Vitamins and Minerals for Pregnancy

Keeping us nourished and obtaining the necessary vitamins and minerals is important in all stages of life but during pregnancy it is especially important to eat healthy to obtain the vitamins and minerals necessary for the proper development of the fetus. If you are pregnant, make sure you eat foods rich in the following minerals and vitamins:

Folate: Its deficiency produces anaemia, reduced fetal growth, congenital anomalies. Sources of folate are fruits and vegetables, especially orange, pineapple, papaya and legumes.

Hill: regulates the genetic functioning, the development of the neural tube and the brain. Main sources of choline are egg yolk, lean meat, pork chop, lamb, pork, turkey, salmon, beans, dairy, whole grains, seeds, potato, eggplant, pepper, oranges, grapes.

Vitamin A: A deficiency of Vitamin A during pregnancy can produce malformation in the lungs, the urinary tract and the heart but you have to limit the consumption of this vitamin, since excessive consumption increases the risk of fetal abnormalities, so the intake should be around 5,000 IU per day. Sources of vitamin A are Liver, egg yolk, blue fish, dairy, bananas, apples, plums, oranges, wild fruits, green leafy vegetables, pepper, tomato, pumpkin, carrot.

Vitamin D: necessary for the development of the bones and the teeth. You can take vitamin D from the sun or from milk and cereals enriched with vitamin D, egg, fish.

Calcium: for the bone’s health of the mother and the skeletal mineralization of the fetus. Sources of calcium are dairy products, sardines, salmon, almonds, sesame, cumin, aromatic herbs, spinach.

Fluoride: for the development of teeth resistant to decay. Sources of fluorine are salmon, cod, mackerel, rye germ, buckwheat, nuts.

Iron: its deficiency produces anaemia. Iron sources are clams, whole grains, hemp seeds, legumes.

Iodine: necessary for the thyroid function of both the mother and the fetus and the production of energy and brain development of the fetus. Cod, seaweed, blueberries, strawberries, pink salt of the Himalayas.

Sodium: maintains the water balance of the body.