Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Pregnant mother have a lot of taboo activities to maintain the health of the womb. One of the taboos for pregnant women is not to eat instant noodles. But is it true that eating instant noodles is dangerous for pregnant women?
Proper nutrition is needed to maintain the health and development of the fetus in the womb. Good nutrition will help the growth of the brain, bones, organs, and support the immune system.
Therefore, pregnant women need to maintain food consumption so that the fetus in the womb develops and the baby is born healthy. During pregnancy, pregnant women are also advised to be more selective in choosing the food menu.
While instant noodles are fast food with low nutritional content, and various additives that are not healthy. It is feared that eating instant noodles too often will make pregnant women and their babies lack nutrition.
“Because they are considered unhealthy, many prohibit pregnant women from consuming instant noodles. Even though that is not entirely true. It is true that instant noodles can be categorized as instant food or junk food that has low nutritional content,” said Gorga IVW Udjung, an obstetrician specialist at RSIA Bunda Jakarta.
In addition to the noodle itself, which lacks nutrients, the danger of instant noodles is also caused by the additives contained in it. Some additives such as preservatives, dyes, and food flavorings can also harm the health of the mother and baby.
Not only that, another danger in instant noodles is the content of spices. Instant noodles tend to use seasonings that are high in salt content. The seasoning on instant noodles also uses a mixture of monosodium glutamate (MSG) to make it taste more savory.
Whereas excessive salt consumption can increase the risk of hypertension in pregnancy. Increased blood pressure at gestational age causes the condition of preeclampsia which is fatal for both mother and baby. Excessive salt consumption can also cause flatulence, dizziness, create a buildup of fluid in the feet, hands, and face (edema).
Meanwhile, pregnant women and babies are in need of nutrients in large quantities during pregnancy.
If you eat too often or rely on eating instant food everyday, it is feared that the amount of nutrients in instant noodles will not meet the needs of pregnant women, plus the content of addictive substances which are certainly not good for the continuity of fetal growth.
“Consuming it too often inhibits the growth and development of the baby and is dangerous for the health of the mother and baby. If you really want, you can consume instant noodles once a week.”
But if you really want to eat instant noodles, you should not use the available spices or just make it, add eggs, chicken, mushrooms, carrots, vegetables, and other natural ingredients.
Foods that should be avoided by pregnant women are actually not just instant noodles. Foods with high MSG levels, fast food with minimal nutrition, should be avoided.
PDGKI (Association of Indonesian Clinical Nutrition Specialists) also recommends the consumption of MSG in a day should not be more than 10 mg/kgBB or 0.1 grams/kgBB. So if a person’s weight is 60 kg, he should only consume 6 grams of MSG or the equivalent of half a teaspoon in a day.
(mel/chs)
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