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Prenatal Vitamin Ingredients – What You Really Need

admin — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 11:20:18 +0000

Just picking up some ordinary vitamins at the drugstore is not enough for a healthy pregnancy. Prenatal vitamins contain important nutrients in stronger dosages than regular multivitamin supplements (even those formulated for women). Here is a look at what prenatal vitamins should contain and the benefit of each ingredient for new mother.
Prenatal Vitamin Ingredients
Folic Acid
Folic acid is the most commonly prescribed prenatal supplement for the months prior to becoming pregnant and, once pregnant, it is essential for the health and growth of the baby, especially for brain functions.
The March of Dimes reports that birth defects of the spine, skull, and brain, such as spina bifida and anencephaly, are more likely to occur if the mother does not get sufficient folic acid during the first few weeks of her pregnancy - even before she knows she is pregnant.
Calcium
Calcium supplementation is so important during pregnancy. A good prenatal vitamin should include calcium, which is necessary for a healthy pregnancy and baby. Low dietary intake of calcium is associated with increased risk of preeclampsia (pregnancy-induced hypertension, urine protein loss and swelling around the ankles).
In the last trimester of pregnancy, skeletal growth is highest and the fetus draws calcium directly from the mother's stores. In addition, clinical trials have shown that adequate calcium during pregnancy lowers blood pressure and may reduce the incidence of premature births.
Magnesium
Magnesium promotes the health of bones and may help maintain normal blood pressure and muscle comfort during pregnancy. Magnesium promotes the health of bones (64% of the body's magnesium is concentrated in the bones). It supports normal bone structure and plays an essential role in more than 300 cellular reactions.
Iron
Iron is recommended to prevent the mother suffering from anemia due to the demands that the baby puts on her iron consumption. Iron is an important mineral and is responsible for helping the mother and the baby's blood to carry oxygen. Iron deficiencies can lead to severe birth defects for the baby.
Vitamin A
Adequate amounts of vitamin A help to promote the health of the baby by promoting normal growth and development of the embryo and fetus, and supporting genes that determine the sequential development of organs in embryonic development. Beta-carotene is a nutrient from plants that the body converts into vitamin A.
Vitamin C
The female body's requirement for vitamin C increases during pregnancy as this vitamin promotes the normal growth of the baby and supports building strong bones and teeth. Vitamin C promotes normal tissue repair and healing. It also supports the absorption of another key nutrient during pregnancy: iron.
Vitamin D
New research from the Boston University School of Medicine is recommending higher intakes of vitamin D as so many are deficient. The women's levels of vitamin D were related to the frequency of milk consumption and prenatal vitamin use.
B-Vitamins
Increased vitamin B6 levels can boost immunities needed after pregnancy and sufficient B6 has been shown to provide infant growth advantages. This B- vitamin can prevent neural tube defects when taken early in pregnancy, especially during the first trimester.
B1 and B2 are water-soluble vitamins that support the body's ability to process carbohydrates, fat, and protein. This helps with the energy requirements and production increase in pregnancy.
Pantothenic acid, also called vitamin B5, is a water-soluble vitamin that helps to regulate your body's adrenal activity and antibody production. If you are pregnant and don't get enough B5, your baby's growth may be slowed.
Vitamin B6 is the master vitamin for processing amino acids - the building blocks of all proteins and some hormones, which is vital to your fetus's developing brain and nervous system.
Vitamin B12 (consumed during pregnancy) promotes the health and normal nerve function of the baby.
Biotin
Women have an increased requirement for biotin during pregnancy, and a biotin deficiency may occur in as many as 50 percent of pregnant women. This deficiency may increase the risk of birth defects. The fetus pulls so much of the nutrients from the mother's diet; therefore, it is important that she consumes enough biotin.
Zinc
Increased zinc levels can boost immunities needed after pregnancy. Zinc supports normal growth and development during pregnancy. Zinc is an essential mineral that is a component of more than 300 enzymes that support normal healing, fertility in adults and growth in children, protein synthesis, cell reproduction, vision, immune function, and protection against free radicals, among other functions.
Prenatal vitamins can be taken after pregnancy to provide a well-balanced supplementation program. With a mother's hectic schedule and lack of time, prenatal vitamins are a perfect choice for an after pregnancy supplement regimen.
The correct prenatal vitamins are essential for a healthy pregnancy and baby. Doing your research on prenatal vitamins can be very rewarding and time well spent to ensure an easy and successful pregnancy. Researchers at the University of Maryland have noticed that many commonly prescribed prenatal vitamins do not dissolve well resulting in insufficient absorption of the nutrients.

