Does vegetarianism have any impact on pregnancy? What to do if you are pregnant with a vegetarian diet?

Eating a vegetarian diet for a long time may lead to delayed menstruation, lack of nutrition and other phenomena. So what should a vegetarian eat to supplement nutrition after becoming pregnant? Will vegetarianism affect pregnancy?

A large amount of clinical data at home and abroad show that women who are mainly vegetarians will stop ovulating and their menstrual cycles will be relatively shortened. The main reason is that the protein content in the body is too low and the secretion of estrogen is abnormal. This leads to many chronic uterine diseases and affects the normal functioning of the reproductive system.

protein

Now that you have a baby, you need more protein in your diet. It is not only meat that contains protein. Soy products can provide high-quality protein just like meat, fish and shrimp. If you are a veggie, you can also eat eggs and milk to supplement protein; if you are a vegan, simply consuming beans and other plant proteins is enough. It is necessary to remind you that soybeans, tofu, dried bean curd, yuba... these must be eaten more to supplement protein. However, other "vegetarian meat" and "vegetarian chicken" are refined processed products of soy protein. During the fine processing, a lot of nutrients will be lost. Although they are delicious, you should not be greedy.

2. Calcium

Most people think that the only source of calcium is dairy products. That's not true! Broccoli, kale, tofu and nut milks, tahini and almonds are easy to add to your daily diet. You can sauté some broccoli. Toss kale with lemon juice, olive oil, tomatoes and avocado and you have a delicious calcium-rich meal.

3. Supplement iron and DHA

Vegetarians (especially vegans) are prone to iron and DHA deficiency, but even if they are not vegetarians, they may suffer from iron and DHA deficiency if their diet is unbalanced. Foods rich in iron include sesame paste, raisins, seaweed, mushrooms, spinach, etc. The α-linolenic acid contained in walnuts, almonds, peanuts, sesame, corn oil, etc. can be converted into DHA in the human body. If the intake is insufficient, you can get it through iron and DHA supplements. Seafood and fungi are gifts from nature to vegetarians, and many long-term vegetarians like to eat this kind of food. Kelp, white fungus, black fungus, shiitake mushrooms, mushrooms, and button mushrooms... In addition to the delicious taste, they especially bring rich protein, vitamins and trace elements to vegetarians. If you can insist on eating a little every day, it will benefit your body a lot.

4. Vitamin B12

Essential vitamin B12 is also known as the "nerve nutrition" vitamin. It only exists in animal foods. If you eat vegetarian food for a long time and do not eat any meat, you may lack vitamin B12. If it is severely deficient, it will cause lack of energy, depression, memory loss, etc. If you are a veggie, if you consume enough milk or dairy products every day, you will basically not lack vitamin B12; if you are a vegan or a veggie who only eats eggs and does not eat milk or dairy products, then you are still prone to vitamin B12 deficiency. There are foods specially designed for vegetarians that are fortified with vitamin B12, as well as supplements containing vitamin B12, which can also be supplemented through supplements.

If pregnant women eat vegetarian food for a long time, they may suffer from malnutrition. In this way, the fetus cannot absorb all kinds of nutrition, and will not develop well over time, which will have a great impact on bones and other aspects. Therefore, it is important to eat more nutritious foods, fresh vegetables, fruits or some nutritious nuts, etc., which are very helpful for pregnant women and fetuses to supplement nutrition.

Pregnant women need to supplement nutrition from all aspects, including various vitamins, proteins, iron, calcium, zinc, etc. They can get more from food, which is safer and more secure.

1. Eat more soybeans and soy products

Soybeans are the crop with the highest protein content and the most reasonable amino acid composition among plant foods, with an average protein content of 40%. Vegetarians can use soybeans and their products as the main source of high-quality protein. Soybeans also contain unsaturated fatty acids, B vitamins, soy lecithin, soy isoflavones, etc. Fermented soy products also contain vitamin B12. Tofu, tofu shreds, dried tofu and other soy products are processed with calcium-containing coagulants and are a good source of calcium.

Since the digestion, absorption and utilization of whole soybeans are not high, eating more soy products, such as tofu, bean skin, etc., can increase the protein digestibility by about 30%, and the taste is better than whole soybeans.

It is recommended that vegans consume 50g to 80g of soybeans or an equivalent amount of soy products per day, including 5g to 10g of fermented soy products, and lacto-ovo vegetarians consume 25g to 60g of soybeans or an equivalent amount of soy products per day.

2. Clever combination of cooking oil

Vegetarians are prone to lack of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. When choosing cooking oils, they should choose oils rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as flaxseed oil, rapeseed oil, perilla oil, soybean oil, etc.

You can use rapeseed oil or soybean oil for cooking, and use perilla oil or linseed oil when making cold dishes.

3. Mushrooms and seaweed are essential

Seaweed has a strong ability to enrich trace elements and is rich in long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Mushrooms are rich in nutrients and phytochemicals that are beneficial to the human body. Therefore, seaweed and mushrooms can be used as important sources of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins (especially vitamin B12) and minerals (iron, zinc, etc.) for vegetarians.

4. Sunbathing

Appropriate sun exposure can promote the synthesis of vitamin D from 7-dehydrocholesterol under the skin, which is also an important source of vitamin D supplement for vegetarians.

5. Take appropriate nutritional supplements

On the basis of the above dietary recommendations, you can supplement with multivitamins, calcium tablets, fish oil, vitamin D, protein powder, etc. It is recommended to consult a nutritionist or consume according to the instructions.