If we are what we eat, baby is born according to what we eat! Many vitamins are essential for a smooth pregnancy.
Our friends, the vitamins
Our body must continually use vitamins in order to properly fuel, knowing that some of them are fat-soluble and others water-soluble. These cannot be stored in our body, being eliminated daily through urine. It is therefore important to eat a variety of foods to prevent potential deficiencies.
Let's start with vitamin A first (retinol, carotenes). The latter contributes to fertility and is also involved in sexual development. It also plays a role in the formation of bones and teeth, in the conversion of cholesterol into male and female sex hormones and in the functioning of the pituitary gland. It helps in tissue development and is very important for strengthening the immune system, developing teeth and vision.
B vitamins working synergistically with each other help prevent cleft palate formation. They also help to increase female and male fertility,improve immunity and play a role in reducing the risk of eclampsia.
Regarding vitamin B3 (niacin), it plays a major role in the synthesis of sex hormones, and is necessary for the formation and maintenance of skin, tongue and body tissues. digestive tract.
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) is necessary for the synthesis of cholesterol, steroid hormones and sex hormones.
The famous folic acid (vitamin B9) is crucial to the formation of the neural tube during pregnancy, promotes milk production and participates in the formation of nucleic acids.
Finally, in the family of B vitamins, vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, participates in the formation of myelin and red blood cells.
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is used in the following situations:
- Converts folic acid into its active form;
- Reduces the formation of antibodies in the mother's blood related to rhesus factor;
- Improves sperm count and motility;
- He alth of the placenta thanks to the increase in cellular exchanges;
- Contributes to the formation of red blood cells and solidifies blood vessels;
- Is involved in the maintenance of he althy adrenal glands and ovaries and epithelial cells.
Vitamin D (calciferol) becomes a form of nerve growth factor, system stabilitynerve and heart and especially helps in the absorption of calcium.
Tocopherol (vitamin E) is also known as the anti-sterility, pro-fertility vitamin. It reduces the risk of anemia, prematurity and miscarriage, as well as the risk of postpartum bleeding (trenches, hemorrhages) and the incidence of jaundice in newborns. It also serves to strengthen the membrane (the famous bag of waters), improves the cell quality of the baby's kidneys, reduces the risk of diabetes in the future mother and prevents the formation of varicose veins.
Last but not least vitamin K (philiquinone) has the main role of blood clotting. As a result, it therefore helps to prevent miscarriages and hypertension.
Numbers and letters
Here is now a summary table showing you the foods on which to bet to meet your nutritional needs per vitamin, as well as the recommended female dosage according to your current condition (regularly, pregnant, breastfeeding).
| Nutrients | Food | Female dosage (normal, pregnancy, breastfeeding) |
|
Vitamin A |
Veal liver, carrots, butter, spinach, cabbage, eggs, cheeses, watercress, lettuce, fresh apricots, parsley, green vegetables, mangoes, melons, peppers, parsnips, sweet potatoes, cantaloupes, herring, oysters, pumpkin, oily fish (mackerel, salmon, tuna), dairy products |
Female: 2333 IU / 700mg Pregnant woman: 770mg Nursing woman: 1330 mg |
|
B1 |
Pork, egg, wholemeal pasta, peas, liver, tuna, salmon, dried fruit, kidney, nuts |
Female: 1.1mg Pregnant or breastfeeding women: 1.4 mg |
|
B2 |
Liver, cheeses, egg, chocolate, dried fruits, meats, mushrooms, milk, yogurt, asparagus, enriched and whole grain cereals, chicken, organ meats, nuts, fish |
Female: 1.1mg Pregnant woman: 1.4 mg Nursing woman: 1.6 mg |
|
B3 |
Peanuts, tuna, sardines, meats, fish, mushrooms, wholemeal bread, cheeses, green vegetables, chicken, pork, wheat germ, turkey, cod, lamb, whole grain cereals, beef liver, potato, foods high in tryptophan |
Female: 14mg Pregnant woman: 18 mg Nursing woman: 17 mg |
|
B5 |
Egg, meats, bread, chocolate, potato, liver, kidney, peanut, mushroom, milk, sesame seeds, pecans, avocado, whole grain cereals, wheat germ, legumes |
Female: 5mg Pregnant woman: 6 mg Nursing woman: 7 mg |
|
B6 |
Liver, potato, banana, carrot, kidney, beans, lentils, legumes, nuts, avocado, meats, fish, wheat germ, bran, cod, turkey, cerealswhole grains, mushroom, leafy greens |
Woman 19-50: 1.3 mg Woman 50 and over: 1.5 mg Pregnant woman: 1.9 mg Nursing woman: 2 mg |
|
B8 |
Liver, egg yolk, chickpeas, kidney beans, nuts, seeds, cauliflower, brewer's yeast, wholemeal bread, brown rice, organ meats, mushrooms, dairy products, meats |
Woman: 30 ug Pregnant woman: 30 ug Nursing woman: 35 ug |
|
B9 |
Liver, Watercress, Collard Greens, Brussels Sprouts, Lentils, Bean Sprouts, Spinach, Asparagus, Egg, Strawberry, Enriched Cereals, Dried Beans, Peanuts, Broccoli, Lettuce, Beets, Avocado, Sesame Seeds, leafy green vegetables, legumes. |
Woman: 400 ug Pregnant woman: 600 ug Nursing woman: 500 ug |
|
B12 |
Veal liver, oyster, mussel, oily fish, kidney, rabbit, cheese, poultry liver, meat, pork, duck, pheasant, egg, cod, dairy products |
Female: 2.4 ug Pregnant woman: 2.6 ug Nursing woman: 2.8 ug |
|
Vitamin C |
Kiwi, Orange, Chilli, Raw Bell Pepper, Broccoli, Strawberry, Citrus, Watercress, Mango, Raw Greens, Melons, Cauliflower, Raspberry, Cantaloupe, Cabbage, Papaya, Guava, Blackcurrant, Pineapple, Asparagus, alfalfa, tomato, potato |
Female: 75mg Pregnant woman: 85 mg Nursing woman: 120 mg |
|
Vitamin D |
Salmon, herring, sardines, egg yolks, oysters, veal liver, fatty cheeses, butter, mackerel, cod liver oil, margarine, milk, fortified dairy products |
Female 18-70: 15 ug Female 70+: 20 ug Pregnant or breastfeeding women: 15 ug |
|
Vitamin E |
Vegetable oils, egg, asparagus, spinach, collard greens, herring, shrimp, greens, mango, peach, lettuce, parsley, wheat germ oil, whole grain cereals, nuts, salmon |
Female: 15mg Pregnant woman: 15 mg Nursing woman: 19 mg |
|
Vitamin K |
Fish, Liver, Cabbage, Spinach, Lettuce, Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Parsley, Soybean Oil, Sorrel, Broccoli, Egg Yolk, Kelp, Greens, Watercress, Dairy Products, Meats |
Woman: 90 ug Pregnant or breastfeeding woman: 90 ug |
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you have only one thing to remember from this article, during pregnancy you just have to eat twice as much and not twice as much, and above all, to have a varied diet. Your needs, in terms of vitamins and minerals (we will talk about them in a future article!), will thus be met, and so will those of your unborn child.
