4 Myths of Pregnancy and Nutrition.
Posted by Travis
When it comes to pregnancy, I’m sure you want to do everything right. It doesn’t matter if it’s related to health, nutrition, or even physical activity. You want your growing child to develop the best it possibly can. Pregnancy and nutrition is something you will want to pay attention to. Eating correctly is one of the most important parts of having a healthy baby.
In today’s world, there are way too many myths floating around. This isn’t just the case when it comes to topics involved with pregnancy either. This can lead to false information that may actually harm your progress.
Here are the top 10 myths out there related to pregnancy and nutrition:
- Don’t eat fish during pregnancy – The British medical journal, Lancet, showed that fish is an extremely important substance to have during pregnancy. Children whose mothers ate fish during their pregnancy had a “higher intelligence quotient” than those who didn’t eat fish. This is largely due to the omega-3 fatty acids. Fish were always looked down upon due to some having high content of mercury. Shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tile fish all should be avoided due to their extremely high levels of mercury. The FDA says you should have 2 servings of fish per week while pregnant.
- Eat as much as you can, you’re pregnant now – Even though it’s true that you are eating for two, don’t forget you are not eating for two adults. There has been some debate on how much food is necessary for a baby’s healthy development. Current information says you should increase your calorie intake by at least 300 calories per day. Today, they look at your calorie intake on more of a personal basis. If you are overweight, it may not be necessary to increase your intake at all. While if you are underweight, you may need to eat more than 300 calories a day extra just to allow your body to catch up for optimal baby development.
- Alcohol Consumption - Alcohol remains a serious concern when it comes to pregnancy and nutrition. There still has been no direct link between alcohol and fetal problems but there is a recognized association. In the past few years, there have been rumors of light drinking during pregnancy to be okay. Currently there is not enough data to show what the stopping point on alcohol consumption to be to prevent harm to the baby. Because of this, no alcohol is what is recommended to be the safe amount.
- Caffeine during pregnancy - Caffeine has also been a substance that has been under scrutiny during pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists state that “there’s no proof that small amounts of caffeine harm the fetus.” They maintain the idea of one to two cups of coffee per day is safe. New studies are showing the idea of limiting caffeine consumption may be quite helpful. The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published a study showing women taking in more than 200 mg of caffeine per day doubled their risk of miscarriage.
Don’t believe everything you hear about nutrition and pregnancy until you’ve looked into it more. Nutrition during pregnancy is very important for your health as well as the baby’s. If you really want to know how to have an easier pregnancy using nutrition and fitness, this will really be helpful for you.
