How much zinc do you need to supplement every day during pregnancy?
How much zinc do you need to supplement every day during pregnancy? We all know that women must pay great attention to their diet during pregnancy. Some of them have zinc in their food. Zinc supplementation during pregnancy is very important. Let’s take a look at how much zinc should be supplemented every day during pregnancy. How much zinc do you need to supplement every day during pregnancy 1
Pregnant women need to supplement 25-30 mg of zinc every day. Normal people should supplement with 10-15 mg of zinc every day to ensure that the zinc content in the body is at normal levels. Pregnant women, in addition to their own needs, also need various nutrients for the development of the fetus, so they need to supplement zinc more than normal people.
In the middle and late stages of a woman’s pregnancy, it is an important period for the development of fetal body organs. Zinc deficiency will not only cause discomfort to pregnant women, but may also affect the visual development of the fetus, and even cause anencephaly, cerebellum, and skeletal malformations. Therefore, if pregnant women are found to be deficient in zinc during prenatal check-ups, they should take zinc supplements in time.
If pregnant women are only slightly deficient in zinc, they can supplement it through diet. Many foods contain large amounts of zinc, such as oysters, walnuts, peanuts, apples, bananas, etc. Pregnant women who need zinc supplements can usually eat more. If pregnant women are severely deficient in zinc, in addition to eating more foods with high zinc content, they should also take zinc supplements.
Pregnant women start to supplement zinc at several months
Generally speaking, pregnant women can supplement zinc at 5-6 months, because zinc supplementation is at this stage. Easier to be absorbed by the body. In pregnant women, the zinc concentration in their bodies has already decreased in the early stages of pregnancy. By the time the fetus is 14 weeks old, its zinc requirements increase sevenfold. Therefore, from the third month of pregnancy to delivery, the amount of zinc in the fetal liver will increase fifty-fold. Therefore, when to supplement zinc depends on the physical condition of pregnant women.
Pregnant women can go to the hospital to check the lack of trace elements in their body when they are 3-4 months pregnant. If the zinc deficiency is detected, it is not too late to supplement. If the fetus is zinc deficient, the weight growth will be slow. The daily zinc supply for pregnant women is 20 mg. In the first half of pregnancy, the daily dietary intake of zinc for pregnant women needs to reach 26 mg, and in the third trimester, it reaches 30 mg.
To supplement zinc to pregnant women, you cannot blindly use medication. You can take dietary supplements. The zinc content in animal foods is relatively reliable, and pregnant women can eat it in moderation. Such as nuts, flour, seafood, etc.
The zinc content in animal foods is not only high, but also has a higher absorption rate than plant foods. For example, the absorption rate of zinc in meat is 30-40% higher, and the absorption rate of plant foods is usually only 10-20%. %.
Pregnant mothers should not take too much zinc supplement every day. If it exceeds this amount, it may have an impact on the body. They must supplement according to the doctor's requirements. Generally, at five or six months, the fetus's nutritional needs increase, and pregnant mothers can begin to supplement zinc. How much zinc should be supplemented every day during pregnancy? 2
How should pregnant mothers supplement zinc in an appropriate amount?
Food supplements should be given priority
Doctors will only recommend supplements unless the zinc deficiency is very serious. Nutritional supplements. In most cases, dietary supplements are recommended.
Lean animal meat and seafood contain high amounts of zinc, and pregnant mothers should eat them at least 2 to 3 times a week. In addition, some nuts, fruits and vegetables also contain zinc.
When do you need zinc supplements?
If you are not a vegetarian, do not have a partial eclipse, or are not picky about food, most pregnant mothers can get enough zinc from their daily diet, but if Eating only vegetarian food may not be enough to obtain zinc. In this case, you can take multivitamin tablets or other zinc supplements to supplement.
It should be noted that pharmaceutical zinc supplementation needs to be carried out under the guidance of a doctor and should not be overdosed.
How much zinc is needed during pregnancy?
Normal people need to take in 12-16 mg of zinc from food every day, and pregnant mothers need to take in 20 mg of zinc every day. Zinc, no more than 35 mg.
Excessive zinc supplementation can cause poisoning, causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms. Excessive zinc can also hinder the absorption of iron.
Foods rich in zinc
Seafood: Among seafood, oysters have the highest zinc content. In addition, scallops, conches, razor clams, kelp and other seafood are also rich in zinc.
Meat: lean meat, animal liver, poultry.
Nuts: sunflower seeds, walnuts and other nuts.
Fruits and vegetables: apples, bananas, cabbage, mushrooms, onions, etc. Other foods: egg yolks, sesame seeds, beans, milk, cornmeal.
Animal foods are better than plant foods in supplementing zinc
Animal foods contain higher zinc than plant foods, with about 3-5 mg of zinc per 100 grams. Moreover, the amino acids produced by the decomposition of animal protein are also beneficial to the absorption of zinc. Plant foods contain about 1 mg of zinc per 100 grams. The oxalic acid and phytic acid in plant foods will affect the absorption of zinc. Therefore, it is best to supplement zinc mainly with animal foods.