“Better less, but better”: a new philosophy of vitamin and mineral complexes use in the pregnancy and breastfeeding periods

Abstract

Need for micronutrients increases more than for macronutrients during pregnancy, and their inadequate intake with food can have significant consequences for mother and fetus. Many nutritional supplements containing vitamins, minerals and other trace elements are widely offered to women at all stages of pregnancy. But when choosing any vitamin and mineral complexes, it is extremely important to take into account the possibility of different types of interactions between vitamins, as well as between vitamins and macro- and/or microelements. Irrational use of large doses of vitamins during pregnancy carries risks that are almost comparable to their deficiency. Therefore, today multicomponent vitamin and mineral complexes are not recommended for routine use during pregnancy to improve maternal and perinatal outcomes. The modern tactics of their use in pregnant and lactating women is based on the position that any supplements can be useful only if they compensate for the identified deficit in specific micronutrients, which cannot be replenished with food. Therefore, the optimal decision for prevention of micronutrient deficiencies in pregnant and lactating women is the use of a basic complex containing only those components whose deficit is scientifically proven. According to various expert organizations in pregnant and lactating women are increased need for folic acid, ω-3- fatty acids, iodine and vitamin D regardless of their nutritional status. Based on the above principles and recommendations of international expert organizations, specialists of the Scientific Research Center Besins Healthcare developed a basic micronutrient complex Ogestan® to provide the physiological needs of the female body during the preparation for conception, pregnancy and breastfeeding. This is an addition to the daily diet of a pregnant and lactating woman with no clinical signs of any deficient conditions. It contains folic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, iodine, and vitamin D.

Keywords

• pregnancy
• breastfeeding
• vitamin and mineral complexes
• micronutrients
• ogestan