Vitamin C in pregnancy Vitamin C is needed to make collagen, one of the fibres that builds your baby’s body. So it’s no surprise that your need increases during pregnancy. Fortunately, it’s easy to get an adequate supply from a diet that includes plenty of fruit and vegetables. Learn which foods are the best sources and why eating these alongside iron-rich foods can have additional benefits. Vitamin C helps to support: Normal development of tissues and organs C is for collagen One of the main proteins needed for your baby’s normal growth throughout pregnancy is collagen. This vital part of connective tissue helps to give your baby’s body its structure, and supports their developing organs. Vitamin C has other important benefits for your baby's development. A healthy supply during pregnancy helps their tissues and organs grow and develop normally, providing a strong start for all future physical development. It also keeps cells healthy and helps wounds to heal.
Otherwise known as ascorbic acid, this essential nutrient is found in many fruit and vegetables. Red peppers, oranges and broccoli are particularly good sources. With powerful antioxidant properties, it has long been considered a helpful defence against the common cold. “Vitamin C supports the immune system by keeping cells healthy and helping wounds to heal.” Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) of vitamin C each day Vitamin C can improve your iron absorption A significant benefit of vitamin C for pregnant women is its influence on non-haem iron absorption. An adequate intake of iron is essential to support your increased blood volume and reduce the risk of iron-deficiency anaemia, a condition that can affect your own health and your baby’s development1. By aiding non haem-iron absorption from plant sources, vitamin C also plays a role in building up your baby’s iron stores, which will support their learning and growth for the first 6 months of life2. “Vitamin C helps the body absorb non-haem iron, the type found in plant sources such as spinach and chickpeas.”
Eating good sources of vitamin C with plant sources of iron during pregnancy can increase your daily intake considerably3. To get the most out of your diet, include fruit and iron sources within the same meal, whether it’s adding chopped fruit to a salad or having a whole fruit for dessert3. It’s not just oranges that are a great source of vitamin C, spinach and red peppers are also an excellent source. Getting your daily dose of vitamin C in pregnancy The Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI – the amount considered to be enough to meet most people’s needs) of vitamin C during pregnancy is 50mg per day, which is 25% more than you would normally need4. This increases even further when breastfeeding, to a recommended 70mg per day. As a water-soluble vitamin, it dissolves in water and isn’t stored by the body, which means a daily intake during pregnancy is essential. Fortunately, you can get all the vitamin C you need to support you and your baby by eating a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruit and vegetables5.
This table shows the vitamin C content of various good sources6: Steam and grill for a higher vitamin C intake As with other water-soluble vitamins, the way you prepare and cook foods can affect the vitamin C content7. Boiling can destroy some of the vitamin C. To retain as much nutrient quality as possible, steam or grill your vegetables7. You can also eat them raw in salads or dip raw vegetable sticks into iron-rich hummus for a nutritious snack. Gram for gram, which of these foods contains more vitamin C? Add the following vitamin C-rich foods to your pregnancy shopping list:Iron-deficiency anaemia – complications [Online]. 2014. Available at: www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Anaemia-iron-deficiency-/Pages/Complications.aspx [Accessed June 2014] 2. Rumbold A, Crowther CA. Vitamin C supplementation in pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2, 2005. 3. Royal Surrey County Hospital (NHS). Check your iron intake pdf [Online]. 2012. Available at: www.royalsurrey.nhs.uk/Patients/Information-Leaflets/DownloadPDF?DocID=1233%2c1139%2c5%2c1%2cDocuments&MediaID=d863305d-d3d2-409b-abbb-841da008bcf2&Filename=PIN543_Check_your_iron_intake_w.pdf [Accessed June 2014]
4. Dietary reference values for food energy and nutrients for the United Kingdom. Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy. Report on Health and Social Subjects 41, 1991. 5. Department of Health. Nutrient analysis of fruit and vegetables [Online]. 2013. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/167942/Nutrient_analysis_of_fruit_and_vegetables_-_Summary_Report.pdf [Accessed June 2014]Nutrient Analysis of Fruit and Vegetables [Online]. 2013. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/nutrient-analysis-of-fruit-and-vegetables [Accessed August 2014]Vitamins and minerals [Online]. 2012. Available at: www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/vitamins-minerals.aspx [Accessed June 2014] Beware: Many Vitamin C Supplements Contain These 6 Red Flags. Learn Why Liposomal Vitamin C Is a No matter how good your vitamin C is, if it contains any of these red flags, you may not be getting the full vitamin c benefits. Try my new Liposomal Vitamin C supplement instead…
Label Snapshot for Vitamin C Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. OTHER INGREDIENTS: Sunflower lecithin, Medium Chain Triglycerides, Vegetable Cellulose, Beeswax, Paprika Extract (for color). SUGGESTED USE: Adults take two Licaps™ capsules daily with food and water, or as directed by your healthcare professional. MSRP: $54.25 Your Price: $36.97 Savings: $17.28 (31%) MSRP: $18.75 Your Price: $14.97 Savings: $3.78 (20%) I am so confident that you will be more than satisfied with your purchase of this product, I am providing you with a Money Back Guarantee on returned items. Click here for full return policy details MON - FRI (7am - 8pm CST) | SAT - SUN (8am - 5pm CST) Vitamin C 60 Capsules Vitamin C 180 CapsulesVitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is essential to your health. You get it each day from what you eat and drink. What does vitamin C do?Vitamin C is important for:keeping your skin, bones and connective tissue healthyhelping wounds healhelping prevent infectionshelping you absorb iron from your food.
Sources of vitamin CVitamin C is found in many different fruits and vegetables, including:blackcurrantscitrus fruits – oranges, limes and lemonsberrieskiwifruittomatoesbroccolisproutsred, yellow and green peppers.Cutting and heating foods changes vitamin C and makes it less effective. So it helps to eat fruits and vegetables raw, or lightly cooked, and don’t cut them too long before eating them.You should be able to get all the vitamin C you need from your diet.Vitamin C deficiencyVitamin C deficiency may lead to a skin condition called scurvy. Scurvy was common centuries ago, but is now rare because fresh food is nearly always available.Vitamin C deficiency diagnosisIf your doctor suspects you have a vitamin C deficiency because of your diet or symptoms, they may ask you to have a blood test to check your vitamin C levels.Who is at risk of vitamin C deficiencyVitamin C deficiency is rare, but people at a higher risk include those who:find it difficult to maintain a healthy diet of fresh fruit and vegetables (e.g. elderly people, low-income households, people with an eating disorder)smoke heavily or are dependent on alcohol or drugshave a health condition that makes it difficult to digest food
, such as coeliac disease, ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.Do i need vitamin C supplements?Lots of people take vitamin supplements, but there is no good evidence that they help unless you have a deficiency. Australia’s best guide to how to eat healthily – the Australian Dietary Guidelines – doesn’t recommend them.Vitamin supplements are expensive. They are best taken only on a doctor’s advice.Most people get the vitamins they need from a healthy diet, which has a wide variety of foods, including:plenty of vegetables, of different types and colours, and legumes/beansfruitgrain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain, and/or high cereal fibre varieties such as breads, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, polenta, couscous, oats, quinoa and barleylean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beansmilk, yoghurt, cheese and/or their alternatives, mostly reduced fat.Vitamin C deficiency treatmentHealth experts usually recommend that you get vitamin C from your diet, but in some cases your doctor may suggest you take vitamin C supplements.