Premise
Diet in pregnancy is an extremely important factor for:
- Ensure a high standard of hygiene and prevent foodborne illnesses.
- Avoiding metabolic complications of the mother and / or fetus.
- Ensuring the correct development of the unborn child.
Bacteria, Viruses, Molds and Parasites
Gestation is a period of great vulnerability.
For this reason, during gestation it is advisable to eat only traceable and safe foods, AVOIDING homemade preparations or preparations of dubious origin.
All raw meat, egg and fish products must be eliminated. This category includes: sausages, cured meats (salted and smoked), carpaccio (meat and fish), “rare” meat or tuna, tartare, raw shellfish (oysters, mussels, etc.), sushi, fresh mayonnaise, etc.
It is also essential to eliminate certain soft or fresh cheeses from the diet: gorgonzola, brie, feta, camembert, roquefort and more.
The pathogens affecting these foods are mainly:
- HAV(virus)
- Staphylococcus aureus: bacterium that produces exogenous toxins but not spores
- Escherichia coli: Some produce exogenous toxins but not the spores
- Salmonella typhi and paratyphi: bacteria that does not produce exogenous toxins and spores
- Clostridium botulinum: bacterium that produces exogenous toxins and spores
- Vibrio cholerae: bacterium that produces exogenous toxins but not spores
- Listeria monocytogenes: bacterium that produces exogenous toxins but not spores
- Anisakis (parasites)
- Opisthorchiasis (parasites)
- Toxoplasma gondii (parasite)
- Taenia solium (parasite)
- Trichinella spiralis (parasite).
The pregnant woman must also abolish cold sauces, cooked and eaten cold foods, minced meat and especially when undercooked.
Furthermore, raw vegetables and fruit must be carefully washed and disinfected with suitable solutions (for example "amuchina").
NB. Other foods that should be avoided by the pregnant woman are:
- Mushrooms, especially of NOT certified origin.
- Vegetables, fruits and oil seeds collected in polluted areas (near the road, near industries, etc.).
What Other Avoid?
During gestation complications may arise due to the presence or excess of certain molecules.
To give an indicative example, this category includes nicotine from cigarette smoke and the active ingredients of certain drugs (even mild ones) or certain medications.
However, there is still a lot of confusion regarding the nerves, or those active ingredients, naturally present in food and drinks, which act on the central nervous system. These are ethyl alcohol, caffeine (in coffee), theobromine (cocoa and chocolate) and theophylline (in teas, especially fermented such as red and black).
A pregnant woman is allowed to drink a maximum of one unit of alcohol per day, preferably with meals. In practical terms, it would be advisable not to drink more than a glass of wine (125ml) or a bottle of lager beer (330ml) per day.
All energy drinks, ie energy drinks, are to be avoided; furthermore, it is advisable not to exceed three portions of fermented coffee / tea per day (40ml and 150ml).
The excess of additives, especially sweeteners, is considered potentially harmful. In case of intake, it is advisable not to exceed the limit of 7g / day.
In addition, during pregnancy, the female body becomes less tolerant to glucose and more prone to pregnancy diabetes. This suggests paying close attention to the choice of foods (preferring those with a low glycemic index) and portions (reducing the average glycemic load). It is advisable to avoid the excess of added simple sugars (sucrose, fructose, syrups, etc.) and various sweets.
Whether or not there are hereditary factors, it is in any case also advisable to exclude potentially allergenic foods.
Increased Needs
With gestation the nutritional requirements increase, since the organism is affected by the construction of new tissues. The development of the fetus requires a dietary correction that is anything but negligible.
It is necessary to increase the energy intake (about 300kcal / day starting from the second month), saline, vitamins and essential fatty acids (both omega 3 and omega 6).
The vitamins for which the demand increases are: cobalamin (vitamin B12), folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B6), the equivalent retinol (vitamin A) and calciferol (vitamin D).
The most requested mineral salts are: iron, calcium, phosphorus and iodine.
The amount of fats and carbohydrates is increased proportionally to the total calories, while proteins play a more relevant role (about 6g / day more than the normal diet).
Constipation can occur or worsen during pregnancy, which is why it is sometimes necessary to increase the intake of dietary fiber.