Some prenatal supplements can cause horrible morning sickness, be hard to swallow and really not deliver the proper amount of vitamins. We have reviewed several prenatals. For more free information and to see our choice of prenatals Click Here:
Prenatal Vitamins
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Folic Acid, The News Keeps Getting Better

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 11:25:30 +0000

National press has recently taken an interest in the benefits of folic acid, with coverage increasing throughout the media. Folic acid, a B vitamin and other folates helps the body to form red blood cells and aids in the formation of genetic material within every body cell. Folic acid also helps to prevent birth defects. Proponents of dietary supplements have encouraged the use of folic acid by women who are of the child-bearing age for a long time.
The public is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of this nutrient to prenatal development. In a survey done by U.S. Health and Human Services in 2007, about 40% of all women surveyed reported the daily consumption of a supplement that contained folic acid, while about 42% of women surveyed reported that folic acid is the most important vitamin for women of child-bearing age. This study also found that awareness of the benefits differed by age group. Younger women were the least likely to know about the benefits of folic acid, and therefore, were the least likely to consume folic acid. These younger women were also more likely to hear about folic acid from a magazine or newspaper or school or college, rather than their health-care provider.
On the contrary, the women who aged 25-34 and 35-47 were much more likely to hear about folic acid and its benefits from their health-care provider. Because of these results, the U.S. Health and Human Services considers it vital to increase young person education and awareness. Folic acid has long been known to help prevent birth defects. Recent research on folic acid shows that it may also help in preventing premature births, boost baby weights, prevent preeclampsia, reduce risk of Alzheimer's disease, and even cut male smokers' stroke risk.
Folate is determined from the term "foliage," and is a member of the B vitamin family where it can be primarily found in dark leafy green vegetables, legumes, citrus fruits, beets, meat, and wheat germ. Folic acid does not occur in nature and cannot be found in unfortified foods. It is not an active form of the B-vitamin. However, it is the most common form of folate used is supplements and in fortified food products due to the fact that it is highly bioavailable and chemically stable. It is also readily reduced to tetrahydrofolate, which is the active coenzyme form of folate. One study, comparing folic acid from orange juice and folic acid from a supplement showed that the supplement had a better absorption rate than the fortified orange juice.
Although folic acid is not generally associated with side effects, there have been some clinical reports that high level of folic acid can mask a deficiency of vitamin B-12. However, a deficiency of B-12 is very uncommon and it has been determined that only amounts about 3000 - 4000 micrograms per day of folic acid for extended periods of time may have this masking effect, which can in turn be eliminated by supplementing with a few micrograms of B-12. For more information about folic acid and its benefits to your body, contact your local health food retailer.

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The Goodness of Folate (folic Acid)

admin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:21:27 +0000

One particular nutrient that should be taken seriously during pregnancy is folic acid. This vitamin from the family of B-vitamins prevents birth defects in a developing baby, aids in cell division and helps in the formation of red blood cells for both mother and baby. Ideally it should be taken 3 months during the pre-conception period to ensure a healthy start and be continued till term.

How much of Folate?

When trying to conceive 400mcg every day for at least a month is the sensible thing to do. Continue with this for at least the first three months of pregnancy. A deficiency in this vitamin can lead to anemia causing the woman to feel tired all the time. It is better to continue taking folic acid throughout your pregnancy. While leafy greens and green beans are rich in folate but to depend on natural food sources alone is not advisable; supplements become essential to combat this insufficiency. Folic acid levels are labeled differently; it is best to check with your doctor on the level that is suitable during pregnancy [400 mcg (micrograms), 0.4 mg (milligrams), 400 ?µg (international units)]. Check your multivitamin label to ensure the correct dosage of this vitamin. Some women will require higher doses (5mg) and they include those who:

1. Have had a previous pregnancy affected by neural tube defects

2. Have NTD themselves

3. Have a family history

4. Have a partner with a family history of NTD

The wise thing to do is take your supplements along with foods rich in folate. Examples of such foods are:

Green leafy vegetables especially spinach, broccoli, asparagus

Other vegetables such as green beans, cabbage, peas, cauliflower, avocado

Oranges and other citrus fruits

Breakfast cereals fortified with this vitamin

Eggs, lentils, kidney beans, chick peas, baked beans

Yoghurt & milk

Key Facts

Did you know that during the first trimester, the embryo develops 3 layers of cells? The outer layer will form the neutral tube and this further develops into the brain, spinal cord, nervous system, ears and eyes.

Folate increases birth weight of baby and lowers the risk of growth restriction in the later part of pregnancy, thereby lowering the odds of premature birth

Poor development will cause baby to be born with a neural tube defect (NTD) such as spina bifida (or split spine in layman’s terms). In severe cases babies with this defect may not be able to walk and will face bowel and bladder problems.

Folate lowers the chances of the mother developing preeclampsia

Though not conclusive, some researchers have indicated that folic can prevent the incidence of Down’s syndrome

For the vegetarian mother-to-be some examples of dishes that are folate-rich include chickpeas curry, mixed bean salad, mixed roasted nuts and broccoli and cheese quiche. Water cress, tomatoes, green and red peppers, lettuce and avocado all contain folate; prepare a salad bowl with these.

Important tip FYI: Folate levels decrease in value if groceries are kept or stored so use them fresh. Cooking and washing destroys the nutrients. To get the maximum folate out of your veggies bear these tips in mind:

1. store vegetables in the fridge and use them as soon as possible i.e. the fresher the better

2. serve them raw (uncooked); if cooked vegetables should preferably be steamed, simmered or boiled

Jyoti Bedi, a homemaker and a mother, officially writes for http://www.welcomebabyhome.com , a pregnancy and parenting site. Articles are simple-to-read, relevant and concise for today’s busy parents and parents-to-be
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