Omega 3, fiber, vitamin D and calcium are 4
important substances that pregnant women usually lack.
Nutrient
deficiency affects the health of pregnant women.
Here are some substances that pregnant women often
miss during pregnancy:
1. Omega 3
Research has showed that a diet rich in omega
3 can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease for pregnant women in
particular and everyone in general. Two forms of omega 3 are DHA and EPA helping
prevent abnormal heart rhythms, reduce atherosclerosis and keep sugar levels in
blood stable.
One more reason to increase omega 3:
Researchers from the U.S. National Institutes of Health confirmed that Omega 3 could
prevent depression for pregnant women effectively.
Omega 3 sources: fish oil such as salmon,
sardines. Some plant foods also contain ALA omega 3 but this fatty acid is not
good for the health of pregnant women as in the form of DHA and EPA.
Pregnant women should eat 1-2 servings of oily
fish per week to increase cardiovascular health by 36%. Or, you can ask your
doctor about adding Omega 3.
Pregnant
women need Omega 3 supplements to improve brain and heart health.
2. Vitamin D
For many years, researchers thought that
vitamin D has a unique role to promote the absorption of calcium from foods.
However, some new researches show that vitamin D can help reduce chronic pain,
prevent heart disease, and cancer for pregnant women.
Most pregnant women do not get enough vitamin
D to maintain healthy bones for themselves and for the fetus. Therefore, pregnant
women are easy to get joint pain and bone pain.
Moreover, many pregnant women do not receive
vitamin D through sunlight as they often avoid sunlight or do not go outside
when the weather is sunny.
Abundant sources of vitamin D: Vitamin D is
found in foods such as milk, cereals, and salmon. In addition, pregnant women
should also go outside for sunbathing under the sun light in the morning or
late afternoon. If necessary, you can also ask your doctor about vitamin D
supplements while pregnant.
3. Fiber
Fiber helps pregnant women maintain stable
weight, keep blood sugar level not too high or too low, and prevent cancer and
stroke. Fiber is present in fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains ... but
more and more pregnant women are lacking fiber. A study shows that pregnant
women eat an average of 14 grams fiber per day than the recommendation of 25-35
grams fiber/day.
Eating
fruits to add fiber is good for pregnant women.
Not only easy to get constipation, eating less
fiber can also increase the risk of overweight in pregnancy.
Sources of fiber: Fortunately, fiber is
abundant. Fruits, beans, green vegetables, especially apples, cauliflower,
berries have lots of fiber.
When you increase the fiber in your diet, you
also need to increase drinking water. If you increase the fiber suddenly
without increasing drinking water, it can lead to constipation, abdominal
distention and other digestive problems.
4. Calcium
This is not a coincidence that pregnant women
are advised to drink milk every day. Calcium in milk helps the fetus bones be strong
and prevents diabetes and high blood pressure for the mother.
Calcium also plays an important role in the
operation of the engine, not just bones. Fetal heart is healthy or not is due
to the calcium in the mother's body. However, there is only about 20% of pregnant
women get enough calcium if only through eating diet.
Abundant sources of calcium: 2-3 cups of milk
a day meet quite enough calcium needs for the mother. In addition, you can also
ask your doctor about calcium supplements or cereals, calcium enhanced orange
juice.
