Iron For A Better Pregnancy
Iron is a necessary component within the human body. This mineral participates in many biological processes and during pregnancy, it plays an essential role in maintaining the good health of the mother and the development of her child.
In some countries, the iron levels that the pregnant woman needs to maintain her good health, and those required by the fetus, are supplied through various supplements and prenatal tablets.
But whether the public health system to which you have access, prescribes this type of medication or not, in this text we will talk about the foods you must consume to incorporate iron into the body naturally.
The importance of iron during pregnancy
During pregnancy, iron is important because:
- Prevents dizziness.
- Contributes to the good development of the fetus.
- It increases the physical performance of the pregnant woman and avoids fatigue, especially in the third trimester of pregnancy.
- It boosts the woman’s immune system and helps her build her defenses.
- Prevents iron deficiency anemia in the mother. Pregnant women who suffer from anemia can have children with low birth weight or have premature births.
- Supports the growth and health of the placenta.
- Avoid discomfort throughout the body and headaches in pregnant women.
Now, it is important that you know that even when you start the pregnancy with good levels of iron in the body, you will need to keep those reserves very high throughout the duration of the pregnancy.
From the reserves you have, your child will make up his. In addition, the iron transfer that he receives from you while in your womb will help him avoid suffering from childhood iron deficiency anemia in the near future.
On the other hand, there is health. Like any other pregnant woman, (no one is exempt from it), you are exposed to blood loss during the birth of your baby, and that situation can lead to anemia in the postpartum period. It has been shown that maintaining adequate iron levels reduces the risk of this situation.
Remember that in the puerperium and during the months that follow you will need to be in optimal conditions to care for your little one and offer him the vital food that emanates from the breasts.
What type of diet should be consumed to incorporate iron into the body naturally?
As we have mentioned, a good way to incorporate iron into the body is through the daily diet . The absorption as such is not very good, but it increases if the mineral is ingested together with vitamin C. This is evidenced by a study published in Food & Function.
It is essential that you know that at this stage you are in, you should not eat for the sake of eating, but rather feed yourself, ensuring that what is ingested is really nutritious for you and your baby.
Then the best thing is to pay more business to the provisions you have in the pantry.
For example, of the vegetables to include in lunches and meals, we recommend choosing:
- Spinach
- Beets
- Broccoli.
- The chard.
Of the meats, you can vary between:
- The chicken.
- The turkey.
- Lean beef.
In snacks, choose to eat a lot of fruits, preferably naturally:
- Plums
- Strawberries.
- Bananas.
- Walnuts.
- Apricots
From the viscera we recommend you eat:
- Heart.
- Liver.
- Kidneys.
Of the legumes they are very good:
- The lentils.
- The chickpeas.
Do not forget to nourish yourself with other types of food with:
- The egg yolk.
- Tofu
Iron for a better pregnancy
Mom, there are foods that, due to their nutritional properties, increase the absorption of iron that other edibles give you; that is, as long as you consume them together, they will help you to make the best use of the mineral that enters the body.
In this case there are orange, lemon, guava, kiwi, mandarin, grapefruit. All these fruits have vitamin C capable of increasing the use of iron provided by other foods, as we told you before.
On the other hand, it is advisable to avoid the consumption of tea, coffee and dairy foods immediately after having lunch or eating, because they, unlike edibles rich in vitamin C, decrease the absorption of iron.
