Prenatal vitamins are an important part of providing a healthy environment for your baby during pregnancy. They provide extra calcium, iron, folic acid and many other vital nutrients and vitamins to help your baby grow in the womb. Magnesium, a nutrient that works with calcium to build strong bones, regulate blood sugar levels and prevent hypertension in pregnancy, is present in some prenatal vitamins, but in differing amounts. While most mothers-to-be consume plenty of magnesium through their diet, some do not, so it is necessary to find a prenatal vitamin with a sufficient amount of magnesium to ensure proper fetal growth if you do no not eat foods rich in magnesium. Before starting supplements during pregnancy, consult your physician first.
Functions of Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the four most abundant minerals in the human body. It has many different functions, including regulating blood pressure, regulating heart rhythm, maintaining muscle function and preventing hypertension. Magnesium is lost daily through urination and can be replaced by diet or vitamins.
Magnesium and Pregnancy
Magnesium is a very important mineral during pregnancy since it helps to control hypertension. Hypertension in pregnancy, also known as pre-eclampsia or high blood pressure, is to blame for many fetal, infant and maternal deaths each year. While this disorder is fairly common and controllable, it can have serious and even deadly effects. To decrease the risk of pre-eclampsia, you should eat a diet high in magnesium or take daily prenatal vitamins that have a sufficient amount of magnesium. Pregnant teenagers aged 14 to 18 need 400 mg of magnesium daily, while pregnant women aged 18 to 30 need only 350 mg daily. Pregnant women over the age of 30 should take 360 mg to ensure proper prenatal health.
Prenatal Vitamins and Magnesium
It is important to note that not all prenatal vitamins include magnesium, since many women get their magnesium through diet. One A Day Women's Prenatal and Centrum Materna both contain 50 mg of magnesium; these and other comparable vitamins are perfect for mothers who obtain some of their daily magnesium through food sources. TwinLab Prenatal Care Multivitamins contain 200 mg of magnesium; this option and and other prenatal vitamins with comparable magnesium amounts are great for mothers who do not ingest sufficient amounts of magnesium through their diets. Since prenatal vitamins do not offer 100 percent of the daily intake requirement, is it essential that mothers-to-be eat a diet that includes some magnesium.
Foods Containing Magnesium
Many foods contain adequate amounts of magnesium. Halibut, a salt-water fish that is related to flounder, contains some of the highest amounts of magnesium; just one serving provides 90 mg of magnesium. Eating this fish regularly is a wonderful way for pregnant mothers to enjoy a healthy, magnesium-rich dinner. Other foods that are high in magnesium include potatoes, cereal, almonds, peanut butter, eggs, strawberries, tuna, spinach, yogurt, brown rice, cashews, peanuts and avocados.
Member Comments