#Active #ingredients #pregnancy
How does proper nutrition and supplementing vitamin deficiencies affect the period of conception and the course of pregnancy?
Every woman planning a pregnancy would like to give birth to a healthy child – is it possible to implement maternity plans easily and quickly nowadays?
More and more couples have problems conceiving a child and carrying a pregnancy to term, resulting in the birth of a healthy newborn. Women decide to become mothers at an increasingly later age – which causes a natural decline in fertility and makes it difficult to get pregnant. However, in men, biological semen parameters are often below normal even at a young age.
Modern woman apart from biological role of mother fulfills many other functions social functions and professional – is often overburdened with responsibilities, lives in a hurry, lacks time and is under chronic stress. More and more often, he plays the role of the head of the family and must master the difficult art of combining professional work with running the house and taking care of children.
During the pandemic, stress levels are much higher – fear of contracting covid-19, threat of losing a job or reducing income, children’s remote learning, which must be supervised and often combined with their own work remotely – exceeding the level of cortisol – chronic stress hormone, it adversely affects the functioning of the reproductive system and makes it difficult to get pregnant.
How to increase the chance of getting pregnant?
Cortisol released in excess by the adrenal glands has an estrogenic effect – it increases the level of estrogen and simultaneously reduces the level of progesterone, which disrupts the functioning of the woman’s endocrine system – the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis does not function properly – menstruation may be irregular, anovulatory cycles often occur, which makes it difficult to get pregnant. It is then worth reaching for adaptogens – Rhodiola rosea (Rhodiolin), ginseng (Panax Ginseng), support the body with unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (Omega 3 concentrate), maintain proper magnesium levels (MagneZiB6, New Life), increase the amount of B vitamins (Stress Management, New Life) in the diet, use anti-stress techniques – yoga, meditation, music therapy.
Be careful with bisphenol A
BPA – Bisphenol A has an estrogenic effect similar to cortisol, which may disrupt the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis – the process of formation and maturation of follicles in the ovaries may be disturbed, ovulation does not occur and fertility is reduced. Bisphenol A, in addition to its effect on the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis, adversely affects the expression of genes related to fertility.
Bisphenol A occurs in large quantities in the natural human environment – it is present in many frequently used products: plastic packaging – including some types of water and beverage bottles, beverage cans, varnishes, detergents.
Reducing the use of plastic packaging in the household has a significant impact on human health and fertility. The first step to beneficial lifestyle changes may be replacing water from plastic bottles with a high-quality device adapted for use at home – Aquarion 9P. It produces water purified from all impurities, ionized, alkaline, with reduced water clusters, which ensures better absorption, hydration of the body and cleansing cells of metabolic by-products.
How to prepare the body for pregnancy?
During the period before pregnancy, called the preconception period, the period of 3 months before conception is extremely important. It is advisable to stop or limit smoking, give up drinking alcohol, reduce stress, and introduce a diet, including appropriately selected supplementation to meet the demand for vitamins, minerals, unsaturated fatty acids and high-quality protein.
Active substances are of particular importance during this period, as they significantly influence fertility and the course of conception and pregnancy.
Folic acid (New Life)
After transformation into a biologically active form of tetrahydrofolic acid, it is a coenzyme of the methylation pathway involving hydroxymethyl groups – it is involved in the biosynthesis of nucleic acids and proteins, in the metabolism of homocysteine - an important factor in cardiovascular diseases, and in hematopoietic processes. A significant deficiency of folic acid in the diet lasting more than 3 months leads to the consumption of the body’s reserves – getting pregnant during this period is very unfavorable.
This is due to the important role of folic acid in the process of organogenesis between the 2nd and 7th week of pregnancy – the buds of internal organs of the fetus are developing then. Around the 4th week of pregnancy – 6 weeks from the date of the last menstrual period – the neural tube divides and the structures of the nervous system – the brain and spinal cord – develop. It often happens that a woman does not know that she is pregnant during this period – especially with irregular menstrual cycles.
A visit to a gynecologist to confirm pregnancy most often takes place 2-3 weeks after the cessation of menstruation – folic acid supplementation, if the body’s reserves are previously depleted, may not be sufficient for the proper division of the neural tube.
Folic acid deficiency during this period, it may lead to severe and irreversible congenital defects of the fetal neural tube: anencephaly, hydrocephalus, cerebrospinal hernias, spina bifida
Research shows that only 20-30% of women use folic acid supplementation before conception. It is worth adding that the use of hormonal contraception increases the need for folic acid during the contraceptive period – when hormonal contraception is discontinued in order to get pregnant for the last 3 months, hormonal contraception should be combined with folic acid supplementation.
The Team of Experts on the Primary Prevention of Neural Tube Defects recommends the use of 400 mcg of folic acid during the preconception period and in the first trimester of pregnancy (1997) – higher doses are recommended in obese women, smokers, using hormonal contraception, treated with antiepileptic drugs and in the case of a positive obstetric history – giving birth to a child with defects of the nervous system.
selenium
As selenocysteine, it is a component of very important enzymatic proteins (glutathione peroxidase, iodothyronine deiodase). The largest amount of selenium is found in the thyroid gland – protection against oxidative stress, participation in the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones.
