Is It Safe To Eat Star Fruit During Pregnancy?

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Star fruit is known to be a rich source of antioxidants and essential nutrients. But is it safe to have star fruit during pregnancy? The star fruit is a greenish-yellow colored fruit that is considered to be native to Sri Lanka. Its nutritional profile includes vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, and organic acids, all of which play an important role in helping you have a healthy pregnancy and make delivering the baby easier. Read on to know more about star fruit, its nutritional values, and the advantages of having it during pregnancy.

What Is Star Fruit?

Star fruit, also popular as Carambola, is a five-angled, waxy yellow-green fruit. The sweet and sour cool fruit grows on a tree popular as Averrhoa carambola, and it’s native to Sri Lanka. As a matter of fact, star fruit is rich in several nutrients, such as carbohydrates, vitamins, carotenoid compounds, organic acids, fiber, minerals, and other crucial nutrients. This makes it one of the best fruits to eat during pregnancy (1).

Did you know?

Star fruit doesn’t need to be peeled or seeded; you can eat it whole. It has two varieties – sweet and tart (5).

Is It Safe To Eat Star Fruit During Pregnancy?

Yes! You can enjoy eating star fruit during pregnancy. It has a high nutrition content and has a low calorie content, which helps you to enjoy a healthy pregnancy. Minerals, vitamins, folic acid or folate, and other nutrients in the fruit provide you the stamina that you need during pregnancy. Drinking fresh star fruit juice prevents and cures throat and mouth infection effectively while expecting. Also, the fruit helps you keep several health troubles at bay. However, star fruit has high oxalate content. So if you have any history of kidney disease, it’s best to avoid it and take your physician’s advice before consuming it (2).

Health Benefits Of Eating Star Fruit During Pregnancy

High nutritional content in the start fruit offers several health benefits while you are expecting. Health benefits include:

1. Boosts immunity

One of the key health benefits of eating star fruit during pregnancy is that it helps increase your endurance and immunity. The consumption of the fruit helps your immune system to combat several harmful bacteria and viruses. Also, its high vitamin C content helps provide a sufficient intake of antioxidants during pregnancy. The antioxidants effectively inhibit oxidation and prevent the production of free radicals in your body. Also, the high antioxidant content in the fruit minimizes free-radical damage (3).

2. Promotes eye health

Star fruit is an excellent natural source of vitamin A, a vital vitamin to maintain good eye health. So, eating vitamin A during pregnancy nourishes your eyes and safeguards them from infections and disorders effectively. Also, the fruit helps enhance your power of vision to a great extent. Star fruit is an effective remedy to treat sore eyes while expecting.

3. Treats digestive disorders

Problems with digestion can interfere with your comfort during pregnancy. Eating star fruit while you are expecting helps cure several digestive disorders effectively. Consumption of the nutritious fruit helps treat diarrhea, stomach disorders, and constipation. Consult your doctor about the right amount of star fruit (4).

4. Reduces high blood pressure

Potassium in the star fruit is highly beneficial for lowering high blood pressure during pregnancy. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( US CDC), about 13% of pregnant women in the US suffer from pregnancy-associated hypertension (7). Hypertension can lead to heart attack or stroke. Eating star fruit as a part of a well-balanced diet can help minimize high blood pressure significantly and prevent the risk of stroke or heart-related problems (8).

Point to consider

Star fruit intake on an empty stomach or when dehydrated may lead to acute kidney injury. Thus, individuals with a history of kidney disorders should consume the fruit during pregnancy with caution (6).

5. Prevents cancer

Star fruit has anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and immune-boosting properties (9). The high antioxidant content in the star fruit is highly effective in protecting you against the development of cancerous cells during pregnancy.

Mary Sabat, a nutritionist from Alpharetta, Georgia, says, “Star fruit can be beneficial for urinary tract infections during pregnancy, as it is high in vitamin C, which helps boost immunity.”

6. Promotes smooth urination

Star fruit has acted as a diuretic since ancient times. Adding a dash of honey to the juice of star fruit and drinking it promotes the smooth functioning of your urinary processes while you are expecting.

7. Reduces cholesterol

Regular consumption of star fruit helps minimize levels of bad cholesterol in your blood during pregnancy. It prevents the risk of development of health problems due to high levels of cholesterol (3).

8. Supports skin health

Star fruit contains anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties that may help alleviate symptoms of eczema and fungal skin infections and promote healthier skin (3).

Precautions And Recommendations

Star fruit is safe for most pregnant women when eaten in moderation. However, excessive intake may cause digestive issues, nephrotoxicity, and neurotoxicity (9). Those with kidney problems should avoid star fruit because it contains toxins that can harm kidney health (2) and cause poisoning.

Studies indicate that ingestion of star fruit can cause symptoms like hiccups, vomiting, disturbed consciousness, muscle numbness or weakness, insomnia, paresis, paresthesias, and seizures in people with uremiaⁱA serious condition that occurs when the kidneys fail to properly filter waste products from the blood, leading to a buildup of toxins like urea and creatinine . In cases of overconsumption, star fruit can be lethal to patients with kidney problems (10) (11). Star fruit could also be toxic to mothers who have gastroenteropathies or chronic pancreatitis (9). 

