The Importance Of Vitamins

By Author: tomas fertils
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Mothers and expecting mothers alike know it is hard to argue against the importance of vitamins. In fact, the first piece of advice the doctor mentions to a pregnant woman is to choose a prenatal vitamin right away. Good nutrition is necessary for healthy growth and development of a fetus in as early as the first few weeks of development. No matter the person, vitamins are a benefit to important body functions and overall health.

It is crucial to consider if you are getting enough essential vitamins and in the correct amounts in any situation, let alone being pregnant. Your body absorbs what are called water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins daily from the foods eaten. Learning the difference between the two nutrients will help you decide which vitamins you need most and how to get them. Sometimes we even need vitamin supplements to compliment the vitamins that our bodies do not get enough of regularly. Different vitamins aid the body in a variety of different ways ranging from your immune system to your fingernails. So despite their seemingly insignificant size within a pill bottle or not physically seeing the vitamins ...
... that are within the food we eat, vitamins play a huge role in nutrition for you and your baby. To better understand how vitamins work, let us consider a few basic facts.
Water-Soluble Vitamins

Ever wonder why experts say oranges are good to combat a cold or why carrots are good for your eyes? Well, these foods both contain water-soluble vitamins, vitamin C and vitamin B, good for helping your immune system and your vision. Vitamins classified as water-soluble are those that are only stored in the body for only a brief time. This is because they are excreted from the body through urine by the kidneys. The C and B vitamins are vitamins that should be taken daily because the body rids the unused portions. Vitamin B12 is one exception since it is stored within the liver.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins absorbed through the intestine with fat are called fat-soluble vitamins. They are then circulated through the body where they are stored in the liver. These vitamins do not need to be eaten as often or in high amounts because they stay within the bodys system until the vitamin supply is used up. Vitamins A, E, D and K make up the fat-soluble vitamins. These are all stored in the liver except for vitamin E which is distributed to the fatty tissues in the body.
Vitamins to Consider Before or During Pregnancy

There is so much to consider during pregnancy or while trying to become pregnant. A woman’s body has to be prepared to nourish and feed both a mother and her baby for nine full months to ensure optimal health to both. So if this is you, now is the time to consider the nutritional content of meal options. Even if you are not yet pregnant, there is no time like the present to prepare your body for the likely result of pregnancy.

Eating the right foods to be properly nourished sounds easy enough but the bouts of morning sickness and nausea can make it difficult. This is why a woman is encouraged or prescribed to take a prenatal supplement during to pregnancy to make certain that she is getting the vitamins to nourish her and her baby safely. A prenatal vitamin is a multivitamin containing a variety of vitamins and minerals that are needed to help a baby develop properly. Is this enough? Well, the extra need for vitamins and supplements does increase during pregnancy. A balanced diet should be supplying the extra needed vitamins. After all, pregnancy means you now need to nourish two people instead of just one. Here are a few vitamin recommendations that will keep both you and your baby healthy.
Vitamin A

This fat-soluble vitamin is helpful to the body by sharpening vision. Lack of this nutrient can lead to night blindness, preventing the ability to see at night or in a dark setting. This vitamin can be found in many foods like dairy products, eggs, cantaloupe, apricots and dark leafy greens. There is some caution to this vitamin however. Significant sources of vitamin A should be eaten every other day since high levels of vitamin A have been linked to fetal malformations.
Vitamin C

This nutrient can be found in many citrus foods like oranges and lemons as well as strawberries, papaya, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, green peppers and tomatoes. Pregnant women need about 70 mg of Vitamin C a day which can be easily attained with the combination of a prenatal vitamin and dietary intake. This is a water-soluble nutrient so this is a safe vitamin to consume daily. According to Eating Right When Pregnant on WebMD, vitamin C also helps the body use iron efficiently. Iron is another important mineral necessary for a healthy pregnancy because it carries oxygen throughout the blood and muscles, delivering enough oxygen to the developing fetus. Vitamin C alone offers maintenance to bones, teeth, ligaments and blood vessels and keeps the immune system in balance so it can fight off infections. Deficiency in this vitamin can compromise the benefits it can offer the body. So, it is crucial to include sources of vitamin C in your diet because it supports multiple body functions.
Vitamin D

This is another vitamin that has multiple functions in the body. Vitamin D is available in fortified milk, eggs and fish liver oils. Vitamin D is also provided through one source that we ourselves cannot reproduce or consume- the sun. Exposure to the sun allows vitamin D to develop in the skin. This vitamin ensures healthy bones by aiding in the absorption of calcium, a necessary mineral that keeps bones strong and fortified. Calcium keeps the heart beating normally, helps blood clot normally, and keeps most of the basic body functions in working order by maintaining muscles and nerves. Now these are all important factors in a developing baby and a woman needs to absorb calcium properly in order to benefit from it and keep the baby healthy. Vitamin D intake will especially help calcium to be absorbed. A deficiency of this vitamin will cause the body to pull calcium away from a womans bones to sustain the babys needs, putting the mother at risk for weak bones. Making sure you get enough vitamin D can be as easy as eating dairy or taking a nice stroll outside in the daylight, with sunscreen of course.

At fertilitycomplete.com our mission is to provide men and women who are trying to conceive with supplements and vitamins that will help them achieve pregnancy in a very natural manner. To find more details on Water-Soluble Vitamins visit us at online.