Pregnant and Craving Beer? You're Not Alone -- And There's a Reason
by Ceridwen Morris
I never liked beer…. until I became pregnant.
And then I craved it. All the time!
I didn't drink it but when I saw someone sipping a big cold pint of beer, I'd practically drool. I was thinking about this last night as I downed a beer with dinner. I am now officially a beer drinker. Wine, eh? Liquor, forget it, there's no way. Pregnancy changed me.
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So I thought I do a little investigating to see if other women craved beer. I googled beer craving and pregnancy the screen lit up with quotes and questions from thirsty expecting mothers. I even found this awesome quote from fellow Babble blogger Katie Allison Granju, "But I can tell you that the first thing I am going to want after the baby is born is a nice, cold, delicious pale ale. Mmmmmmm."
Lots of discussion online revolves around the whole alcohol in pregnancy debate, but I just wanted to know what is it about beer that makes it so desirable to pregnant women? And here's what I found:It could be the high levels of vitamin B6 in beer that pregnant women are craving. B6 is actually important in pregnancy for the development of the baby's developing brain and nervous system. Apparently beer used to be recommended by doctors for its high vitamin B content. Vitamin B6 is also used to help with morning sickness. According the Bavarian Brewery website beer has all the important B vitamins, vitamins A, D and E. Two pints of beer provide the following portions of daily requirements: 65% Niacin, 35% vitamin B6 and 20% vitamin B2.
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Beer also has decent levels of calcium, magnesium and potassium all of which are great during pregnancy and can help prevent pregnancy-triggered night time leg cramps. Beer even has folate in it. Wow, beer is beginning to sounds like a liquid prenatal vitamin. No wonder I craved it.
Find out how you can curb this craving without alcohol. Have a happy and satisfied pregnancy!
FIND MORE BEING PREGNANT:
Prenatal Vitamins: Are They Really Necessary?
