The Perils Of Nutrition And Anemia During Pregnancy

One of the most alarming aspects of human pregnancy is just how frail and vulnerable both the mother, and the unborn child, happen to be. Food items and substances which previously were acceptable for the mother to consume, even beneficial, now have the baleful eye of censure and suspicion fixed onto it as it may interfere with the delicate growth and development process of the fetus as it forms inside the womb.

A primary risk during the course of pregnancy is for the expectant mother to be afflicted with anemia and the reason for this is simple: the mother will need to make sure that she increases the amount of iron she consumes. However, this is a task easier said than done, because the woman will need to be very careful indeed as to where she actually gets her iron source from. Some of the most salient issues that the expectant mother should be aware of, in order to prevent anemia are as follows.

What foods can be dangerous for a pregnant women?

Liver has been heralded as a prime source of iron, which itself, is an essential mineral for a pregnant woman due to the fact that it will help to stave off the risk of anemia arising. However,  whilst there can be no denying that liver contains a wonderfully large and plentiful amount of iron, it also contains a (for a pregnant woman) dangerous amount of Vitamin A.

The reason that this is a concern is due to the fact that Vitamin A, when consumed in excessive amounts by pregnant women, will significantly and exponentially increase the chances of the unborn child then going on to develop a myriad of different birth defects.

For that reason then, liver should be avoided at all costs by a pregnant women, as the risks simply outweigh the otherwise beneficial properties of the food.

However, the pregnant female should ensure that she derives the bulk of the iron in her diet from meat as opposed to plant sources. Animal derived iron, also known as “heme” iron, will be absorbed much more easily and effectively by the body.