Pregnancy without vitamins: myth or reality?
When a woman finds out about her pregnancy, she begins to think about how to provide her baby with everything necessary for healthy development. Vitamins play an important role in this process, so many expectant mothers immediately begin taking special vitamin complexes for pregnant women. However, is there a need for this if the diet contains a sufficient amount of vitamins and microelements?
Let's look at examples of two days of nutrition for a pregnant woman to understand how many vitamins and minerals she gets from the foods she eats.
Day 1:
- Oatmeal: 1 tea glass of cereal + 1 glass of milk
- Soup of dried porcini mushrooms, pike perch and potatoes
- Chicken leg, salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions and dill
- 1 glass of kefir (200 g)
Total for the day:
Calories: 1533 kcal, proteins 111.3 g, fats 53.8 g, carbohydrates 151 g.
Vitamins: A >100%, B1 >100%, B2 >100%, B6 >100%, B9 (folic acid) 32%, B12 40%, C 2%, E 70%, H >100%, PP >100 %, Iron 24%, Potassium >100%, Calcium 97%, Magnesium >100%, Manganese >100%, Copper 70%, Molybdenum >100%, Chromium >100%, Selenium 32%, Zinc 20%, Iodine 3% .
Day 2:
- Buckwheat porridge: 1 tea glass of cereal + 1 glass of milk
- 2 egg omelet, tomato and cucumber salad
- Cabbage, carrot and apple salad
- 1 glass of yogurt (200 g)
Total for the day:
Calories: 1399 kcal, proteins 84.7 g, fats 60.5 g, carbohydrates 104.3 g.
Vitamins: A 48%, B1 >100%, B2 >100%, B3 22%, B6 55%, B9 (folic acid) 40%, B12 17%, C 133%, E 11%, H 100%, PP 36 %, Iron 22%, Potassium >100%, Calcium 26%, Magnesium >100%, Manganese >100%, Copper 56%, Molybdenum 100%, Chromium >100%, Selenium 32%, Zinc 56%, Iodine 38%.
As can be seen from the examples, the diet of a pregnant woman can contain sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals necessary for the healthy development of the child. However, it must be borne in mind that each body is individual, so you should consult your doctor about the need to take additional vitamin complexes.
In addition, it should be taken into account that some vitamins and minerals, such as iron and folic acid, may be insufficient in a pregnant woman's diet, especially in the first months of pregnancy. Therefore, many women are advised to take special vitamin and mineral complexes for pregnant women that contain these important elements.
It is also worth considering that some foods can be dangerous for pregnant women and unborn babies, such as raw eggs, undercooked meat, fish with high mercury content, etc. Therefore, women should consult a doctor for advice on proper nutrition and vitamin complexes taken.
In general, we can say that a pregnant woman's diet should be rich and varied in order to provide all the necessary vitamins and minerals for the healthy development of the child. However, in some cases, additional vitamin supplements may be recommended by a doctor to address certain deficiencies.