Selenium (Pro Selenium) affects fertility and reproductive processes – participation in testosterone biosynthesis, participates in the process of spermatogenesis – reduced sperm motility and abnormalities within the tail correlate with low selenium levels.
It is worth emphasizing that Poland is one of the areas with poor resources of this element in the natural environment – like most European countries – therefore meeting the demand for selenium without supplementation is difficult to achieve.
zinc
It activates enzymes of many metabolic pathways, takes part in the biosynthesis of proteins – including insulin, has a beneficial effect on the immune system – is necessary for the effective fight against viruses, has antioxidant properties, and facilitates the removal of heavy metals. The average requirement for zinc is 12-20 mg/day.
Zinc (Chelated Zinc, New Life) affects fertility and reproductive processes – in men it affects spermatogenesis and sperm motility. During pregnancy, reduced zinc levels correlate with an increase in the rate of premature births, low birth weight and reduced immunity in newborns.
Iodine
(New Life) is a microelement – essential in the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones. During pregnancy, the need for iodine increases – iodine deficiency is common among pregnant women. Iodine supplementation is recommended during the preconception period and throughout pregnancy – in the first trimester, approximately 200 micrograms/day, but not less than 150 micrograms/day.
Iodine deficiency during the preconception period and during pregnancy may have very serious consequences – a pregnant woman may develop hypothyroidism with goiter, and the fetus may develop hypothyroidism with accompanying damage to the CNS (Central Nervous System) – which causes weakening of cognitive abilities with a reduction in intelligence quotient, and in case of significant deficiencies, profound mental retardation occurs with abnormal development of the skeletal system and growth inhibition. – cretinism.
In the first trimester of pregnancy, the level of the TSH hormone is monitored in pregnant women, and in the newborn, the TSH level is tested on the first day after birth. This allows for quick detection of hypothyroidism both in pregnant women and newborn children – immediate initiation of therapy restores thyroid function to normal – thanks to this, we currently do not encounter cases of severe congenital hypothyroidism with neurological cretinism.
iron
It is one of the bioelements important during pregnancy – it is part of hemoglobin and enables the transfer of oxygen through the blood to the cells of the pregnant woman, and through the placenta – to the cells of the fetus. The iron requirement is approximately 30 mg/day.
Iron deficiency leads to anemia – symptoms include weakness, drowsiness, and easy tiring. Iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy is correlated with a higher incidence of preterm birth and delayed intrauterine growth of the fetus. After delivery, the newborn may also experience anemia and low birth weight, and the child’s psychomotor development may be impaired.
When supplementing pregnant women, it is worth using iron combined with vitamin c, which supports its absorption. (Iron Plus, New Life).
vitamin D
The demand for vitamin D during pregnancy increases – the source of vitamin D for a pregnant woman is biosynthesis in the skin under the influence of UVB radiation – 290 nm, present in our latitude from April to early October, and diet – egg yolks, butter, fatty sea fish and dietary supplements containing vitamin D.
However, for the fetus, the only source of vitamin D is the mother’s body. The action of vitamin D (D-drops liquid vitamin D, VITAMIN D 2000 IU) is very broad and systemic: it supports the absorption and metabolism of calcium, proper bone mineralization, and the proper functioning of the immune system.
The American Endocrine Society recommends vitamin D supplementation throughout pregnancy and lactation – the recommended dose is 2,000 IU (50 mcg), the highest allowable dose is 10,000 IU (250 mcg).
Omega 3 unsaturated fatty acids – Omega 3 EFAs
The demand for omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids increases during pregnancy – especially in the second and third trimester. Between the 26th and 40th week of pregnancy, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), an omega-3 EFA, is incorporated into the fetal brain to the greatest extent – in accordance with the intrauterine rhythm of CNS development.
Scientific research has confirmed the beneficial effect of omega-3 EFAs on the psychomotor development of children whose mothers regularly supplied omega-3 EFAs, especially DHA, during pregnancy. In addition, a lower rate of premature births and better intrauterine nutrition, as well as a lower risk of allergies and type I diabetes were observed.
The demand for omega-3 EFAs during pregnancy and lactation is 200-300 mg DHA. Nowadays, feeding pregnant women with marine fish rich in omega-3 EFAs is not safe due to contamination of ocean waters – the presence of heavy metals – especially mercury and dioxins – is found in marine fish. Omega-3 EFA supplementation remains the most beneficial form of providing these active ingredients during pregnancy and lactation.
Scientific research and clinical observations confirm the significant impact of the above-mentioned active substances on reproductive processes, the course of pregnancy and the well-being of the newborn. Pregnancy planning and proper preparation of future parents for the extraordinary act of conceiving a new life can help many couples fulfill the dreams of a healthy mother and a healthy child welcomed into the world with great joy!
Danuta Broniarczyk-Pawłowska, MD, PhD, specialist in obstetrics and gynecology
