What vitamins and minerals should be taken during pregnancy?

We know that as soon as you learn that you are pregnant, you start searching about the vitamins and minerals to take during pregnancy. It is normal because being a mother requires this. First of all, you should know that your body needs some foods more than normal levels. You can get most of these foods with a healthy diet plan. For others, you may have to consume some foods more than normal. Here are the vitamins and minerals you should take during pregnancy.

In pregnancy, you should be consulting your doctor for anything including the vitamins and minerals. In this period, taking the necessary foods inefficiently causes some problems but if you take some foods more than you need, It can also cause big problems. So, seeing the doctor during your pregnancy regularly is crucial.

1. Protein in Pregnancy

You will need more protein compared to other periods in your life. Because protein is very important fro the tissues of developing fetus. Your baby grows bigger by eating the amino asits in proteins. As the cells grow in number, getting protein in during pregnancy is vital.

You can plan your diet to get 70-75 grams of protein in a day. This is 25 grams more that you will normally need. You can supply this by adding a glass of milk or a portion of meat to your casual diet.

While calculating protein, do not forget that It is found in most of the high-calcium foods. In one glass of milk, there is 1/3 portion of protein and in one glass of yogurt there is 1/2 portion of protein. Dairy products also provides calcium for your body. Here are some foods that contains protein:

• Egg
• Almond
• Oat
• Cheese
• Yoghurt
• Milk
• Broccoli
• Tuna
• Kinoe
• Red lentil
• Salmon
• Turkey chest
• Pumpkin seeds
• Brussels sprouts
• Peanut Paste
• Shrimp
• Lamb meat
• Whiting
• Anchovy
• Kidney bean

2. Folic Acid in Pregnancy

The negative effect of folic acid deficiency on fetus development has been proven. Folic acid plays an important role on the development of embryo. In women who doesn’t get enough folic acid, there is a high risk of giving birth to babies who have neural tube like spina bifida. Spina Bifida is a disease that occurs when the small tissue tube ,which will form the brain and spinal cord, is not closed in time.

The importance of folic acid starts when you decide to give birth to a baby because the closure of the small tissue tube happens in the very early period of pregnancy.

Not having enough folic acid in the pregnancy increases the risk of complications. It is recommended that all the pregnant women take 600 micrograms of folic acid everyday. So which foods contains folic acid? Here are some foods that contain folic acid.

• Orange juice
• Asparagus
• Cooked lentils
• Pea
• Kidney bean
• Boiled spinach
• Wheat rye
• Sunflower seeds
• Tomato juice
• Cabbage

3. Iron in Pregnancy

For Blood circulation of fetus and your increasing blood level, you need a lot of iron to take in your food. When you don’t take enough iron, your body can not produce enough hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a molecule that provides red blood cells to carry oxygen to tissues. This is why iron is important in pregnancy.

4. Zinc in Pregnancy

Zinc increases tissue regeneration and cell proliferation. Taking zinc during pregnancy reduces the risk of premature birth and giving birth to lightweight babies. Zinc has very vital roles in growing so It is very important to zinc during pregnancy.

Zinc needs can be met with sea products, meat, fish, egg yolk, milk, dry beans and oil seeds.

Zinc-rich foods:

• Spinach
• Mushroom
• Yoghurt
• Lamb meat
• Sesame
• Pumpkin seeds

5. Calcium in Pregnancy

Probably, you already know that calcium is very important for strong teeth and bones. The same thing is true for the fetus in the womb. During the whole pregnancy period, fetus needs about 25 to 30 grams of calcium to grow. This calcium is used for bone and cartilage development. It also helps blood veins to contract and expand. It helps neurons to send electrical messages to each other and It is also necessary for the muscles to work properly.

Calcium deficiency in pregnancy increases the risk of preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, most often the liver and kidneys.

What are the foods rich in calcium in pregnancy?

• Milk, yoghurt, cheese and other dairy products
• tofu
• Turnip
• Flax seed
• Almond
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Rocket
• Sesame

6. Vitamin C in Pregnancy

Vitamin C is an antioxidant and protects body tissues from being damaged. You and your baby need vitamin C for tissue repair. You also need Vitamin C for wounds to heal. Some metabolic processes also requires vitamin c.  Your baby needs this vitamin to grow and to develop strong teeth and bones. Vitamin C deficiency on the other hand may end with premature birth or infections.

Vitamin C is not stored in your body so you should be taking it again and again everyday. Here are some vitamin c-rich foods to meet your needs:

• Red, green and yellow bell peppers
• Crusted potatoes
• Orange
• Grapefruit
• Tomato
• Broccoli
• Strawberry
• Mango
• Lemon
• Kiwi
• Pineapple
• Turnip
• Cauliflower
• purple cabbage

7. Vitamin A in Pregnancy

Vitamin intake during pregnancy is critical for many functions of the body, including vision, immune function and growth and development of the embryo. Restriction of fetal development, premature birth and low birth weight are associated with lack of a vitamin a in pregnancy. These can also cause short- and long-term problems for your baby’s health.

It has also been shown that taking vitamins at very high doses via vitamin supplement pills causes birth defects. So it is important to consume the amount recommended by the doctor.

What foods are rich in vitamins?

• Sweet potato
• Carrot
• Spinach
• Turnip
• Chard
• Pumpkin
• Lentil
• Melon
• Papaya
• Red pepper
• Tomato
• Leek
• Grapefruit
• Pea
• Asparagus
• Watermelon
• Green beans
• Apricot
• Brussels sprouts
• Parsley
• Broccoli
• Cow milk
• Egg
• Salmon
• Cheese
• Yoghurt