant women experiencing constipation, although it’s important to note that there’s a significant lack of scientific research and study to support this claim.

Nevertheless, eating goji berries during pregnancy provides a good source of fiber, which supports healthy digestion. By adding this berry to your pregnancy diet, you increase your fiber intake and help prevent and alleviate the symptoms of pregnancy constipation.

Goji berries alone, however, won’t solve constipation. A balanced diet, on the other hand, with the addition of eating goji berries during pregnancy, can help treat it efficiently.

5. Goji berries support healthy skin.

Pregnancy is often a stressful journey. With all the hormonal changes going on inside you, it’s important to maintain healthy skin in order to keep your pregnancy glow. A moderate consumption of goji berries during pregnancy contributes to your skincare routine.

How? Well, a single goji berry contains a good source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are known to protect the skin from free radicals, helping you sustain that pregnancy glow.

What exactly are these free radicals? Well, free radicals are scientifically explained as unstable molecules. Free radicals can not only damage the skin, but contribute to aging and the development of skin problems. That’s why it’s important to up your antioxidants.

Aside from the fact that eating goji berries during pregnancy increases your antioxidant count, they also increase your vitamin C and beta-carotene intake, which contribute to a healthier skin, especially during pregnancy when you’re experiencing hormonal changes.

6. Goji berries improve sleep quality.

Expecting mothers often experience sleep disruptions. Getting a good night’s rest at times seems outright impossible. This is due to a variety of reasons, the most common of which include hormonal changes, discomfort, and the stress associated with being pregnant.

While it’s true that eating goji berries during pregnancy improves sleep quality, there’s a lack of scientific research and study to support this claim – so take it with a grain of salt.

However, if we take the time to examine the ingredients, we can see that consuming goji berries during pregnancy provides a good and stable source of vitamins and antioxidants, which play an important role in supporting healthy sleep patterns and regulating stress.

That said, if you’re having trouble sleeping soundly at night, eating goji berries during pregnancy isn’t going to solve your problem. Yes, it can have a positive effect, but you also need a healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet, physical activity and stress management.

Other than that, it could also be a matter of underlying medical conditions, in which case you’re advised to talk with a healthcare professional in order to find adequate treatment.

7. Goji berries increase and regulate blood circulation.

Another key benefit of moderate consumption of goji berries during pregnancy is the fact that they contain properties which contribute to improved blood flow inside the body.

The antioxidants, minerals and vitamins contained in goji berries maintain healthy blood vessels while also supporting blood circulation and strengthening the cardiovascular system. Not to mention the addition of iron which is crucial for red blood cell production.

Nevertheless, it’s important to take into account that consuming goji berries during pregnancy is healthy, but they should not be relied upon exclusively to regulate and support the cardiovascular system. Instead, you need a complete, balanced diet.

Are There Any Risks Involved?

While not exactly a superfood, a single goji berry offers a range of health benefits for pregnant women. Being pregnant is difficult even without worrying about what food you can safely eat, but we’re here to make it easier by examining both the risks and benefits.

So, are goji berries safe during pregnancy? While the answer to that question is generally yes, over-consumption can lead to health complications. To get the most out of all the benefits of consuming goji berries during pregnancy, we have to consider the risks.

With the limited information and scientific research done, it’s important for expecting mothers to exercise caution. For example, a goji berry contains an unusually high concentration of selenium which can be especially harmful to the developing fetus.

Too much selenium is closely linked with birth defects. Therefore, consuming too much goji berries during pregnancy ups your selenium count and puts your baby at serious risk.

So, pregnant women have to limit their intake of goji berries during pregnancy.

Another thing expecting mothers have to watch out for is hypertension.

Due to a high level of potassium contained in a goji berry, excessive consumption can often lead to serious complications for the developing fetus. An increased blood pressure can strain the cardiovascular system, which increases the risk of serious health problems.

Also, if you’re taking any kind of medications, especially antidepressants, make sure to consult with a medical professional in order to find the appropriate consumption dosage of goji berries during pregnancy – and to find out if you’re better off missing out, instead.

The side effects of excessive consumption of goji berries during pregnancy also include potential allergies. Allergic reactions caused by this small, red berry include itching and breathing difficulties. If you have a history of allergies, make sure to exercise caution.

While it’s true that a goji berry helps with morning sickness by providing an extra oomph of energy and improving your overall health, it’s important to note that we’re dealing with scientifically unproven benefits. That ‘superfood’ label doesn’t mean much, anyway.

There’s been a lot of discussion in regards to this berry. Are goji berries safe during pregnancy, or do the risks outweigh the benefits? While we’ve covered the compounds which can have a positive effect on the mother and the developing fetus, there’s risk.

If you have any concerns, the safest option is always to consult a medical professional.

So, What’s the Ideal Dosage?

When we say ‘in moderation’ – what does that mean, exactly? What’s the ideal dosage of consumption of goji berries during pregnancy? Well, it’s not as simple as giving you a number, because the ideal dosage depends on a variety of factors and dietary needs.

However, it goes without saying that you shouldn’t eat goji berries during pregnancy excessively, due to the risks associated with over-consumption. So, what’s the ideal guideline? Generally, it’s considered safe to limit the intake of goji berries to 1-2 ounces.

The answer to the question are goji berries safe during pregnancy depends on serving sizes. So, 1-2 ounces on a daily basis allows pregnant women to get all the benefits without having to worry about endangering their body or their developing fetus.

Still, consuming goji berries during pregnancy in moderation depends on different factors, as well, because nutritional needs vary on a person-to-person basis. As such, sometimes it’s necessary for expecting mothers to ask a medical professional for further insight.

In fact, it’s always the smartest choice to seek professional guidance.

In Conclusion

So, are goji berries safe during pregnancy?

Ultimately, goji berries are a great and healthy addition to a pregnancy safe diet.

Rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, moderate consumption of goji berries during pregnancy supports your pregnant body in numerous ways. From boosting the immune system to sustaining your pregnancy glow and helping you balance your energy levels.

However, excessive consumption of goji berries during pregnancy is known to increase the risk of health problems for you and your baby. As such, you want to exercise caution, especially because there’s a notable lack of scientific evidence to support the benefits.

Even though it’s generally safe to consume 1-2 ounces of goji berries on a daily basis, consulting with a medical professional allows you to get personalized advice for your pregnancy safe diet. So, if you have any safety concern, seek professional guidance.

Expecting mothers have to be careful about the food they eat. Goji berries are a valuable source of nutrients, but they are not a substitute for a balanced diet. So, make sure to follow our guidelines and to mind the risks in order to keep yourself and your baby safe.