2023-07-20 00:59:02
Pregnant and breastfeeding women have high nutritional requirements. What pregnancy vitamins do expectant mothers need and what functions do they have in the body?
New life is created in the body during pregnancy. During this time he needs a lot of nutrients and vitamins. Above all, folic acid or folate is considered the ultimate pregnancy vitamin, which is why many women take the vitamin as well. Here you will find an overview of the increased daily requirement of individual vitamins. For which vitamins does the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) even recommend dietary supplements?
Pregnancy vitamins: why the body needs which vitamins
During pregnancy, the need for vitamins increases enormously. Some things can then no longer be covered through food and should be taken in through dietary supplements. Pregnant women are recommended to take folic acid and iodine. Depending on the mother’s supply, taking iron supplements is also recommended, since the fetus has a very high iron requirement. The iron content in the blood should always be checked during preventive examinations. These vitamins and nutrients are needed for the following functions during pregnancy:
Calcium: structure of bones Folic acid: growth of maternal tissue, structure of the nervous system Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): development of brain, nerves and eyes Iodine: structure of thyroid hormones, growth, healthy development of internal organs Iron: important for the brain development of the fetus
In addition to folic acid, all other B vitamins also have a central role in the body of a pregnant woman and for the fetus. Vitamin B1 to B5 are essential for energy metabolism and ensure normal mental performance. Vitamin B7 is required, among other things, to maintain normal skin and hair, and the body needs vitamin B12 for cell division and for the normal functioning of the immune system. Magnesium can protect against cramps and premature labor during pregnancy and vitamin D is needed to build bones. Docosahexaenoic acid is an unsaturated fatty acid that is said to have a positive effect on memory. It is mainly ingested through fish products.
Vitamins: When are dietary supplements useful during pregnancy?
Although there are basically no vitamin and nutrient deficiencies in Germany, since the daily values can be covered by a balanced diet, there are still some nutrients for which the population often suffers from undersupply. These are in Germany:
According to the Robert Koch Institute, 29.7 percent of women in Germany are deficient in vitamin D. According to the Techniker Krankenkasse, it is even 86 percent for folic acid. As the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture reports that 30 percent of women in Germany do not meet the average daily iodine requirement.
Self-diagnosis and self-treatment with dietary supplements should not only be avoided during pregnancy, but generally avoided. Only on the basis of the blood values and in consultation with a doctor can it be determined whether there is actually a deficiency. The motto “a lot helps a lot” does not apply here. In the event of an overdose, the water-soluble B vitamins and vitamin C are usually simply excreted by the body via the urine, but caution is advised when overdosing on fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin D.
Pregnancy vitamins: why should pregnant women take folic acid?
The nervous system develops in the fetus in the first few weeks of pregnancy. The body then needs sufficient folate or folic acid for cell growth to prevent malformations. In Germany, 86 percent of women have a slight folic acid deficiency, which is why the DGE recommends taking folic acid even when planning to have children. In addition to a folate-rich diet, 400 micrograms of folic acid per day should be taken in the form of a dietary supplement. According to the Federal Institute for Risk Research, this reduces the risk of neural tube defects. By the way: “folic acid” is the name given to synthetically produced folate, which is absorbed differently by the body than naturally occurring food folate. Therefore, the daily requirement is also given in folate equivalents.
Why should you take iodine during pregnancy?
Iodine is an essential trace element for the body. It gets into the food via the soil – but in Germany the iodine content in the soil is considered to be low. To ensure a sufficient supply, there is enriched table salt. Due to the increased maternal basal metabolic rate, so-called iodine prophylaxis is recommended from the 12th week of pregnancy at the latest doctors newspaper writes. Since the average iodine intake from food is around 120 micrograms per day, the supply gap should be covered with iodine tablets. According to the doctors newspaper 100 micrograms per day. However, the intake of dietary supplements should always be discussed with a doctor.
Iodine deficiency during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. Babies also need sufficient iodine for the formation of thyroid hormones. According to the MSD Manual have birth defects and are even born deaf, mute or short in stature.
Vitamin Deficiency During Pregnancy: What Can Happen?
Iodine deficiency during pregnancy increases the risk of:
miscarriages and stillbirths mental retardation birth defects in the baby
A folate deficiency during pregnancy increases the risk of:
congenital abnormalities affecting the child’s brain or spinal cord, called neural tube defects. Spina bifida is the most common form of the disease, also known as “spandacea”.
