Eating fruits during the pregnancy is very beneficial not only for the expecting mother but also the baby present inside. Fruits contain essential nutrients, vitamins that help in the growth of baby, besides giving immunity to both the pregnant lady and baby present inside. Some fruits have the ability to treat minor diseases like cold, flu, constipation, etc. One such fruit that pregnant women can eat during her pregnancy is the elderberry. This fruit, leaves, flower, the bark of the elderberry plant is used in traditional medicine to treat small complications during pregnancy. Elderberry is used as an immunity booster that can prevent minor flu, cold from attacking the pregnant lady.

Elderberry During Pregnancy: Is it Safe to Eat?

Elderberries are the dark purple or blackberries commonly known in Telugu as ‘ParikiPandlu.’ These are the native of European countries. Elderberries are also referred to as Sambucus berries that grow on the Sambucus tree, a flowering plant that grows on the Adoxaceae family. There are about 30 varieties of elder trees and plants that grow around the world. Of them, Sambucusnigra (the European version) is used to prepare traditional medicines. Though these berries have many medicinal properties, there are no proven pieces of evidence about safety during pregnancy. But, most of them say that eating elderberry during pregnancy is quite safe as long as you consume them in limited quantities. However, unripe elderberries are not safe and cause complications.

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Nutritional Values of Elderberry:

These are low-calorie food rich in antioxidants. Along with this, elderberries are high in Vitamin C. 100gm of elderberries contains the following nutrients

• 18.4 gms of Carbohydrates
• 6-35mg of Vitamin C
• Seven gms of fiber
• Good source of phenolic acids
• High in anthocyanins
• Less than 1gm of fat

These fruits are rich in antioxidant flavonols, isorhamnetin, kaempferol, and quercetin. These flavonoids contain anti-viral, anti-allergic, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory properties in them.