Bloom'en Nutrition » When Pregnant http://www.bloomennutrition.com/pregnancy A Guide to Prenatal Success Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:09:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Womb http://www.bloomennutrition.com/pregnancy/womb/ http://www.bloomennutrition.com/pregnancy/womb/#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:37:32 +0000 Julie http://www.bloomennutrition.com/pregnancy/?p=76 In The Womb You have found out you are pregnant.  Now what? what’s happening in the womb?  How is the baby developing?  What is the next step in making sure that your baby has the best chance to grow into a healthy and happy baby? The development from a single cell organism to a full term baby [...]]]> In The Womb

You have found out you are pregnant.  Now what? what’s happening in the womb?  How is the baby developing?  What is the next step in making sure that your baby has the best chance to grow into a healthy and happy baby?

The development from a single cell organism to a full term baby is an amazing process.   Throughout pregnancy, the womb serves to protect the baby and support its development.   Your womb plays an integral role in the growth of the baby, and truly the fetus cannot survive without it.

For an expecting mother, during maternity, the womb grows as the baby develops.  The tissues expand and grow along with the fetus and the amniotic fluid that the womb contains.  Finally, during labor, the womb ruptures and the baby is subsequently born.

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]]> http://www.bloomennutrition.com/pregnancy/womb/feed/ 0 When Pregnant http://www.bloomennutrition.com/pregnancy/when-pregnant/ http://www.bloomennutrition.com/pregnancy/when-pregnant/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:54:12 +0000 Julie http://www.bloomennutrition.com/pregnancy/?p=42 When pregnant, there is a lot that you can do nutritionally to support your baby.  Developing babies required nutrients that come from a diverse and varied diet.  When you are pregnant, be sure to consume a variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as breads and cereals and fiber-containing grains.  Low fat milk, cheeses, and [...]]]> When pregnant, there is a lot that you can do nutritionally to support your baby.  Developing babies required nutrients that come from a diverse and varied diet.  When you are pregnant, be sure to consume a variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as breads and cereals and fiber-containing grains.  Low fat milk, cheeses, and lean meats are also great to eat when pregnant.  Fish is a great source of the omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA which help support healthy brain development, but be sure to only consume wild caught fish, and limit your weekly intake.  There is a worry that fish contain mercury which is a byproduct of our own pollution and mercury can be harmful during pregnancy.   A baby fetus has continual needs for protein, iron, calcium, an thousands of other nutrients.  The best way to ensure that they get these nutrients in adequate quantities is by eating a healthy and diverse diet.

Drinking Water During Pregnancy

When pregnant, be sure to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated, especially early on in your pregnancy.  It is important to stay hydrated as your due date progresses, but at some point you may begin to retain water.  This is normal, but be sure that your doctor remains informed about any changes in your pregnancy or overall health.

Exercising When Pregnant

In addition to eating right, low impact exercise may be helpful during your pregnancy.  Non-strenuous exercise can help keep your body in shape as you prepare for the most strenuous marathon of your life.   The benefits of exercising when pregnant are too numerous to name, but be sure to no overdo it, and to once again keep your doctor informed.

Things to Avoid During Pregnancy

As part of staying healthy during this time, exercise and eating right are key.  Even more important however is staying away from bad habits that my impact your growing baby’s health.  Drinking when pregnant is not recommended.  There are too many documented cases of fetal alcohol syndrome in the world and drinking during pregnancy can set your baby up for a lifetime of health challenges.  The other big thing to avoid is cigarette smoking when pregnant.   Smoking is not recommended at any stage of life, but can be especially challenging when expecting a baby.  The toxins that you bring into your body from smoke not only need to be metabolized by you, but also your developing baby.  Unfortunately, a growing fetus is not well equipped to handle the onslaught of toxins that smoking provides.

Pregnancy is a time of great joy for many women.  Not only is it a great time of change for you, but it marks a fundamental change in the rest of your life.  By eating right, staying healthy, and avoiding toxins such as alcohol and cigarette smoke, you can enjoy a healthy and happy pregnancy.

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]]> http://www.bloomennutrition.com/pregnancy/when-pregnant/feed/ 0 DHA During Pregnancy http://www.bloomennutrition.com/pregnancy/dha-during-pregnancy/ http://www.bloomennutrition.com/pregnancy/dha-during-pregnancy/#comments Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:13:51 +0000 Julie http://www.bloomennutrition.com/pregnancy/?p=39 horsepills Image by D’Arcy Norman via Flickr I often write about what to take when pregnant, but the emerging science for essential fatty acids is much more broad than a specific recommendation for pregnancy.  Being one of those people that had children later than most of my peers; okay 35 is not old, but its not 20 [...]]]>
horsepills
Image by D’Arcy Norman via Flickr

I often write about what to take when pregnant, but the emerging science for essential fatty acids is much more broad than a specific recommendation for pregnancy.  Being one of those people that had children later than most of my peers; okay 35 is not old, but its not 20 either, I am concerned that my memories of this fantastic time will fade.  I am even more worried that all of my memories, especially my short term memory will eventually go away.  I spend a great deal of time reading different studies on the effects that different nutrients have on the body and there continues to be great research supporting the consumption of DHA and EPA to support many aspects of health.

