Nutrition and Pregnancy

September 30th, 2011 | Posted by Tamara Myles in Blog - (1 Comments)

I am currently taking a class called Nutrition Through The Life Cycle.  This is an interesting class because it is very specific about the importance of certain types of nutrients at different periods in the life cycle of an individual.

Right now we are talking about nutrition during pregnancy.  Many people are aware that what is eaten during pregnancy will have an affect on the fetus. However, what many may not know is how nutrition before pregnancy is just as important.

Many women may become pregnant and not know that they are pregnant until weeks later.  The first few days and weeks after pregnancy are very important.  Some women may have a deficiency in nutrients that are important before as well as after becoming pregnant. Folic acid for instance is very important and is a nutrient that plays a part in the formation of the spine.  The critical time period for this nutrient is 17 to 30 days gestation becuase that is when the neural tube is forming. Folic acid is taken to prevent the occurrence of malformations such as Spina Bifida and other congenital defects.


Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 recommends that women of child bearing
 age (15-44) take 400 micrograms of Dietary Folate Equivalent (DFE) from supplements, fortified foods and food folate.  Pregnant women should take 600 micrograms per day with 400 micrograms from supplements and fortified foods and 200 micrograms from food folate.  Sources of food folate would include foods such as beans and peas, green leafy vegetables and orange juice.

Other vitamins and minerals are important before and during pregnancy in addition to folate such as vitamin D, iron and calcium.  For more information visit the Yale Medical Group website.

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Is Your Multivitamin Giving You What You Need?

April 29th, 2011 | Posted by Tamara Myles in Blog - (0 Comments)

I take a multivitamin daily and I am sure some of you do too. It is my hope that it will supplement my diet and provide me with the amount of vitamins and minerals I need. Well, you should know that not all multivitamins are equal.  It is important that you read the label to make sure you are getting the correct amount.

How much do I need? I am going to give you a few suggestions that will give you some help.  Assuming you are a healthy individual, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), Adequate Intake Level (AI), and Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), which you can find on the USDA website gives you some guidelines.  The RDA will tell you how much of each vitamin and mineral that you should be getting each day.   The  Acceptable Intake (AI), is an amount that is set by researchers when there is no RDA because more research is needed. The UL is the highest level of a daily nutrient you should consume without any adverse health effects or risk.

It is important to remember that multivitamins are supplements.  They are not meant to replace whole foods to get your vitamin and mineral intake.  It is recommended that you get most of your nutrient requirements from whole foods but supplements are there to do just that, supplement your diet if you are not getting adequate amounts.  You need to take into account that more than likely you are getting some amount of vitamins and minerals in the foods that you eat daily so the supplement is not the only source you would be getting when you take it.

Keep in mind that the amount of a vitamin or mineral that you need varies with your age, sex, or if you are pregnant or lactating.

Here are some suggestions.  Make sure that when you read the label you are getting 1oo percent of the following vitamins:

  • Thiamin (B1)
  • Riboflavin (B2)
  • Niacin (B3)
  • B12
  • Vitamin D and E
  • Folic Acid

and that you are getting less than 100 percent of:

  • Chromium
  • Copper
  • Selenium
  • Zinc

Taking more than 300 mg of magnesium can cause side effects like diarrhea and the amount of Iron should be 9 mg or 18 mg.

Something to think about…..many people take calcium supplements but you should remember that your body can only absorb 300 to 500 mg at a time so if you are taking more than that it is not very beneficial to you.  So if you take a multivitamin and a calcium supplement at the same time and the intake of calcium from taking both is more than 500 mg you will not be absorbing it all.

For more information see the USDA website or the ADA website.

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The Dangers of Popping Vitamins and Minerals

April 19th, 2011 | Posted by Bethany Jones in Blog | Student Blogger - (0 Comments)

Though most would agree that vitamins and minerals are “good” for us, few seem to realize the potentially dangerous side-effects of taking too many.

According to a recent data brief from the National Center for Health Statistics, there is a “high use of dietary supplements in the U.S. adult population during the past 20 years.” More people, particularly women, are taking supplements to meet their nutritional needs.

While it is important to get enough vitamins and minerals, it’s also essential to not over do it. Many pharmaceutical companies sell their vitamins and minerals in high doses. Nature Made, a line of vitamins and supplements, sells vitamin C tablets at 1000 mg each. The label on the bottle suggests to take one tablet daily, but a 1000 mg is 13 times more vitamin C than is necessary. The National Institute of Health (NIH) advises adult men to take no more than 90 mg a day and women no more than 75 mg. Vitamin C toxicity can lead to gastrointestinal tract distress and diarrhea. And that is one of the least dangerous side-effects. Some vitamin toxicity (such as Vitamin B6) can lead to permanent nerve damage.

