As
we begin and move through life, there are clear transitional periods where our
nutritional needs shift. The rapid growth of infancy and early childhood is
one, adolescence and puberty is another. For women, those transitions also
include pregnancy (including the time before conception) and menopause. In
honor of Women’s Health Month, let’s look at the latter two.
It’s
estimated that 50% of pregnancies are unplanned, and that includes women who
are not actively preventing pregnancy but also not actively trying to conceive.
Nutritionally, this isn’t ideal, because many women don’t know they’re pregnant
until well into the first trimester, and it’s important for women to get
adequate folic acid — the synthetic version of folate, a B vitamin found in
dark green leafy vegetables, beans, whole grains and other foods — very early
in pregnancy to help prevent birth defects, including neural tube defects. This
process wraps up around day 21 of pregnancy, again, before most women know they
are pregnant. Iodine, choline and vitamin B12 are also important.
Entering
pregnancy with adequate iron levels is essential, as needs almost double during
pregnancy (to 27 mg a day) in order to support rapidly expanding blood volume
and tissue growth. Entering pregnancy with low iron will make it very difficult
to get caught up, which can lead to iron-deficiency anemia — the most common
nutrition-related complication of pregnancy — which increases the risk of
preterm birth.
While
getting folic acid, iron and often other nutrients in the form of dietary
supplements is important, in addition to eating foods rich in those nutrients,
it’s important to know that there’s little standardization in prenatal
supplements, and more expensive supplements aren’t necessarily better quality.
If
you are a woman who plans to have children, assess your nutrition status with
your dietitian or doctor three to six months before trying to conceive so they
can make personalized recommendations. In fact, any woman of reproductive age
who plans to start a family someday — even if it’s a long way off — could
benefit from talking to a knowledgeable health care provider about optimizing
nutrition for fertility and preconception.
Now,
flashing forward to when women’s potential reproductive years wrap up, the hormone
shifts of menopause increase the risk of developing certain chronic health
conditions, such as heart disease and osteoporosis.
Getting
adequate protein is also important to protect bones and prevent muscle loss
which can also accelerate around menopause. Current evidence recommends 1-1.2
grams of protein per kilogram of body weight for older adults. (For easier
math, divide weight in pounds in half to hit the midpoint of the range, in this
case, 100 grams of protein for a 200-pound woman.) Women should also include
food sources of calcium, vitamin K and magnesium. After menopause or age 50,
women need 1,200 milligrams of calcium from food and/or supplements each day.
Food sources include dairy foods, canned salmon and sardines with bones, dark
leafy greens and fortified foods and beverages. Depending on your vitamin D
levels, you may need to add more from supplements, fortified foods or fatty
fish.
For
heart health, protect yourself by building a diet rich in vegetables and fruit,
protein that comes at least partly from plants (soy, beans and lentils) and
seafood, healthy fats (nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocados and fatty fish), and
lower-fat milk, yogurt and other dairy. Keep alcohol intake moderate and intake
of added sugar and salt low.
Source:
The Seattle Times