Adequate Nutrients In pregnancy (Calcium And Vitamin D Intake)

Calcium and Vitamin D intake During Pregnancy:

The micro nutrients calcium and vitamin D plays a vital roles in the developments  and growth of the baby and health of the mother during pregnancy.

Calcium: 

The pregnant woman needs up to at least 1000mg of calcium every day throughout gestational period. younger women at 18 years or younger are required to take up to 1,300mg of calcium per day while older women can take 1000-1200mg calcium a day. calcium may reduce incidence of pregnancy induce hypertension and pre-eclampsia. Calcium intake reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorder of both mother and baby as it plays a very important roll in proper formation of strong and healthy bones, especially if the mothers meets up with her protein intake of 1.2g - 1.5g per kilogram body weight which is the nutrient that builds the cell, tissue and organs to system.

Food source In Calcium

• Milk: Soy milk, whole milk, skim milk, butter milk.
• Diary Products: Cheese, yoghurts etc.
• Dark Green Leafy Vegetables: Baobab leaf's (kuka), Spinach, Pumpkin leaves (ugu) water leaves, bitter leaves. 
• Fish: Cray fish, sardines, herrings, shrimps, crabs, fish born etc.
• Meats: Beef, lamb, beet bones.
• Tubers: Sweet potatoes etc.
• Legumes: Beans, peas etc.
• Cereals: Hungary rice (acha), sorghum, millets.

Vitamin D:

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin,  its is very necessary during pregnancy, pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to 25-hydroxy vitamin D. Vitamin boast the absorption of calcium for skeletal growth and bone health. The pregnant woman needs up to 15-20mcg of vitamin D every day for proper calcium absorption. Vitamin D along with calcium prevent fetal musculoskeletal disorder, such as fontanel disorder and rickets during infants and childhood stage. Vitamin D may treat and protect against adverse pregnancy outcome. Absorption of vitamin can only take place in the presence of fat, good fat (unsaturated). 

Vitamin D can also be absorb through the exposure of the skin to sunlight . The sunlight boast the absorption of vitamin D (Vitamin D is refers to as sunlight vitamin). During the sun exposure, 7-dehydrocholesterol  in the skin absorbs UVB radiation and converts to pre vitamin D3. The best time is noon to prevents minimal risk of getting cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM), 10-20 minutes of sunlight can gives up to 1000iu of vitamin absorption for proper calcium absorption.

Food Source of Vitamin D

• Oily Fish: Salmon, herring, sardines etc.
• Egg York.
• Liver (But liver is optional as it could lead to excess accumulation of vitamin A whic may toxins to te boby's liver and at risk of medical complications).
• Red meat, Cheese.
• Fortified foods: Breakfast cereals.
• Fruits: Almonds, oranges juice
• Vegetables: Mushroom, soybeans  

FOR MORE INFORMATION FOLLOW ME ON MY YOUTUBE'S

MORE ON CALCIUM AND VITAMIN D