Expecting a child becomes an important stage in the life of parents. Moms and dads want to give the best to the baby even before birth. You can influence the proper development of the fetus during pregnancy. You should lead a healthy lifestyle, and get the necessary vitamins and minerals with food.
Pregnant women need to add foods rich in vitamin A to their diet. It takes part in many biological processes of mother and child. The compound is essential for the synthesis of proteins. It is responsible for the development of the internal organs and visual acuity of the baby.
The trend towards a lack of key vitamins in pregnant women is observed throughout the world. This fact is often associated with the fact that women consume the usual amount of healthy foods. It is necessary to increase the intake of vitamins during pregnancy. Supplementation should be discussed with your doctor if you have a vitamin A deficiency.
Importance of vitamin A during pregnancy
Vitamin A (also called retinol) refers to fat-soluble substances that combine several elements, including B-carotene. Vitamin A is necessary for metabolic processes in the skin, maintaining the health of the respiratory, digestive systems, and urinary tract.
Natural retinol is important for the implementation of many biological processes: blood production, metabolism, and maintaining the health of the retina. A deficiency of the compound can impair the quality of vision in adults and children. Vitamin A increases the body’s resistance to infections, which is important for pregnant women.
Vitamin A is essential for the growth and differentiation of cells and tissues. He takes part in the development of the alveoli, which affects the maturation of the lungs in the unborn child. Vitamin A plays an important role in the healthy development of the fetus and newborn during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
How much vitamin A do you need?
Fat-soluble vitamin A tends to accumulate in the liver. The body will take the necessary part from the reserves if a person receives an insufficient amount of the compound. Doctors recommend using vitamin A in doses since lack and overdose are equally dangerous for the body.
The amount of vitamin A depends on the age and condition of the person. Non-pregnant women need to get 600-800 micrograms of vitamin A per day. Pregnant women will need to increase the dose of vitamin A to 900 micrograms, especially in the third trimester. The mother’s blood volume increases and the baby grows rapidly.
The fetus needs an increased amount of nutritional components. The mother’s body naturally prioritizes the needs of the baby. You should consume 1000-1100 mcg of vitamin A per day if a woman is breastfeeding a baby. The baby will thus be able to obtain an important compound from the mother’s milk.
Foods that contain Vitamin A
High content of the active form of vitamin A is found in animal products. It is especially useful to eat beef liver, and fatty fish (salmon, cod, and herring). A sufficient amount of the compound is found in butter, milk, cheese, and eggs.
Pumpkin, carrots, all types of cabbage, sweet peppers, and zucchini should be cooked to maintain vitamin A balance. Apricots, mandarin, mango, and nectarines are rich in retinol. The compound is quite stable during heat treatment of products but reacts poorly to ultraviolet light. Vegetables and fruits should be stored in a dark place and cut before eating.
Vitamin A in Common Foods per 1 LB:
| Bell Pepper | 9.5 mg |
| Sweet potato | 4.5 mg |
| Eel Fish | 4.45 mg |
| Butter | 4.3 mg |
| Carrot | 3.7 mg |
| Spinach | 2.1 mg |
| Pumpkin | 2.11 mg |
| Hard Cheese | 1.65 mg |
| Eggs | 1.27 mg |
What to do for better absorption of vitamin A?
Sometimes people make a balanced menu, but the body still signals a lack of vitamins and minerals. Vitamin A needs to be consumed properly so that it is better absorbed by the body. Retinol is absorbed along with vitamins E, B, and D. It is important to introduce foods rich in zinc into the diet.
Zinc helps convert vitamin A to its active form. Vegetables rich in vitamin A are recommended to be consumed with fatty foods. The combination of the compound with retinoids has a toxic effect on the liver. Vitamin A is absorbed to a lesser extent when a person suffers from indigestion.
Is it possible to exceed the dose of Vitamin A?
Vitamin A is indispensable for maintaining health in adults and children. Doctors emphasize that it is important to find a balance when using retinol. An overabundance of the connection carries no less risk than a deficiency. The maximum allowable dose of vitamin A for adults is 3000 micrograms per day.
Exceeding the dosage can adversely affect the well-being of the mother. An excess of retinol is also dangerous for the fetus. You can provoke birth defects in a newborn and liver poisoning in a woman by systematically taking vitamin A in large quantities.
It is impossible to get poisoned with retinol by eating food of plant origin. Overdose can happen due to uncontrolled intake of supplements. Therefore, you cannot self-medicate, especially during the period of bearing a child.
What does a vitamin A overdose look like?
Abuse of vitamin A has a bad effect on well-being and human health. Poisoning with synthetic additives and increased intake of the liver and dishes from it can negatively affect the condition. An overdose of retinol is indicated by yellowness of the skin, it’s peeling, and itching.
The amount of vitamin A affects visual acuity. Excess of the substance causes vision problems, and increased sensitivity of the eyes to sunlight. Often there are bleeding gums, brittle nails, and poor hair condition. A person may experience nausea and vomiting because excess retinol poisons the liver.
Causes of Vitamin A Deficiency
Vitamin A is one of the ten most important elements for maintaining biological processes in the human body. The norm of the substance can be obtained from food if you eat right. However, the propensity for retinol deficiency in the adult population is observed even in developed countries.
This phenomenon may have several reasons. Often people do not consume animal products and follow diets. Vitamin A is absorbed in the body with fats and vitamin E. Retinol does not perform its functions with a limited introduction of healthy fats and foods with vitamin E into the diet.
The lack of useful substances in some cases is observed in people with impaired absorption of this group of vitamins. Patients with diseases of the liver and gallbladder suffer from a lack of retinol. At risk are pregnant women who should consume an increased dose of vitamins and trace elements.
Vitamin A Deficiency Symptoms
Sufficiently acute deficiency of vitamin A is rare in developed countries. Exceptions are people who adhere to strict diets, suffer from certain diseases, and are pregnant women (due to the needs of the fetus). Signs of vitamin A deficiency include a weakened immune system.
A pregnant woman with a lack of vitamin A is prone to frequent colds. Her health is deteriorating. Lack of retinol provokes the appearance of night blindness. This is a condition in which a person has difficulty seeing in low light. The phenomenon occurs due to the thickening of the cornea of the eye.
Vitamin A supplements during pregnancy
Women want to give their unborn child all the necessary trace elements during pregnancy. Proper development of the internal organs, brain, and nervous system of the fetus can be achieved in this way. Expectant mothers begin to take vitamin complexes immediately after pregnancy is confirmed.
It is extremely important to find a balance in vitamin A intake. Supplements include a small amount of retinol, but a significant amount of the substance is ingested with food. It is possible to unwittingly provoke an overdose of the compound in this way.
A gynecologist can prescribe supplements. You can find out about the amount of vitamin A in the body with the help of a blood test. The concentration of retinol in human blood serum is measured. The decision to prescribe additional synthetic substances is made based on research and examination of the patient.
