Nutritional recommendations during pregnancy

| Many new tissues are created during pregnancy. This special situation causes that the needs of many nutrients are increased and, at the same time, it is difficult to achieve the correct contribution through food.

The power needs in this stage they increase about 250Kcal / day and those of many vitamins and minerals between 20% and 50%. This increase does not mean increasing the size of the plate but properly select the foods to consume.

For this reason, it is advisable to choose them with a high nutrient density (high in vitamins, minerals and low in energy).

3 Essential vitamins and minerals

If a balanced and varied diet these demands can be met, although sometimes the vitamin and mineral supplementation helps to avoid deficiencies. Among the vitamins and minerals to which special attention should be paid during pregnancy due to their increased demands are:

• Folic acid. Lack of this vitamin in pregnant women is associated with an increased risk of malformations in the fetus. It is as important during the childbearing years as it is from the moment the pregnancy is planned.

• Iron. During pregnancy your needs increase between 20-30%. The necessary contribution will depend on the state of the reserves at the time of conception. Its deficiency in pregnant women produces anemia, this is related to low-weight neonates. To avoid this situation, it is recommended to consume (blue fish, red meat and eggs), in addition to foods rich in vitamin C to promote the absorption of iron (citrus, strawberries, kiwi, parsley, peppers, ...).

• Calcium. Your needs increase during pregnancy due to the formation of bone tissue. If their contribution is inadequate, the pregnant woman may suffer demineralization to compensate for the demands of the fetus. Vitamin D favors. Therefore, during this stage it is essential to daily intake of dairy since they are foods rich in calcium and vitamin D.