Source: http://www.everydayhealth.com/pregnancy/101/prenatal-vitamins.aspx
Ladies!
When your pregnancy diet is less than perfect (and come on, whose isn’t?), a prenatal vitamin supplement can fill in the nutritional gaps. What’s more (a lot more), popping that prenatal can protect your baby-to-be from birth defects.
Nobody does nutrition better than nature. Not only does the body synthesize the nutrients naturally occurring in whole foods better than anything manufacturered in a lab, but nature’s time-honored recipes (for that carrot, those lentils, that peach, those walnuts) also probably contain a host of nutrients scientists haven’t even discovered yet. All of which goes double for expectant moms busily trying to fill the nutritional needs of two growing bodies — and all good reason to pick and choose a pregnancy diet that taps into nature’s wholesome bounty of whole foods.
In theory, that is. In real life, it’s easy to miss the nutritional mark anytime — but especially during pregnancy, when (in an ironic twist) Mother Nature throws mothers-to-be some serious curveballs that make eating well challenging….times two. The best of intentions are sometimes no competition, after all, for morning sickness (you dutifully ate your oatmeal, then promptly gave it the old heave-ho). Or indigestion (you were all fired up for that grilled chicken and broccoli…until the heartburn ignited your chest). Or even exhaustion (you totally intended to stop at the market for salad ingredients…but the sofa called, and you ended up dialing Dominos instead).
Enter: The prenatal vitamin. No substitute for nature’s nutritional finest (no pill can take the place of a balanced diet), but a pretty savvy supplement, one that’s scientifically designed to fill in the nutritional gaps when your real-life diet falls short. Think of it as a nutritional insurance policy (one you should consider taking out before you’re expecting, as well as while you’re breastfeeding). Notable among the nutrients they supply? Extra iron and folic acid, both vital to the health of your pregnancy and your baby. In fact, studies show that women who take prenatal vitamins before and during pregnancy dramatically lower their risks of having babies with spina bifida and cleft palate — and may also lower their risks of delivering prematurely. Not bad for a one-a-day.
Which Prenatal Vitamin Supplement Is Best?
Why can’t you just keep popping the vitamin-mineral supplement you’ve always taken — the one that’s done a good job of keeping you healthy up until now? Because pregnancy comes with a whole new set of nutritional requirements that prenatals are precisely designed to fill (but just as importantly, not overfill). For instance, prenatal vitamin supplements contain higher levels of those essential pregnancy nutrients (such as iron and folic acid) than regular one-a-days do.
Not sure which prenatal to start popping? Ask your practitioner for a recommendation (or for a prescription, if your health insurance plan will cover it). But also keep in mind that over-the-counter varieties can be just as good as (and a lot less expensive than) the prescription kind. Check the labels to compare.
Though dosages vary from brand to brand, your practitioner will probably recommend a supplement that contains the following vitamins and minerals, in these general amounts:
- Vitamin A: No more than 4,000 IU (800 ug). Taking too much vitamin A can be dangerous. That’s why many manufacturers have reduced the amount of vitamin A in their vitamin supplements or have replaced it with beta-carotene, a much safer source of the vitamin.
- Folic acid: At least 400 to 600 mcg. Folic acid is also known as folate.
- Calcium: 250 mg. Keep in mind that the calcium requirement during pregnancy is 1,200 mg, so you’ll need to get enough additional calcium from your diet to keep your bones and your baby’s bones strong — or take an extra supplement.
- Iron: 30 mg. Because your iron needs are so great during pregnancy, your practitioner may recommend an additional iron supplement after week 20 to protect against iron-deficiency anemia.
- Vitamin C: 50 to 100 mg
- Zinc: 15 mg
- Copper: 2 mg
- Vitamin B6: 2 mg
- Vitamin D: 400 IU
- Vitamin E: At least 15 mg (or 22 IU)
- Thiamin: At least 1.4 mg
- Riboflavin: At least 1.4 mg
- Niacin: At least 18 mg
- Vitamin B12: 4 mcg
Some prenatal vitamin supplements may also contain magnesium, fluoride, biotin, phosphorous, pantothenic acid, DHA (an essential fatty acid), or a combination of these.
As a result, you should try on Pharmanex LifePak Prenatal. LifePak PreNatal provides an array of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals in a safe, comprehensive formula for pregnant women. Containing all the vitamins said above, LifePak PreNatal provides folate, which when taken before conception and in early pregnancy, can help promote the healthy development of the brain and spinal cord; inositol, important for normal hormone function; calcium and magnesium for comprehensive bone nutrition support as well as safe, effective amounts of essential vitamins and minerals necessary for the general health and wellness of pregnant and lactating women nutrition support. Moreover, it also help you to improve and support your antioxidant defense network nutrition support; supply a comprehensive blend of nutrients to support a healthy cardiovascular system nutrition support; promote healthy immune function nutrition support; support normal blood sugar metabolism nutrition support and even corrects nutritional deficiencies.
Don’t take my word for it. Go see by yourself at: https://www.nuskin.com/content/dam/global/library/pdf/products/lifepak_clinical.pdf
Take care Moms-to-be 😉
Source: http://www.everydayhealth.com/pregnancy/101/prenatal-vitamins.aspx