ss_blog_claim=6cd73fab0d1dd89407889b31eb885dd3 ss_blog_claim=6cd73fab0d1dd89407889b31eb885dd3 Blog Directory Things I Did Not Know Before: Guinness Stout Beer is Rich in Iron - Good for Pregnancy

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Guinness Stout Beer is Rich in Iron - Good for Pregnancy


Guinness is known to have high levels of Iron, which can become depleted whilst pregnant.

I was told my by sister-in-law and her hubby that apparently, this type of Beer is what she used to drink when she was pregnant of Alfie! I then asked, but alcohol is bad for developing babies but why? They said that it has been prescribed by most doctors here in the UK, as it has reported to have been a good source of iron and vitamin B pregnant women should have.

"Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause physical and mental birth defects. Each year, up to 40,000 babies are born with some degree of alcohol-related damage. Although many women are aware that heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause birth defects, many do not realize that moderate—or even light—drinking also may harm the fetus".

I didn't believe it until my mother-in-law and one of their friends told me as well plus, I googled the same thing and have in yahoo answers re: Is guinness good for pregnant ladies?.

In fact, hollywood celebrity Gwyneth Paltrow was
5 months pregnant with her second child while she enjoyed a Guinness beer while out with her husband Chris Martin at a sushi bar one time.

What about the old wives tale about nursing mothers drinking Guinness?

Current medical research suggests that pregnant women and nursing mothers should totally abstain from any form of alcoholic beverage. In pregnancy, it can lead to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, characterized by slow development. Alcohol does pass in the mother's milk, so nursing mother's should avoid Guinness and any other form of alcohol. I have received numerous comments from readers that I am being overly cautious and that Guinness is still given to nursing mothers in Ireland and brown ale to mothers in Belgium.

But why drinking alcohol content instead of eating foods rich in Iron?


Iron Rich Food

The list below shows the calorie, fat and iron content of some iron-rich foods. Men and women over the age of 50 years should have 8.7mg iron daily; teenage girls and women under 50 years should have 14.8mg a day.

Food

Calories

Fat (g)

Iron (mg)

Animal sources of iron

Portion of fried lamb’s liver

237

12.9

10.9

125g can sardines in tomato sauce

221

14.5

5.8

8oz (raw weight) grilled rump steak

289

9.6

4.1

40g liver pate

126

11.6

2.8

2 thick slices lean roast beef

158

4.6

2.3

3 slices lean roast lamb

189

8.6

2.1

1 boiled egg

90

6.6

1.1

100g raw extra-lean minced beef

174

9.6

1.4

2 thick slices lean roast pork

164

5

1

2 grilled low-fat pork sausages

183

5.5

1

1 steamed salmon steak

197

13

0.8

Vegetable sources of iron

30g bowl branflakes

95

0.6

6

200g can baked beans in tomato sauce

168

1.2

2.8

30g bowl cornflakes

108

0.2

2

2 slices wholemeal bread

155

1.8

1.9

3tbsp garden peas

62

0.8

1.4

Average serving of spinach

17

0.7

1.4

2 slices white bread

156

0.9

1

2 spears of broccoli

22

0.7

0.9

10 Brussels sprouts

35

1.3

0.6


NB: these figures are based on a mixture of brands. Nutritional information may vary slightly from brand to brand.


Good for me that I eat almost of all the foods mentioned above, so I just concentrate on these foods rather than drinking any alcohol contest drink right?

8 comments:

  1. good girl...eat the right foods , i bet, i won't gamble the beer

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  2. naa ko tag imo, duha ra ako tagaan hahaha

    ReplyDelete
  3. oi ha, sosi. beer para sa buntis. hehe. pero kahadlok no? pero if sure na nga ok, hala inom ta. tagay sistah!

    haha! happy weekend! mwahugs!

    ReplyDelete
  4. That's one of the fave beers of my Brit hb ;-), but I wouldn't dare drink if I'm preggy no matter what they say, lol.

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  5. Guinness is not, in fact, a good source of iron. A pint of Guinness (almost half a liter) only has .3mg iron, eleven times *less* than an egg.

    ReplyDelete
  6. My mom drank Guinness while breastfeeding me (and I think a little while she was pregnant). Ironically, despite my first name, we're not Irish, but I have to say, I think they're right about this Guinness thing. I've always had a great immune system and been generally very healthy. At the very least it didn't hurt me (although I do blame it for the fact that I love beer). So I'd say that while it's certainly not imperative to drink Guinness, it seems to be harmless or maybe even beneficial when used in moderation.

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  7. could it be possible that the Iron in guiness is easier to absorb? I have heard on occasion that the form that the iron takes, i.e. between meat or veg can have affect its efficiency. I'm just wondering if it has anything to do with it being liquid form maybe? Just speculating!

    ReplyDelete
  8. High Iron in Guinness is an old wives tale. You would need to drink 4 pints of Guinness for the equivalent iron in an egg. Fourteen pints for the equivalent iron in two Weetabix.

    ReplyDelete

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