Best Whole Food Prenatal Vitamins for a Healthy You and Your Child

The importance of prenatal vitamins cannot be overstated. There has been years of research to support, for example, the importance of folic acid during and even before pregnancy. On top of this are the many nutritional challenges a pregnant woman faces as the baby grows and hits different stages of development. The female body requires a substantial amount of calcium, iron and fiber, most of which are difficult to get from diet alone. One of the most common predicaments when pregnant is dealing with indigestion, heartburn and upset stomachs. Supplements are often just another thing you have to take that sets these symptoms off, but they are a necessity. Choosing a supplement with naturally easing ingredients like ginger is just one way to help fend off these symptoms. Other important ingredients to look for in your prenatal supplements and the function they perform: •    Folic acid to help prevent neural tube birth defects, which affect the brain and spinal cord development in utero. •    Calcium to prevent from losing bone density as the baby uses calcium for its own bone growth. •    Iron for the delivery of oxygen to the baby and to prevent anemia in the mom. •    Iodine for a woman’s healthy thyroid functions during pregnancy. A deficiency in iodine can cause stunted physical growth, severe mental disability, and deafness. •    Zinc is a mineral that plays an important role in protein synthesis, growth, insulin regulation, blood clotting, and vitamin A usage. What are whole food prenatal vitamins? Whole food prenatal vitamins focus on utilizing the important, naturally occurring substances, as mentioned above, and much more. From berries with high ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity) ratings to naturally reduce stress, DHA and Omegas which support brain, nerve, heart and joint development, and honey, oats and ginger which lessen the stress on the digestive system. You can find all of these things in whole prenatal vitamins, many of which aren’t available in some of the more over-marketed products out there. Your diet isn’t enough. While it’s true that everything we need for our bodies can be attained by eating a healthy, balanced diet, there can be many holes in your diet that you aren’t considering. General dislikes and allergies often cut us off from great sources of omegas, proteins, iron and calcium. Choosing a whole food prenatal vitamin will help you round out your diet, provide your growing baby with everything it needs to develop and make you feel your best throughout the pregnancy. Don’t settle yourself into thinking that you don’t need this extra nutritional support during pregnancy. In cases where you don’t provide the extra calcium or iron the fetus needs to grow, it will naturally leach those nutrients from you. You will lose iron in your blood and calcium from your bone, hair and teeth. You have to remember that choosing a whole food prenatal vitamin is as much about providing your child with the building blocks it needs, as it is about maintaining your own health. If you are uncertain of where to begin with your prenatal vitamin search, visit us online today.