The Baby Vitamin
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Don’t you just love this holiday? Or is it just me…?
So how many people were blaming the turkey last night as they were falling asleep on the couch? If that sounds familiar, then I invite you to take a trip down memory lane to my Thanksgiving post last year…if you don’t have time, let me just remind you that it’s not the turkey. The true culprits are all those carbohydrates! I’m talking about all the stuffing, buns, potatoes, parsnips, yams (need I go on?) you just ate.
…And since we’re already strolling down memory lane, why don’t we also go back to mid-February when I chastised pill poppers? Well, consider the rest of this post as “Part 2”.
Did you know that almost half of pregnancies in Canada are unplanned? Scary statistic! According to Canada’s Food Guide, women of childbearing age should take a multi-vitamin containing 400 mcg of folate. Folate is important during the first three weeks of pregnancy, as it helps prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Moreover, it’s estimated that 70% of neural tube defects could be prevented with sufficient maternal folate intake. Did you notice that I said the first three weeks of pregnancy? Planned or unplanned, most women don’t even know they’re pregnant at this point!
“Folate” is the form found in foods, while “folic acid” is the form found in fortified foods and supplements. Good sources of folate are dark green vegetables such as arugula, asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, collards, fresh parsley, green peas, mustard greens, romaine lettuce and spinach.
Most grain products also fortify their products with folic acid.
Take home message: If you’re eating a healthy diet and following Canada’s Food Guide, you probably don’t need a multivitamin. However, it might be a good idea if you’re a women of childbearing age and are unsure.
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