A study shows that 90% of pregnant women do not get enough nutrients from food alone during pregnancy and need to resort to supplements to make up for this deficiency.
However, they also found that 99% of affordable supplements available do not contain the correct amounts of important micronutrients that are desperately needed to make up for nutrient deficiencies.
Nutrition is essential for a healthy mother and her baby. Deficiencies in specific nutrients can lead to birth defects, low birth weight, premature birth and other health problems. Excess could also alter the development of the baby’s body and increase the risk of later health problems.
This is why a balanced diet and choosing good pregnancy supplements are so important. The study followed 2,450 women throughout their pregnancy. First, data was analyzed about what the women drank and ate during their pregnancy.
They then determined what amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, iron, calcium, folic acid, vitamin D and vitamin A each person consumed from diet alone and how much they needed to meet NIH-recommended dietary guidelines during pregnancy was determined. They then compared over 20,000 supplements with additional nutrients.
Of all the general and prenatal supplements analyzed, only one was identified that could potentially provide pregnant women with optimal levels of key nutrients. However, the monthly cost of this supplement might be too high for some people, and pregnant women need to take 7 tablets daily.
These study results will help inform pregnant women and their doctors about important nutrients that are deficient in their diets and help select prenatal supplements that can provide the nutrients they need. Manufacturers of dietary supplements can also use these results to improve product dosage.
The study results highlight the continued need for prenatal nutritional supplements that are convenient and cost-effective while providing optimal levels of essential nutrients. Further research on food nutrients is also needed to provide pregnant women with more of these essential nutrients in their daily diet.
Image by Manuel Alejandro Leon from Pixabay
