During pregnancy, new life arises in the body. During this time he needs a lot of nutrients and vitamins. Folic acid or folate in particular is considered the pregnancy vitamin par excellence, which is why many women also take the vitamin. Here you will find an overview of the increased daily requirements for individual vitamins. For which vitamins does the German Nutrition Society (DGE) even recommend dietary supplements?
Pregnancy vitamins: Why the body needs which vitamins
Table of Contents
- Pregnancy vitamins: Why the body needs which vitamins
- Vitamins: When are nutritional supplements useful during pregnancy?
- Pregnancy vitamins: Why should pregnant women take folic acid?
- Why should you take iodine during pregnancy?
- Vitamin deficiency during pregnancy: what can happen?
- Pregnancy: For which vitamins does the daily requirement increase?
- Which minerals do you need during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, the need for vitamins increases enormously. Some things can no longer be covered through food and should be taken in through dietary supplements. Pregnant women are recommended to take folic acid and iodine. Depending on the mother’s supply, taking iron supplements is also recommended, as the fetus has a very high iron requirement. The iron content in the blood should always be checked during preventive examinations. These vitamins and nutrients are needed for the following functions during pregnancy:
- Calcium: Structure of bone structures
- Folic acid: Growth of maternal tissue, development of the nervous system
- Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): Development of brain, nerves and eyes
- Iodine: Buildup of thyroid hormones, growth, healthy development of internal organs
- Eisen: Important for the brain development of the fetus
In addition to folic acid, all other B vitamins also play a central role in the body of a pregnant woman and for the fetus. Vitamin B1 to B5 are essential for energy metabolism and ensure normal mental performance. Vitamin B7 is needed, among other things, to maintain normal skin and hair and the body needs vitamin B12 for cell division and for the normal function of the immune system. Magnesium can protect against cramps and premature labor during pregnancy and vitamin D is needed for bone development. Docosahexaenoic acid is an unsaturated fatty acid that is said to have a positive influence on memory. It is mainly absorbed through fish products.
Vitamins: When are nutritional supplements useful during pregnancy?
Although there is basically no vitamin and nutrient deficiency in Germany, as the daily values can be covered by a balanced diet, there are still some nutrients for which the population is more likely to be deficient. These are in Germany:
According to the Robert Koch Institute, 29.7 percent of women in Germany do not have enough vitamin D. According to the Techniker Krankenkasse, the figure for folic acid is 86 percent. As the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture reports, 30 percent of women in Germany do not meet the average daily iodine requirement.
Self-diagnosis and self-treatment with nutritional supplements should not only be avoided during pregnancy, but in general. Only based on blood values and in consultation with a doctor can it be determined whether there is actually a deficiency. The motto “a lot helps a lot” doesn’t apply here. In the event of an overdose, the water-soluble B vitamins and vitamin C are usually simply excreted by the body through the urine, but caution is advised in the event of an overdose of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin D.
Pregnancy vitamins: Why should pregnant women take folic acid?
In the first weeks of pregnancy, the nervous system develops in the fetus. The body then needs sufficient folate or folic acid for cell growth so that malformations do not occur. In Germany, 86 percent of women have a slight folic acid deficiency, which is why the DGE recommends taking folic acid if you want to have children. In addition to a diet rich in folate, 400 micrograms of folic acid per day should be taken via a dietary supplement. According to the Federal Institute for Risk Research, this can reduce the risk of neural tube defects. By the way: “Folic acid” is the name given to synthetically produced folate, which is absorbed by the body differently than naturally occurring dietary folate. That’s why the daily requirement is also given in folate equivalents.
Why should you take iodine during pregnancy?
Iodine is an essential trace element for the body. It gets into the food through the soil – but in Germany the iodine content in the soil is considered low. To ensure sufficient supply, there is enriched table salt. Due to the increased maternal basal metabolic rate, so-called iodine prophylaxis is recommended from the 12th week of pregnancy at the latest Doctors newspaper writes. Since the average iodine intake from food is around 120 micrograms per day, the supply gap should be covered with iodine tablets. According to the Doctors newspaper 100 micrograms per day. However, taking dietary supplements should always be discussed with a doctor.
Iodine deficiency during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. Infants also need sufficient iodine to produce thyroid hormones. According to the MSD Manual, if there is a deficiency for a long time during pregnancy, affected babies can have birth defects and can even be born deaf, mute or short in stature.
Vitamin deficiency during pregnancy: what can happen?
Iodine deficiency during pregnancy increases the risk of:
- Miscarriages and stillbirths
- mental retardation
- Birth defects in the baby
Folate deficiency during pregnancy increases the risk of:
- congenital malformations that affect the child’s brain or spinal cord, called neural tube defects.
