Recent research completed at the University of Alberta shows a link between eating fruit during pregnancy and a baby’s intelligence. The research found that for every serving of fruit an expectant mother ate while pregnant, her baby’s intelligence testing score at 1 year of age went up 2.38 points.
Readers should note that this supposed link is correlated but not causal, meaning eating fruit will not guarantee that your baby will be smarter.
Nevertheless, this study’s results add to the growing list of possible benefits of eating healthy while pregnant.
Why You Should Eat Fruit During Pregnancy
Besides potentially making your baby smarter, fruit provides expectant mothers with many essential vitamins and minerals needed for a baby’s physical and cognitive development.
Some of the most important vitamins and minerals that fruit provides are:
- Fiber – helps prevent hemorrhoids and constipation, which is common for many pregnant women.
- Folic Acid – helps prevent neural tube defects by up to 70 percent.
- Potassium – helps maintain a balance of fluid and electrolytes.
- Vitamin C – needed for developing baby’s teeth and bones, as well as for creating collagen in a baby’s connective tissue.
Surprisingly, however, not ALL fruits are recommended for pregnant mothers.
For more information on which fruits are safe to eat during pregnancy, read Fruits During Pregnancy: The Good, the Bad, and the Unhealthy.