Most experts say that drinking certain herbal teas during the pregnancy period is a great way to support good health during pregnancy. Drinking herbal teas will provide you with several nutrients like iron, calcium, and magnesium.
To understand the pregnancy safe teas, first, you need to know about different types of teas and how they benefit you during pregnancy.
Generally, teas are two types, herbal and non-herbal. Again herbal and non-herbal teas are classified into many types, such as black, herbal and oolong are three types in non-herbal teas. Among those, black tea is the most common one that includes Earl Grey, Orange Pekoe and English breakfast. While green tea has more delicate taste than black tea and oolong tea is the combination of black and green teas.
Is it safe to consume non-herbal teas during pregnancy?
Generally, non-herbal teas contain varying amounts of caffeine and antioxidants as they are made of tea plant leaves. But doctors suggest that pregnant women should consume higher amount caffeine or to completely eliminate during pregnancy.
According to the studies, a cup of non-herbal tea contains 40-50 milligrams of caffeine. This caffeine has the ability to cross the placenta and reaches your growing baby. When the baby gets caffeine, he/she is not able to metabolize caffeine. So it is better to limit the consumption of non-herbal teas. It is more suggested to talk with your doctor about how much amount is safe for you and your developing baby.
Is it safe to consume herbal teas during pregnancy?
Usually, herbal teas are free of caffeine, so you should not worry about consuming herbal tea. But the only thing you have to worry about herbal teas is there no sufficient data available on the safety of different herbs used in preparing herbal teas.
Make sure that you purchase only the herbal teas with herbs that are FDA approved. Don’t consider unsafe herbs like that are prepared with higher amounts of herbs and herbs that are referred to as toxic. So, it is more suggested to talk to your doctor about the type of herbal tea that you want to use.
How herbal teas help during pregnancy?
Many doctors believe that consuming herbal teas during pregnancy can help to prevent various pregnancy complications like preterm labor, preeclampsia, prolonged labor, postpartum hemorrhage, etc.
Red raspberry leaf is one of the most beneficial ingredients used in pregnancy herbal teas. This herb can help reduce the length of the labor and also reduce the chances of using interventions used like assisted delivery, artificial rupture of membranes (AROM) and cesarean delivery.
Here are the most beneficial herbs during pregnancy used in herbal teas:
- Red raspberry leaf
- Peppermint leaf
- Ginger root
- Lemon balm
- Dandelion
- Chamomile