Like vitamins, minerals can be toxic if taken in excess. Too much calcium results in elevated blood calcium, calcification of the kidney, kidney stones, and reduced absorption of other minerals. Iron can cause liver damage and extra Iodine can cause an enlarged thyroid.

Though the reasons for not going overboard on vitamins and minerals are many, this doesn’t mean you should throw out all the vitamin bottles in your cabinet. It just means you should read the label and be aware that the amount in the bottle isn’t necessarily the amount you need.

By consuming a variety of foods, you will most likely meet all of your nutrient requirements. To find out how much of each vitamin and mineral you need a day, visit the USDA website.

For a list of delicious foods chock full of vitamins and minerals, go here.

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Are you ready for Vegetarianism?

April 14th, 2011 | Posted by Corey.Hawes in Blog - (0 Comments)

Are you ready to become a vegetarian?

Many people have heard so many great things about how vegetarians are the healthiest people and that they feel so clean and refresh from not eating meat. Although these things are very true, there are also somethings that you should really consider before making that leap. There are many considerations to think of such as: how to prepare foods for adequate intake of nutrients, what are some substitutes, should I take vitamins to help, etc. One consideration not many people have, but truly should is if their bodies can handle the change and they know how to make the transition smooth and heatlhy.

From a personal experience, I went vegetarian for the month of November in 2010 for a project. I thought that I was ready and had everything I needed to maintain my health and weight, while being vegetarian. I could not have been any more wrong. First of all I live on campus, so there aren’t many food selections for vegetarians and I didn’t have a place to really prepare full meals. Yet, I still thought I could handle it.
The main concern for such a rigorous transition from a normal diet to a vegetarian one, is to make sure that you are consuming the proper amount of calories, and nutrients. Without meat, dairy, and eggs, it becomes really difficult to obtain the right amounts of nutrients. The main nutrients that vegetarians struggle to keep adequate are: Iron, Calcium, Protein, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, and Zinc.

Iron
Girls, particularly need to be concerned with getting adequate iron because some iron is lost during menstruation. Some girls who are vegetarians may not get adequate iron from vegetable sources and they may require a daily supplement. However, check with your doctor about your own iron needs. Some ways to get Iron into your new vegetarian diet are: Sea vegetables (nori, wakame, and dulse) which are very high in iron, Iron-fortified breakfast cereals, legumes (chickpeas, lentils, and baked beans), soybeans and tofu, dried fruit (raisins and figs), pumpkin seeds, broccoli, and blackstrap molasses. Eating these foods along with a food high in vitamin C (citrus fruits and juices, tomatoes, and broccoli) will help you to absorb the iron better.

Calcium
If you plan on being a true vegetarian, instead of a lacto-vegetarian then you want to look for tofu, fortified soy milk, calcium-fortified orange juice, green leafy vegetables, and dried figs in order to get the amount of calcium you need. However, if you’re a young teen or a woman taking a supplement may be necessary. This is because teens are building up their bones for the rest of their life and women have a greater risk of osteoporosis, so it’s important to make sure that the calcium levels are being met.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is what gets the calcium into our bones. The body makes Vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight, however you still need more Vitamin D than can be made from the sun alone. Fortified soy milk and breakfast cereals are the best way for vegetarians to obtain the requirement of Vitamin D. Vitamin D supplements may be necessary, especially in the winter months when sunlight is at a minimum.

Protein
Vegetarians need adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids. Since animal products contain ample amounts of essential amino acids, vegetarians need to pay close attention to their protein intake. Adequate amounts of amino acids can be obtained fro plant-based diet when a varied diet is routinely consumed on a daily basis. Mixtures of protein from unrefined grains, vegetables, legumes, seeds, and nuts eaten over the course of a day complement one another’s amino acid profiles, so that deficits in one are made up by the assets of another.

Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin found only in animal products. So, for vegetarians fortified soy milk and fortified breakfasts cereals also have this important vitamin. it is hard to get enough Vitamin B12 in your diet if you are a vegetarian, so a supplement may be needed.

Zinc
If you are being a full vegetarian and not a lacto-vegetarian, make sure fortified cereals, dried beans, nuts, and soy products (tofu and tempeh) are a part of your diet that way the daily requirement for Zinc is met.

These are the main concerns toward vitamins, minerals, and nutrient needs. To make sure you have an affective vegetarian diet and remain healthy, keep an eye on these intakes. Watching these intake levels will allow for you to have a very healthy and affective vegetarian diet. Outside of intake levels, in order to be ready for vegetarianism you need to be aware that going from an everyday normal diet to a vegetarian diet can lead to a potentially significant weight loss if not done properly. If you are already on a normal diet and are underweight or close to being underweight, then you need to be extra careful about you new vegetarian diet and make sure you’re getting adequate amounts of calories to remain healthy. Also, the urge to have some meat will stay with you for at least the first couple of weeks, but if you remain strong you will be able enjoy the new refreshing and clean you.

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