Dried fruit is an absolutely recommended food in pregnancy: healthy and rich in nutrients, it is a valuable snack for both the health of the future mother and for the foetus.

Walnuts are rich in fibre, mineral salts, calcium, vitamins and potassium, or everything that a future mother’s diet should never lack. The fatty and monounsaturated acids they contain have a beneficial action against cholesterol.  Vitamin B9 and iron form an excellent combination against anaemia, while B1 deals with the functioning of energy metabolism, the muscular system and the nervous system.

And then there is vitamin B6 that, in addition to preventing neurological disorders, also strengthens the immune defences. It would also seem that eating nuts during pregnancy decreases the chances that the baby at birth will be allergic to them.

According to experts, the recommended dose is approximately 30 g per day or at least 30 g three times a week in order to ensure the assimilation of the correct quantity of nutrients.

According to a study conducted by researchers in Barcelona and subsequently published in the European Journal of Epidemiology, walnuts and all nuts in general improve the brain development of the child. According to other scientific studies, however, mothers who had eaten walnuts, particularly in the last trimester, were more likely to have children who scored better on tests showing cognitive function.

Dried fruits and nuts specifically seem to be very good for the cardiovascular development of the unborn child. Also containing a high level of calcium, they provide essential support to bone development and make them, in fact, one of the most recommended foods in a very delicate phase such as pregnancy.

Sources:

• mammastobene.com
• Gignac, F., Romaguera, D., Fernández-Barrés, S. et al. Maternal nut intake in pregnancy and child neuropsychological development up to 8 years old: a population-based cohort study in Spain. Eur J Epidemiol 34, 661–673 (2019)