Plant-based foods lack key vitamins necessary for healthy pregnancy: Study

Pregnant women are not getting the essential nutrients they and their babies need from modern diets said scientists who have warned that the situation will likely worsen as more people turn to plantbased foodsA study looking at the health of expectant mothers from highincome countries including the UK New Zealand and Singapore found that 90 per cent were lacking key vitamins necessary for healthy pregnancies and the wellbeing of unborn infantsScientists from the University of Southampton in the UK working with experts worldwide surveyed more than 1700 women and found that most were missing essential nutrients found in abundance in meat and dairy productsThese included vitamins B12 B6 and D folic acid and riboflavin which are essential for the development of foetuses in the wombldquoThe prevalence of vitamin deficiencies among women attempting to become pregnant in wealthy countries is a serious concernrdquo said lead author and Professor of Epidemiology Keith Godfrey from the University of SouthamptonThe push to reduce our dependence on meat and dairy to achieve netzero carbon emissions is likely to further deplete expecting mothers of vital nutrients which could have lasting effects on unborn children Our study shows that almost every woman trying to conceive had insufficient levels of one or more vitamin and this figure is only going to get worse as the world moves towards plantbased diets People think that nutrient deficiency only affects people in underdeveloped countries but it is also affecting the majority of women living in highincome nations he addedThe study which was published in PLOS Medicine assessed 1729 women between the ages of 18 and 38 at conception and followed many during subsequent pregnanciesResults showed that nine out of ten women had marginal or low levels of folate riboflavin vitamins B12 and D around the time of conception and that many developed vitamin B6 deficiency in late pregnancyCoauthor Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology Wayne Cutfield from the University of Auckland said while folic acid is recommended for women planning conception and during pregnancy expecting mothers should be given overthecounter multivitamins to reduce nutrient deficienciesThe wellbeing of a mother ahead of conceiving and during a pregnancy has a direct influence on the health of the infant their lifelong physical development and ability to learn he addedThe PLOS Medicine trial was the first to show that supplements available over the counter can reduce vitamin insufficiencies during the preconception pregnancy and lactation periodsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever