1.Priceless Vitamins
Vitamins are
known as micronutrients because we need them in much smaller amounts
than carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Even though you need them in
smaller amounts, that does not make them any less important. Vitamins
are involved in all kinds of functions throughout the body. They don’t
supply energy directly because they do not provide any calories to the
body, but vitamins do regulate many of the processes that produce
energy. Although all vitamins are important during pregnancy—and you
should concentrate on getting enough of all of them—some deserve special
attention. Vitamins fall into two categories: water-soluble and
fat-soluble vitamins.
2. Fat-Soluble Vitamins
The fat-soluble vitamins include
vitamins A, D, E, and K. Fat-soluble vitamins dissolve in fat, and they
travel throughout the body by attaching to body chemicals made with fat.
These vitamins can be stored in the body, so it can be harmful to
consume more than you need over a long period of time.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A promotes the growth and the
health of cells and tissues for both the mother and the baby. In the
form of beta-carotene, vitamin A also acts as a powerful antioxidant. We
have already discussed the dangers of too much vitamin A and its
relationship to birth defects. Beta-carotene, which forms vitamin A,
does not pose any danger to expectant mothers. Your body converts
beta-carotene to vitamin A only when the body needs it. The recommended
daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin A is measured in micrograms (mcg). In
supplements and on nutrition facts panels, it is measured in
international units (IU). The need for vitamin A increases only slightly
during pregnancy, from 700 to 770 mcg (for women nineteen to fifty
years of age).
Vitamin D
Another
important fat-soluble vitamin during pregnancy is vitamin D. This
vitamin aids in calcium balance and helps your body absorb sufficient
calcium for you and your baby. Vitamin D is known as the “sunshine
vitamin” because the body can make vitamin D after sunlight hits the
skin. It is important to get enough vitamin D throughout your life as a
way of helping to avoid osteoporosis (or brittle bone disease). Since
vitamin D is stored in the body, too much can be toxic. Excess amounts
usually come from supplements and not food or too much sunlight. During
pregnancy, women should get 5 mcg per day.
3. Water-Soluble Vitamins
The water-soluble vitamin group
consists of the B-complex vitamins and vitamin C. Water-soluble vitamins
dissolve in water and are then carried in your bloodstream. Most are
not stored in the body in any significant amounts. What your body does
not use is excreted through the urine. Since they are not stored in the
body, water-soluble vitamins pose less of a risk for toxicity (though
moderation is still the best approach). This also means that you need a
regular supply from your diet.
The B-complex vitamins are a family
of vitamins that all work together and have similar functions in health.
They include vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, biotin, and pantothenic acid. Most B vitamins help the body to indirectly produce energy within its cells.
Folic Acid
Folic acid is a B vitamin whose main
role is to maintain the cell’s genetic code or DNA (the cell’s master
plan for cell reproduction). It also works with vitamin B12 to
form hemoglobin in red blood cells. Folic acid has gained much
attention for its role in reducing the risk for neural tube birth
defects, such as spina bifida, in newborn babies. Other risks of folic
acid deficiencies include anemia, impaired growth, and abnormal
digestive function. It is vital that pregnant women or women of
childbearing years consume enough folic acid through food and
supplements, especially during the first trimester.
Before pregnancy a woman’s need for
folic acid is 400 mcg per day. During pregnancy, that amount jumps to
600 mcg per day. Recent studies show that to decrease the risk of birth
defects, women planning a pregnancy should increase their daily intake
of folic acid to 800 to 1,000 mcg. Most prenatal vitamins contain 800 to
1,000 mcg to ensure that women fully absorb the amount they need during
pregnancy to help decrease the risk of birth defects. Taking too much
folic acid through supplements can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency and could interfere with some medications. However, some women may need more folic acid with certain medications.
Other B Vitamins
Vitamin B6 is necessary in
helping your body make nonessential amino acids (the building blocks of
protein). These nonessential amino acids are used to make necessary
body cells. Vitamin B6 also helps to turn the amino acid
tryptophan into niacin and serotonin (a messenger in the brain). In
addition to those functions, this vitamin helps produce insulin,
hemoglobin, and antibodies that help fight infection. Requirements are
increased slightly in pregnancy due to the needs of the baby. The
recommended level during pregnancy is 1.9 mg.
Requirements are also increased for vitamin B12 during
pregnancy to help with the formation of red blood cells. The increase
is slight, from 2.4 mcg before pregnancy to 2.6 mcg during pregnancy.
This vitamin is found mostly in foods of animal origin, so vegetarians
need a reliable source of vitamin B12, such as fortified breakfast cereal or supplements.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C produces collagen, a
connective tissue that holds muscles, bones, and other tissues together.
In addition it helps with a variety of other functions, including
forming and repairing red blood cells, bones, and other tissue;
protecting you from bruising by keeping capillary walls and blood
vessels firm; keeping your gums healthy; healing cuts and wounds; and
keeping your immune system strong and healthy. Vitamin C also helps your
body absorb iron from plant sources, which is not as easily absorbed as
iron from animals. Vitamin C is one of the very powerful antioxidants
that attacks free radicals (unstable molecules with a missing electron
formed when the body’s cells burn oxygen) in the body’s fluids. These
free radicals can damage the body’s cells, tissues, and even DNA (your
body’s master plan for reproducing cells).
With
pregnancy, a woman’s need for vitamin C increases slightly, from 75 mg
to 85 mg (for women nineteen to fifty years). Because vitamin C is so
readily available in numerous food sources, it is not difficult to get
the extra you need.
