Why use prenatal vitamins?
Prenatal vitamins are essential because they offer vital nutrients that support the mother’s health as well as the health of the growing embryo throughout pregnancy. It can be difficult to obtain all the necessary nutrients from food alone while pregnant because the organism has additional nutritional needs. The mother and the baby can both benefit from getting the essential nourishment they require for healthy growth and development by taking a prenatal vitamin that contains vital elements. When beginning a new supplement regimen, it is necessary to consult a healthcare professional.
What does a pregnant woman’s body necessitate?
The body of a woman needs a lot of things during those nine months of caring for a fetus in order to maintain and be at its best for the sake of both the mom and the unborn baby. We’ll now address the first question, which is about the needs of women. Pregnant women should frequently engage in calm, controlled activity as well as attentive eating to ensure that they receive the necessary amounts of vitamins and minerals for both themselves and the developing fetus. A healthy diet shouldn’t be replaced by prenatal supplements. Only by giving pregnant women the required micronutrients can they assist prevent dietary deficits.
What does the baby need?
According to the World Health Organization, prenatal vitamin intake supports the health of the developing fetus. Organic substances called vitamins are required in tiny quantities. Some of them are not produced by the human body. Iron, folic acid, and aminos requirements rise during pregnancy. Prenatal vitamins are a specific type of multivitamin that are created to meet a pregnant woman’s needs. They are meant to be used prior to conception, throughout pregnancy, and during lactation. Though almost all expectant mothers are aware that they should take folic acid, very few are aware of its benefits.
The benefits:
The New York State Health Department has listed an article with most important facts we should know about folic acid and its benefits.
Maintain brain health — Dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases are more likely to occur in those with low folic acid levels. Folic acid consumption improves cardiac performance. As a result, the chance of developing different cardiac illnesses is greatly decreased. In diabetics, folic acid aids in blood sugar management. It lessens insulin resistance, which lessens diabetes-related problems. Its advantages extend beyond the baby’s healthy development. It is a synthetic, water-soluble vitamin that belongs to the B vitamin family. To be even more precise, we should point out that folic acid is a synthetic version of the vitamin B9’s naturally occurring folate. The acid needs to be changed into an active form in order to be absorbed by the body. The transformation of the acid into vitamin B9 starts once it enters the body. The length of this procedure mostly depends on genetic individual traits. Four major steps — in which many enzymes participate — are required for the process to take place.
Even less people are aware that folic acid should be taken prior to conception for best results. It cannot be produced by the human body. You can find the acid itself in several foods, but due to the fact that it is difficult to maintain in products, it is advised to take it as a supplement.
Does the pregnant woman also need to take additional vitamins in addition to folic acid?
For pregnancy, the vitamins and trace elements in meals are insufficient. According to the National Library of Medicine’s article, all of Bulgaria is an iodine-deficient region for example, with the exception of the Black Sea region. The human body needs this mineral greatly, particularly for the development of the embryo. Its absence can cause the fetus to suffer from severe mental disability. A woman shouldn’t self-prescribe medications, even vitamins, before getting pregnant or while she is pregnant. Our bodies’ use of vitamins has very specific responsibilities and objectives. People take multivitamins in large quantities these days and many patients mention that they do this and express astonishment when they are given prescriptions for particular vitamins for expectant mothers.
Lora Dimitrova is a JMC major at the American University in Bulgaria. She is a pregnant young woman, passionate about health and lifestyle.
