All you need to know about Nutrients

A dietary guide for pregnant women. During pregnancy, both mother and baby undergo immense changes, as a whole new life is taking shape in side the mother’s womb. In order to accommodate these changes, it is very essential to take an extreme care of mother’s diet & her nutritional requirements. To have an easy delivery & a healthy baby, it is necessary that a mother should take proper food. It is important for her to realize that whatever she is consuming is finally delivered to her baby & would reflect upon its overall development!

The amounts of vitamins and nutrients that pregnant women should have in their diet are known as prenatal vitamins or prenatal nutrients. Prenatal vitamins consist of a variety of vitamins and minerals with the guidelines of daily intake requirements for certain nutrients, such as folic acid (folate), calcium, iron, etc. one must be aware of the associated terminology like RDA and UL.

· RDA : Recommended Dietary Allowance. i.e. the recommended amount to maintain good health
· UL : Tolerable Upper Intake Levels i.e. the highest amount an individual can take without experiencing potentially harmful effects.

There are several vitamins and minerals essential to human beings that have been identified :

· Vitamin A
In mothers, vitamin A helps in the Lactation, in the development of Placental membranes & hormones. Where as in baby it helps in the RBC and Fetal growth, development of visual, hair, skin, mucous membranes, and also protects against infections. Some natural vitamin A supplements are milk, butter, eggs, liver, fish, green fruit & vegetables. The RDA requirements are 770µg a day.

· Vitamin B
In mothers, vitamin B helps in metabolism of fats, sugar & protein. In baby, it helps in the cardiac development & nerve function. It also helps protecting baby from cerebral dementia. Some natural vitamin B supplements are green leafy vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, peas, etc.

· Vitamin C
In mothers, it is responsible for the growth of connective tissue, helps fights viruses, and absorbs iron. And, in baby, it helps in oxygen distribution, growth of immune system, and teeth. Rich sources of vitamin C are melon, citrus fruits, berries, carrots, peas, tomatoes and many more. According to RDA, its daily requirement is 85 mg.

· Vitamin D
In mothers, this vitamin is responsible for teeth development, and for calcium and phosphorus absorption. And in baby it helps in skeletal development. Some natural vitamin D supplements are fish, organic meats and eggs. Sunlight also helps in intracellular vitamin D production. The RDA requirements are just 5µg a day.

· Vitamin E
In mothers, this vitamin is responsible for healing post birth marks, stretch marks and anemia where as, in babies; it helps in blood cell formation, and provides resistance against jaundice. Some natural vitamin E supplements are wheat germ, nuts, avocado, green leafy vegetables, eggs. This vitamin is required in quite higher quantities i.e. around 15 mg daily.

· Vitamin K
Vitamin K helps in blood clotting in mother and also protects the baby against hemorrhage. Sufficient supplies of vitamin K can be met by eating cauliflower, eggs, and green leafy vegetables. Daily dietary requirement of vitamin K is around 90µg.

· Vitamin F
This vitamin promotes healthy skin in mother and helps in kidney and brain development, and growth hormones in baby. Supplement sources includes fatty fish, nuts, green leafy vegetables.

· Calcium
One of the most essential elements required by both, the mother and the baby, it is responsible for Healthy bones and teeth, & proper functioning of nerves & muscles. Sources of calcium are Cheese, milk and milk products, shellfish, Brazil nuts, green vegetables. It required in very high amounts, i.e. around 1000mg per day.

· Iron
Iron helps in RBC development, respiratory functions, and fights fatigue in mother and in baby also. Sources of iron are parsley, eggs, meat, almonds, apricots, vegetables. Daily recommendations are 27mg, and to avoid anemia it should range from 60-120mg.

· Magnesium
In mothers, Magnesium helps in providing energy and helps in labor contractions while in babies ; it is responsible for cardio-cerebral & skeletal development. Some of the ample sources of magnesium are cashew/brazil nuts, whole grains, seafood. Daily minimal recommendations for magnesium are ~350mg.

· Potassium
It helps in the fluid balance and regulation of acidity, for both the mother and the baby. Sources of potassium are dried fruits, vegetables and sunflower seeds.


· Folic Acid
In mothers, it helps in the synthesis of DNA and RNA, RBC, bone marrow, antibodies while in babies; it helps in the bone marrow development, spine formation & cell division. Some of the rich sources of folic acid are dark leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, & milk. The recommended daily dosage is 600 µg.

· Water
It carries the nutrients to the cells and carries their waste products away. It also helps in regulating the body temperature of embryo. The daily requirements are ~9 cups.

· Calories
Energy requirement varies during different trimesters of pregnancy. Energy is essentially required for tissue building & metabolic activities.

By : Tarun Gupta