Health Hotline Magazine | October 2023

A prenatal multivitamin is a must; these supplements are important too The prenatal vitamin is a given—it will fill in nutritional gaps in your diet and ensure that your body, and growing baby, gets the vitamins and minerals it needs, including the ever-important B vitamins. But aside from that, there are other supplements that are quite important to support your body and fetus throughout pregnancy. Choline. This nutrient is critical in supporting rapid cell division and growth (important for fetal growth, but also placental growth and function) and normal brain development, including that of the hippocampus, a region of the brain that controls learning, memory, and attention. Studies have shown a lasting effect too—children of mothers who had a higher intake of choline during the second and third trimesters (900-930 mg vs 480 mg/day) performed better on cognitive and memory tests. There is also evidence that children with mothers who had higher levels of choline during pregnancy are less stress reactive. According to a review published in 2019, “Most pregnant women in the U.S. are not achieving choline intake recommendations of 450 mg/day and would likely benefit from boosting their choline intake through dietary and/or supplemental approaches.” Choline also benefits mom—it is required to make the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which plays a role in maintaining healthy blood pressure and heart rate, intestinal motility, muscle contraction, and memory, attention, learning, and overall cognitive health. To date, no human trial conducted in healthy pregnant women has reported any adverse effects of choline supplementation at levels ranging from 550 to 900 mg/day. Iron. This mineral may not be the first that comes to mind when you think of pregnancy, but it is vitally important, and iron deficiency among pregnant women is more common that you might think. As mentioned, your blood volume increases significantly during pregnancy, which leads to increased iron requirements—your body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout your body, supplying you and your baby with sufficient oxygen. If you don’t maintain healthy levels, you could develop iron deficiency anemia, leading to extreme fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Severe iron deficiency also increases the risk of premature birth and is associated with low birthweight and postpartum depression. Iron is also a key nutrient that influences brain development and low maternal iron intake has been associated with poor neurocognitive and mental health in the offspring, well into adulthood. During pregnancy, the recommendation for iron is 27 mg/day. If you aren’t meeting that amount with food alone or through your prenatal multivitamin, consider an iron supplement. DHA. This omega-3 fat, found in fish oil and certain types of algae, is essential for both mom and baby. It is a critical building block of the fetal brain, eyes, and immune and nervous systems, and in mom, adequate levels can reduce the risk of postpartum depression and other mood disorders. A recent study also found that 800 mg of DHA daily (vs 200 mg/day) improved heart rate and heart rate variability in pregnant women, with researchers saying this could be especially relevant for women with maternal obesity, gestational diabetes, and preeclampsia. Research has found that children born to moms with higher DHA levels have better attention spans and that optimal DHA levels during pregnancy can lead to better behavior, focus, and learning in children; there is also a reduced risk of preterm birth, allergies in infants, as well as a positive influence on immune development. During the third trimester—when the biggest growth in the fetus’ brain happens—DHA is transferred at a very high rate from mom to baby, severely depleting the mother’s levels. If you plan to breastfeed, DHA levels will continue to decrease as they are transferred to baby via your breastmilk. To optimize your levels, consider 2,000-3,000 mg of combined EPA and DHA daily, throughout pregnancy and thereafter. Fe

If you are not already choosing organic foods, now is the time to make the switch. Research has found that exposure to pesticides can increase the risk for neural tube defects, heart defects, limb defects, and oral clefts. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the most common route of exposure to pesticides for the general population is through food and drinking water. It’s also important to avoid synthetic chemical-based insect sprays/repellants and household gardening pesticides.

A Word on Organics For references, email customerservice@naturalgrocers.com

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