Before including star fruit in your pregnancy diet, consult a healthcare provider to ensure it suits your health requirements, especially if you have any underlying conditions or specific concerns. It is also essential to check with your doctor about drug interactions if you are on prescriptions like tacrolimus or cyclosporine to avoid adverse effects (12).

Ways To Include Star Fruit In Pregnancy Diet

Here are some simple ways to include star fruit in your recipes.

• Smoothies: Blend star fruit with orange, banana, and yogurt to make a delightful smoothie. Alternatively, make a topical smoothie by blending together mango, pineapple, orange, star fruit, honey, cinnamon, and ice cubes.
• Juice: Blend star fruit, ginger, lime juice, honey, and water to make a refreshing non-alcoholic topical beverage.
• Tea: Steep thinly sliced star fruit, ginger pieces, lemon slices, and orange peel in freshly boiled water for a few minutes, then strain, add honey, and enjoy a hot drink. 
• Fruit salad: Slice the star fruit into star-shaped pieces and mix it with other tropical fruits such as pineapple, kiwi, and mango. Drizzle some honey or garnish with mint to make a delectable fruit salad.
• Fruit skewers: Thread star fruit slices on skewers with other tropical fruits like pineapple to create a colorful dessert.
• Star fruit sorbet: Mix star fruit puree with lime or lemon juice and freeze it to make a refreshing dessert that can also be consumed as an on-the-go snack.
• Salsas: Blend star fruit slices with lime juice, tomatoes, onions, and cilantro to create a unique tropical salsa. You can serve it with grilled fish, plain crackers, or roasted chicken shreds.
• Preserves: Make jams, sauces, candies, and pickles with ripe or raw star fruit. Eat these by themselves or pair them with desserts, breads, meat dishes, and seafood dishes. 
• Broths: Use semi-ripe or green star fruit as a vegetable in soups, stews, and broths to enjoy an umami flavor.

Recipe Idea For Star Fruit

Here is a creative recipe to incorporate star fruit into your meals.

1. Star fruit salad

You will need

• Star fruit
• Lime juice
• Coriander leaves
• Roasted peanuts
• Small onions
• Salt
• Red chili flakes
• Sugar
• Pomegranate seeds

How to

1. Add lime juice, salt, sugar, and red chili flakes to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk thoroughly using a fork.
2. Add the small onions and pomegranate seeds and gently mix them.
3. Arrange the star fruit slices in a wide, shallow bowl.
4. Drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated.
5. Sprinkle roasted peanuts on top and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Lightly toss once more and serve immediately.

Infographic: Ways To Include Star Fruit In Pregnancy Diet

The bright tropical fruit, star fruit, is a healthy addition to a pregnancy diet as it can provide a variety of nutrients that are important for the health of both the mother and the baby. We bring delicious and easy ways to include star fruit in your daily diet and maintain a healthy pregnancy.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: Is It Safe To Eat Star Fruit During Pregnancy?

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

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Reviewer Expert Author Editor Fact Checker

Shivani SikriPublic health and Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics

Shivani Sikri is the chief nutritionist and co-founder of Nutri4Verve and holds about 13 years of experience in the field of nutrition. After completing her Masters, Shivani Sikri did a postgraduate in nutrition and health education, a postgraduate diploma in public health and nutrition (PGDPHN), and a postgraduate diploma in nutrition and clinical dietetics.

Read full bio of Shivani Sikri

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  Mary SabatRDN, LD Mary Sabat is certified in personal training by the American Council of Exercise (ACE) and has 30 years experience as a fitness trainer, diet planner, and holistic health coach. She did her BS in Dietetics and Nutrition at University of Delaware and MS in Human Nutrition with an emphasis on Exercise Science, at Rutger’s University.
  
  Mary Sabat is certified in personal training by the American Council of Exercise (ACE) and has 30 years experience as a fitness trainer, diet planner, and holistic health coach. She did her BS in Dietetics and Nutrition at University of Delaware and MS in Human Nutrition with an emphasis on Exercise Science, at Rutger’s University.

Ria SahaB.Tech

Ria is a techie-turned-writer and writes articles on health, with special emphasis on nutrition. She did her B.Tech from West Bengal University of Technology and was previously associated with IBM as SAP ABAP technical consultant.

Read full bio of Ria Saha

Swati PatwalM.Sc. (Food & Nutrition), MBA

Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a toddler mom with more than a decade of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career as a CSR project coordinator for a healthy eating and active lifestyle project catering to school children.

Read full bio of Swati Patwal

Lorraine TeronMSc

Lorraine is a postgraduate in Life Science from Mount Carmel College and previously worked as a freelance scientific illustrator. As a project associate and lab technician at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Lorraine received valuable insights into Covid-19, transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, and neuro-degenerative diseases.

Read full bio of Lorraine Teron