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A pregnancy changes your life. Your body will be the home for two.
However, your body will not only become round. The forthcoming
birth will also change your feelings. You will all in all develop a
more positive attitude towards life, you will turn your eyes
towards the forthcoming birth. During pregnancy, the child will be
supplied with nutrients completely by the blood circulation of its
mother. That’s why the diet is a very important subject just now.
For only a balanced diet providing sufficient quantities of macro-
and micronutrients will guarantee that the mother feels well and
that the baby can develop in the best possible way. Consequently,
the object of the diet in pregnancy is to guarantee the efficiency
of the mother, to provide for an adequate nutrient supply during
the embryonal and fetal development and to build up reserves for
the lactation period.
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In the first 3 months, a pregnant woman does not require any
additional energy. Only after that time, she will have an increased
need of about 200 – 400 kcal /day. Consequently, the adequate diet
is rather a matter of quality than of quantity! Pregnant women
should eat a lot of fresh fruit, vegetables, salads, potatoes,
whole-wheat products, milk and milk-products every day and in
addition fish and low-fat meat now and then. A sufficient supply
with fluids is also important. Pregnant women should abstain from
alcohol.
An adequate supply with micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and
trace elements) is of fundamental importance for both the mother
and her child. As the human body is unable to produce these
substances naturally, they must be taken in sufficient quantities
with the food. The additional requirement for some micronutrients
is about 100%: on the one hand for the metabolism of the mother,
which has changed, and on the other hand to provide the child with
the required micronutrients.
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Which micronutrients are of essential importance during the
pregnancy and lactation period? These vital substances comprise
many well-known vitamins, minerals, trace elements. - B-vitamins:
A sufficient supply with B-vitamins is important to ensure that the
metabolisms of mother and child can function properly. - Iodine:
Also the trace element iodine is important for the
thyroid, to optimize the metabolisms of the mother and her
child. - Vitamins C, E, carotenoids and the trace elements zinc
and selenium:
These vitamins and trace elements are a necessary prerequisite for
a healthy immune system. - Folic acid:
One of the best-known vitamins in pregnancy is the folic acid. This
is required for the cell growth. However, the average supply
with folic acid by the food is insufficient. - Vitamins D and K as well as calcium:
These vital substances are indispensable to an adequate skeletal
development of the child. - Ferrum:
This well-known trace element plays a crucial role for the
blood - Omega-3-fatty acids:
Other micronutrients which are not so well-known in connection with
pregnancy are e.g. the essential (vital) fatty acids, the
long-chain omega-3-fatty acids. Among these, EPA and DHA are of
particular importance for the development of the brain and the
visual power of the child. The fatty acid DHA is an important
component required for the growth and functioning of the brain. A
feeding, rich in DHA, (through the blood of the mother or the
mother’s milk) may improve the intellectual power of children. A
sufficient supply with DHA is also necessary for the development of
the visual power. - Probiotics
Probiotics are active bacteria, which benefit the gut flora
and thus the human health as well. Probiotic nutrition can increase
the body's defenses and adjust the intestine activity. Furthermore
probiotics can support the urogenital tract and support an intact
immune system.
Consequently, a sufficient supply with micronutrients is of
particular importance for the well-being of the mother and for the
best-possible development of the child in the womb.
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Unfortunately, the loss of micronutrients in fruit and vegetables
makes it even more difficult to provide for an adequate diet.
Leached soils, prolonged periods of transport and storage, the
preparation and cooking of foodstuffs result in considerable losses
of vitamins and trace elements. Therefore, it is advisable to take
dietary supplements every day during the pregnancy and lactation
period.
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Food supplement for women before, during and after pregnancy.  |
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