During your pregnancy, your nutritional requirements change to provide a healthy environment for your baby. Prenatal vitamins can ensure that the nutritional needs of the fetus are met by providing vitamins and minerals that are found in a normal diet. Gesticare is a brand of prenatal vitamins that is formulated to avoid the interaction of calcium and iron by releasing the minerals in different areas of your digestive tract.
Benefits of Prenatal Vitamins
Pregnancy can put a strain on your body’s nutrient requirements, and a growing fetus needs extra nutrition to develop into a healthy baby. Vitamin and minerals that are especially needed are folate, iron and calcium to ensure normal fetal development. Prenatal vitamins, such as Gesticare, can provide that. A study of pregnant low-income women cited in the “American Journal of Epidemiology” found that the use of prenatal vitamins decreased the risk of a low birth weight by as much as seven-fold, thus reducing the chance of infant mortality.
Gesticare Prenatal Vitamin and Mineral Supplement
Gesticare prenatal multivitamin and mineral supplement provides a biphasic release of the minerals calcium and iron. This allows for better absorption of the two minerals without interaction. An article in “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” states that calcium interferes with iron absorption and in some cases may cause iron deficiency. Gesticare also provides vitamins B-1, B-2, B-6, B-12, C, D, E, niacin, folic acid, iodine, choline and zinc. Gesticare can be taken prior to conception, during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, according to the Gesticare website. Prenatal vitamins should be taken under the supervision of your doctor.
Gesticare DHA
Gesticare also offers a variation on its prenatal vitamin supplement called Gesticare DHA. Gesticare DHA contains the same vitamins and minerals with separate release of calcium and iron, and contains 250 mg of DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid from microalgae oils. Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for visual and neurological development in the fetus, according to Dr. Steve Hasley, obstetrician with West Penn Hospital.
Precautions
Only take prenatal vitamin supplements, including Gesticare, under the advice of your physician. Taking individual supplements during pregnancy should be avoided due to the risk of exceeding the recommended dietary allowance and overdosing. With Gesticare DHA, Gesticare warns that taking more than 3 g of omega-2 fatty acids is not recommended for individuals on anticoagulants or with bleeding disorders. Do not take Gesticare if you have a known allergy to any of the ingredients, and keep Gesticare out of reach of children.
References
- American Pregnancy Association: Prenatal Vitamins
- Gesticare: Description
- NorthshoreUniversity Health System: Prenatal Multivitamins
- "American Journal of Epidemiology"; Use of Multivitamin/Mineral Prenatal Supplements: Influence on the Outcome of Pregnancy; Theresa O. Scholl, et al.; March 1997
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Does Calcium Interfere with Iron Absorption?; Leif Hallberg; 1998
- Expectant Mother's guide to Pittsburgh: Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Pregnancy; Steve Halsey
- Gesticare: Gesticare DHA
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