- The most common condition is spina bifida – popularly known as “open back”.
Other deficiency symptoms:
- A calcium deficiency can later become apparent in children through maldevelopment of their teeth.
- Vitamin B6 deficiency can cause seizures in infants.
A vitamin B12 deficiency can cause the following symptoms in infants:
- Developmental delay
- low blood pressure
- Tremors or convulsions
Pregnancy: For which vitamins does the daily requirement increase?
According to the DGE, pregnant and breastfeeding women have an increased daily requirement for almost all vitamins – except vitamin D and vitamin K. The daily requirement for pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) does not increase during pregnancy, but breastfeeding women should consume 7 instead of 5 mg per day through food. The same applies to biotin (vitamin B7), where the requirement only increases slightly from 40 micrograms per day to 45 micrograms per day during breastfeeding. Here is the overview:
Vitamin A:
- Pregnant women: 800 µg activity equivalent per day
- Breastfeeding: 1300 µg activity equivalent per day
- regular daily requirement for adults: 700 µg activity equivalent per day
Vitamin E:
- Pregnant women: 13 mg equivalent per day
- Breastfeeding: 17 mg equivalent per day
- Regular daily requirement for adults up to 65 years: 12 mg equivalent per day
Vitamin B1:
- Pregnant women: 2. Trimester: 1,2 mg am Tag; 3. Trimester: 1,3 mg am Tag
- Breastfeeding: 1.3 mg per day
- regular daily requirement for adults: 1.0 mg per day
Vitamin B2:
- Pregnant women: 2. Trimester: 1,3 mg am Tag; 3. Trimester: 1,4 mg am Tag
- Breastfeeding: 1.4 mg per day
- Regular daily requirement for adults up to 51 years: 1.1 mg per day
Vitamin B3:
- Pregnant women: 2nd trimester: 14 mg equivalents per day; 3rd trimester: 16 mg equivalents per day
- Breastfeeding: 16 mg equivalents per day
- Regular daily requirement for adults up to 25 years: 13 mg equivalents per day; up to 51 years: 12 mg equivalents per day
Vitamin B6:
- Pregnant women: 1st trimester: 1.5 mg per day; 2nd and 3rd trimester: 1.8 mg per day
- Breastfeeding: 1.6 mg per day
- regular daily requirement for adults: 1.4 mg per day
Vitamin B9 (Folate)
- Pregnant women: 550 µg-Äquivalent am Tag
- Breastfeeding: 450 µg-Äquivalent am Tag
- regular daily requirement for adults: 300 µg-Äquivalent am Tag
Vitamin B12:
- Pregnant women: 4,5 µg am Tag
- Breastfeeding: 5,5 µg am Tag
- regular daily requirement for adults: 4,0 µg am Tag
Vitamin C:
- Pregnant women from the 4th month: 105 mg per day
- Breastfeeding: 125 mg per day
- regular daily requirement for adults: 95 mg per day
Which minerals do you need during pregnancy?
The daily requirement for minerals also increases for pregnant and breastfeeding women, but only for potassium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, zinc and selenium. The following values only increase for breastfeeding women:
- Selenium: 75 µg per day (regular 60)
- Potassium: 4400 mg per day (regular 4000)
The daily requirement for these micronutrients increases during pregnancy and breastfeeding:
- Phosphor: Pregnant women: 800 mg per day; Breastfeeding: 900 mg per day (regular 700)
- Eisen: Pregnant women: 30 mg per day; Breastfeeding women: 20 mg per day (regular 15)
- Jof: Pregnant women: 230 µg per day; Breastfeeding women: 260 µg per day (regular 200)
Zink:
How well zinc is absorbed in the body depends on the phytate content of the food. If the phytate intake is high, the zinc is bound and the body cannot absorb the mineral. Phytic acid is contained in nuts and whole grain products, among other things.
- low phytate intake: pregnant women 1st trimester 7 mg per day; 2nd and 3rd trimester: 9 mg per day; Breastfeeding: 11 mg per day (regular 7)
- average phytate intake: pregnant women in the 1st trimester 9 mg per day; 2nd and 3rd trimester: 11 mg per day; Breastfeeding: 13 mg per day (regular 8)
- high phytate intake: pregnant women in the 1st trimester 11 mg per day; 2nd and 3rd trimester: 13 mg per day; Breastfeeding: 14 mg per day (regular 10)
The daily requirement for the minerals magnesium, calcium, sodium and chloride does not change during pregnancy.
