Essential Nutrients for Pregnant Women: 6 Key Elements to Include in Your Diet

During delivery, pregnant women face many physical changes as the mother's body nourishes the growing baby inside. To cope with these changes it becomes paramount to ensure adequate intake of essential nutrients for both the mother's well-being and the child's development.

Every woman wants to have a healthy delivery and a safe delivery. In order to give birth to a healthy baby without any problems, both the mother and the baby in her womb must have healthy development. For that, mothers should take essential nutrients regularly during pregnancy.

Here, we explore important nutrients for pregnant women.

Folic Acid:

Adequate folic acid intake is essential during the early development of the neural tube that forms the baby's brain and spinal cord. Abundant folic acid in green leafy vegetables, beans and pulses reduces neural tube defects, ensuring healthy brain and spinal cord formation. So pregnant women should consume foods that are rich in folic acid.

Calcium:

Important for bone strength, pregnant women need to increase their calcium intake to support the baby's bone growth. Adding almond or oat milk, broccoli and collard greens to the diet can promote bone growth in children.

Iron:

Iron is one of the most important nutrients during pregnancy and is essential for oxygen transport by red blood cells. Iron intake prevents anemia during pregnancy. Including beans, greens and collard greens in the diet ensures adequate iron levels.

Magnesium:

Magnesium plays an important role in the health and well-being of a pregnant woman during childbirth. Magnesium helps maintain heart rate and heart function and protects against heart disease. Almonds, pumpkin seeds, cashews and avocados are rich in magnesium.

Vitamin D:

This special nutrient helps in the absorption of calcium in the body and boosts the immune system of the mother and baby. Vitamin D intake is important during pregnancy, so include vitamin D-rich foods in breakfast, including whole grains, fish, etc.

Omega-3:

Omega-3 plays an important role in the early development of children and is important for eye and brain development. Omega-3 also helps protect the unborn child from developing asthma and allergies. Studies suggest that babies who grow up drinking breast milk, those who take omega-3 supplements at birth are more intelligent. So for the health of mother and baby, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds and soy products such as tofu, which are rich in omega-3 nutrients, should be included in the diet.