All About Having Lemons While Pregnant

Share on Pinterest Pucker up, mama-to-be. Because we know you want to find out the sweet (and maybe slightly sour) things about whether lemon is OK during pregnancy — and how it could work to your advantage if so. You might have heard lemon water can boost hydration or that lemon may be an effective nausea remedy, but should you jump in with zest? Let’s squeeze the truth out of the science to help you determine if this citrus favorite is for you. In general, lemons — and other citrus fruits — can be safe and healthy to consume during pregnancy. In fact, lemons pack many essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that help support maternal health and baby’s development. There’s little research on the safety of lemons specifically during pregnancy. That said, having a lemon water or adding some lemon juice to your salad likely falls into the safe (and even beneficial) zone. But always talk to your OB-GYN or midwife about consuming large amounts of lemon, lemon-flavored additives, supplements, or other things that haven’t been heavily studied for safety among pregnant women. But what about lemon essential oils? Are they safe? Although essential oils are on-trend, ingesting them always falls into the questionable category. But don’t pack them away quite yet — we’ll tell you how you may benefit from diffusing lemon essential oils in just a bit. 1. Immunity boost and fetal development There aren’t studies to show that lemons themselves boost immunity and benefit fetal development, but some of the top-ranking nutrients in lemons do. In fact, a half cup (106 grams) of lemon (without the peel) can deliver 56.2 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C — a critical nutrient for both mom and baby. One 2012 animal study concluded that even a small deficiency in maternal […]

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