What health supplements to take when preparing for pregnancy

Many couples who are preparing for pregnancy often have this worry: what should they eat during the pregnancy preparation stage? Everyone knows that they must eat nutritious and healthy food when preparing for pregnancy so that they can give birth to a healthy baby. It is not recommended to take a large amount of health care products, as health care products are not necessarily really good for health. It is very important to supplement folic acid, including fish oil and cod liver oil.

Let’s see what are the essential nutrients for pregnancy preparation.

1. Folic acid

Proper folic acid supplementation is an essential task for every expectant mother during the pregnancy preparation period. Because the formation and development of the placenta require the participation of folic acid, pregnant mothers' demand for folic acid is much higher than normal people. Folic acid deficiency may lead to fetal malformations or even miscarriage.

Since it takes at least 4 weeks for the folic acid deficiency in pregnant mothers to be corrected after taking folic acid, many doctors recommend that women who are planning to become pregnant must insist on taking folic acid within three months before and after pregnancy to achieve better results.

Some mothers may ask, is it not possible to eat more foods high in folic acid? This is not possible, because folic acid is unstable when exposed to light and heat and easily loses its activity, so the human body can not get much folic acid from food. It is recommended that pregnant mothers consult doctors for professional advice first and take folic acid tablets in a planned manner.

2. Fish oil or cod liver oil

Many parents cannot tell the difference between fish oil and cod liver oil, and many parents think that fish oil and cod liver oil are the same thing. In fact, these ideas are wrong. Cod liver oil mainly comes from fish liver, and its main components are vitamins A and D; while fish oil is an extract of deep-sea fish fat, and its main components are polyunsaturated fatty acids such as EPA and DHA.

So now the question is, do you need to take fish oil or cod liver oil during pregnancy preparation? Let’s start with fish oil. The editor found that there is a lot of controversy on the topic of "pregnant women taking fish oil" on many websites. Some people say that fish oil is rich in DHA and EPA, which can promote the baby's brain and retinal development and reduce postpartum depression in pregnant mothers; others say that fish oil has a high EPA content and excessive intake by pregnant women will weaken the blood vessel walls of the fetus and lead to hemolytic disease.

Which statement is correct? In fact, you don’t need to be so nervous. Fish oil is not a medicine. Taking a small amount is safe for most people and will not have an immediate effect. However, I haven't heard any expert say that fish oil must be taken during pregnancy preparation. It can be seen that fish oil is actually dispensable. Whether to take it or not is up to each mother to decide.

3. Vitamins vs. Zinc

We all know that vitamins and minerals have great benefits for the body. In daily life, many women who love beauty will choose skin care products containing vitamin C to beautify and nourish their skin. So during the period of preparing for pregnancy, do expectant mothers need to supplement some vitamins or minerals? I heard that the trace element zinc can prevent miscarriage, should we eat more of it?