The importance of meeting the needs of vitamin C for pregnant women

Vitamin C is one of the nutrients needed by pregnant women. These nutrients are in vegetables, fruit, and several types of legumes. However, do you know why vitamin C is very important for pregnant women? Come on, find out the answer below.

Why is vitamin C important for pregnant women?

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. In the body, this vitamin acts as an antioxidant to protect cells from free radical damage.

Free radicals are compounds that are formed when the body converts food into energy. People are also exposed to these compounds from the environment, such as cigarette smoke, population, ultraviolet rays from the sun, and factory chemicals.

In addition, the body also needs vitamin C to make collagen, a protein that plays a role in wound healing and maintaining skin elasticity. If the needs of vitamin C for pregnant women are met properly, the health of the mother will be better preserved.

However, the role of vitamin C is not only that. The National Institute of Health says vitamin C also helps the body absorb iron from foods more optimally. Well, iron is included in the list of nutrients that are mandatory for pregnant women. That means, vitamin C supports the health of the fetus in the stomach.

Studies in the Public Library of Science show that pregnant women who are deficient in vitamin C can inhibit fetal brain development. The area of ​​the brain that is obstructed is the hippocampus, which is the part of the cerebrum that is responsible for storing memories.

This condition can make children born with memory problems, so it will be difficult to learn and socialize. The inhibition of the baby's brain development cannot be corrected, even if the baby is born with adequate vitamin C intake. This is the reason it is important for pregnant women to meet their daily vitamin C needs from food.

In addition, researchers also mentioned groups of people who are prone to vitamin C deficiency, namely women who eat less nutritious food, have smoking habits, and do not follow doctor's advice to take multivitamin tablets.

How much vitamin C intake for pregnant women?

The need for vitamins in each woman is different, usually seen from age. According to the Nutritional Adequacy Rate, women ages 19 to 49 need 75 mg of vitamin C. Well, when pregnant, the need will increase by 10 mg.

For example, 23 year old Ani needs 75 mg of vitamin C every day. In the same year, she became pregnant so that the need for vitamin C increased, from 75 mg to 85 mg per day.

This vitamin requirement can be obtained from a variety of foods, for example oranges, broccoli, bananas, green beans, peppers, or apples. To make it easier to calculate your daily vitamin C intake in the food you eat, don't hesitate to consult your obstetrician or nutritionist.

Should pregnant women take vitamin C supplements?

As long as vitamin C can still be met through food, pregnant women are not required to take supplements. Moreover, the choice of food containing vitamin C is very varied so it doesn't make the mother bored to eat it.

In certain cases, vitamin C supplements can be taken by pregnant women, but with a doctor's permission. The goal is to prevent overdose as well as unwanted side effects that can interfere with the health of the mother and the fetus.

x