DHA for pregnancy:

DHA during pregnancy is great, but the emerging science shows that DHA supports healthy brain development in growing children.  No wonder so many infant formulas have DHA in them.  Personally I am a big fan of DHA fortified milk along with supplementation with fish oil and routine fish consumption.

DHA is turning out to be very supportive during all stages of life, from pregnancy to old age.  I came across a study this morning that shows that implies that DHA may be helpful for memory later in life.  I have reprinted the article below:

“Daily supplements with the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may improve both memory function and heart health in healthy older adults, according to a new study from Martek.

By Stephen Daniells, 13-Jul-2009

The results, specific to people with a decline in cognitive function that occurs naturally with age, were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease (ICAD 2009) in Vienna.

Almost 500 people took part in the randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center, six month study, which also recorded improvements in the heart rate of people receiving the DHA supplement. The study was funded by Martek Biosciences.

“In our study, healthy people with memory complaints who took algal DHA capsules for six months had almost double the reduction in errors on a test that measures learning and memory performance versus those who took a placebo,” said Yurko-Mauro, PhD, associate director of clinical research at Martek and lead researcher of the study.

“The benefit is roughly equivalent to having the learning and memory skills of someone three years younger.”

Cognitive decline occurs naturally as we age, and precedes diseases such as Alzheimer’s. However, according to other findings also presented at ICAD 2009 in Vienna, the omega-3 fatty acid supplements did not benefit people already suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Scientists from Oregon Health and Science University, the University of California, San Diego, Boston University, and Martek report that DHA had no general impact on the cognitive health of people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s.

Implications

“These two studies raise the possibility that [interventions] for Alzheimer’s must be given very early in the disease for them to be truly effective,” said William Thies, PhD, chief medical and scientific officer at the Alzheimer’s Association.

“For that to happen, we need to get much better at early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, in order to test therapies at earlier stages of the disease and enable earlier intervention,” he added.

Alzheimer’s data

The Alzheimer’s study involved 402 people with an average age of 76, ‘probable’ Alzheimer’s, dietary DHA intakes of no greater than 200 mg per day, and a Mini-mental state exam score (MMSE) between 14 and 26. The participants were randomly assigned to receive a daily DHA dose of 2 grams per day, or placebo, for 18 months.

Results of the double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial, funded by the National Institutes of Health, showed no evidence for benefit in the studied population. Blood levels of DHA did increase, however.

“These trial results do not support the routine use of DHA for patients with Alzheimer’s,” said lead researcher Joseph Quinn, MD.

In a subset of people who carried the “e4″ version of the “ApoE” gene, however, the researchers noted a slower rate of decline on the primary test of mental function (the ADAS-cog). ApoE-e4 is known to increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s but does not appear to modify the rate of disease progression.

“This is an intriguing exploratory result,” said Quinn. “However it must be treated with appropriate caution. The finding requires further study for confirmation.”

The golden touch on age-related cognitive decline

The Memory Improvement with DHA Study (MIDAS) involved 485 healthy older people with an average age of 70 and a mild memory complaint. The participants were randomly assigned to receive either 900 mg per day of algal DHA or placebo for 6 months.

Results of the randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-centre study showed that participants taking DHA supplements made significantly fewer errors on the Paired Associate Learning (PAL) test compared to when they started the study.

Furthermore, plasma DHA levels doubled during the study in the DHA group, and correlated with the PAL response.

The researchers also noted a significant decrease in heart rate in the DHA group, while blood pressure and weight did not change.

“Six month supplementation with DHA (900mg/d) improves memory function and decreases heart rate in healthy older adults with ARCD. This improvement on the PAL is associated with a shift in the normative distribution to a younger age,” wrote the MIDAS investigators.

Sources:

Alzheimer’s Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease (ICAD 2009) in Vienna

Presentation #O1-04-02, 12 July 2009

“A clinical trial of docosahexanoic acid (DHA) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease”

Authors: J.F. Quinn, R. Raman, R.G. Thomas, K. Ernstrom, K. Yurko-Mauro, E.B. Nelson, L. Shinto, A.K. Nair, P. Aisen

Alzheimer’s Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease (ICAD 2009) in Vienna

Presentation #O1-04-01

“Results of the MIDAS Trial: Effects of Docosahexaenoic Acid on Physiological and Safety Parameters in Age-Related Cognitive Decline”

Authors: K. Yurko-Mauro, D. McCarthy, E. Bailey-Hall, E.B. Nelson, A. Blackwell, MIDAS Investigators”

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