Other deficiency symptoms:
A calcium deficiency can later show up in children as a result of malformations of the teeth. Vitamin B6 deficiency can lead to seizures in infants.
A vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to the following symptoms in infants:
developmental delay low blood pressure tremors or convulsions
Pregnancy: Which vitamins increase the daily requirement?
According to the DGE, pregnant and breastfeeding women have an increased daily requirement for almost all vitamins – with the exception of vitamin D and vitamin K. The daily requirement for pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) does not increase during pregnancy, but breastfeeding women should consume 7 instead of 5 mg per day through food. The same applies to biotin (vitamin B7), where the requirement only increases slightly from 40 micrograms a day to 45 micrograms a day when breastfeeding. Here is the overview:
Vitamin A:
Pregnant women: 800 µg activity equivalent per day
breastfeeding: 1300 µg activity equivalent per day
regular daily requirement for adults: 700 µg activity equivalent per day
Vitamin E:
Pregnant women: 13 mg equivalent per day
breastfeeding: 17 mg equivalent per day
regular daily requirement for adults up to the age of 65: 12 mg equivalent per day
Vitamin B1:
Pregnant women: 2. Trimester: 1,2 mg am Tag; 3. Trimester: 1,3 mg am Tag
breastfeeding: 1,3 mg am Tag
regular daily requirement for adults: 1,0 mg am Tag
Vitamin B2:
Pregnant women: 2. Trimester: 1,3 mg am Tag; 3. Trimester: 1,4 mg am Tag
breastfeeding: 1,4 mg am Tag
regular daily requirement for adults up to the age of 51: 1,1 mg am Tag
Vitamin B3:
Pregnant women: 2nd trimester: 14 mg equivalents per day; 3rd trimester: 16 mg equivalents per day
breastfeeding: 16 mg equivalents per day
regular daily requirement for adults up to the age of 25: 13 mg equivalents per day; up to 51 years: 12 mg equivalents per day
Vitamin B6:
Pregnant women: 1st trimester: 1.5 mg per day; 2nd and 3rd trimester: 1.8 mg per day
breastfeeding: 1,6 mg am Tag
regular daily requirement for adults: 1,4 mg am Tag
Vitamin B9 (Folate)
Pregnant women: 550 µg-Äquivalent am Tag
breastfeeding: 450 µg-Äquivalent am Tag
regular daily requirement for adults: 300 µg-Äquivalent am Tag
Vitamin B12:
Pregnant women: 4,5 µg am Tag
breastfeeding: 5,5 µg am Tag
regular daily requirement for adults: 4,0 µg am Tag
Vitamin C:
Pregnant women from the 4th month: 105 mg am Tag
breastfeeding: 125 mg am Tag
regular daily requirement for adults: 95 mg am Tag
Which micronutrients do you need during pregnancy?
The daily requirement for pregnant and breastfeeding women also increases for micronutrients, but only for potassium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, zinc and selenium. The following values only increase for breastfeeding women:
Selenium: 75 µg per day (regular 60) Potassium: 4400 mg per day (regular 4000)
The daily requirement for these micronutrients increases during pregnancy and breastfeeding:
Phosphorus: pregnant women: 800 mg per day; Breastfeeding women: 900 mg per day (regularly 700) Iron: Pregnant women: 30 mg per day; Breastfeeding women: 20 mg per day (regular 15) Iodine: Pregnant women: 230 µg per day; Breastfeeding women: 260 µg per day (regular 200)
Zink:
How well zinc is absorbed in the body depends on the phytate content of the food. If the phytate intake is high, the zinc is bound and the body cannot absorb the mineral. Nuts and whole grain products, among other things, contain phytic acid.
low phytate intake: pregnant women 1st trimester 7 mg per day; 2nd and 3rd trimester: 9 mg per day; Breastfeeding women: 11 mg per day (regular 7) medium phytate intake: Pregnant women in the 1st trimester 9 mg per day; 2nd and 3rd trimester: 11 mg per day; Breastfeeding women: 13 mg a day (regular 8) high phytate intake: Pregnant women in the 1st trimester 11 mg a day; 2nd and 3rd trimester: 13 mg per day; Breastfeeding: 14 mg per day (regularly 10)
The daily requirement for the micronutrients magnesium, calcium, sodium and chloride does not change during pregnancy.
1689818584
#body