Ascorbic acid during pregnancy - benefits and harms

Maternal instinct is a very strong feeling that makes it possible to protect a baby long before the baby is born. From the early stages of pregnancy, as soon as a woman finds out about her new position, she tries to change her habits, food, lifestyle. As a rule, sane women give up smoking, alcohol, try to stay more in the fresh air. A separate issue is nutrition and vitamins. Modern gynecologists do not recommend future mothers to drink multivitamin complexes unnecessarily, especially if the woman has adequate nutrition - it contains dairy products, meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. The exception is folic acid - it is required to drink. If a woman lives in a region with a low iodine content in the soil, iodine must be prescribed. For special indications, a woman may need magnesium. But future mothers are trying to provide themselves with everything necessary and, above all, to protect themselves from colds.

As you know, vitamin C, ascorbic acid, fights best against viral diseases. Immunity during pregnancy decreases, the risk of getting sick increases at times. This is a very necessary and important vitamin for any body, especially for a pregnant woman. But how to understand that you are missing him?

Signs of ascorbic acid deficiency

To understand whether you need to take ascorbic acid additionally, you need to know how vitamin C deficiency manifests itself in the body.

1. A person with a lack of vitamin C in the body has a very low immunity, can not withstand external viruses, is constantly sick. Often, such people cling to new SARS, not having time to cope with old infections. Moreover, the diseases themselves are tolerated quite hard - with high fever, poor health, severe intoxication.
2. With a deficiency of vitamin C, bone soreness during movement is felt.
3. A woman becomes passive or irritable, apathy appears, the nervous state is unstable. If the future mother works, lack of vitamin also affects concentration, memory worsens, and performance drops.
4. Vitamin C deficiency can be judged by the state of the blood vessels. Lack of the required amount of vitamin C makes the tissues weak, bruises remain on the skin even after slight physical contact or pressure. Epistaxis also appears.
5. Another evidence of vitamin deficiency is bleeding and friability of the gums, opening of the root space, in some cases, loss of teeth.
6. Vitamin C affects hemoglobin, anemia develops.
7. Lack of vitamin C affects appetite, a woman refuses food, loses weight.
8. A lack of ascorbic acid also affects the skin of the expectant mother - the epidermis becomes dry and irritated, cracking.

In complex cases, scurvy disease develops, which can lead to the formation of non-healing ulcers on the body. During pregnancy, this disease is extremely dangerous for the baby in the womb. That is why a woman should carefully monitor her body and respond to any changes.

The benefits of ascorbic acid in pregnancy

We have already found that a lack of vitamin C in the body is extremely undesirable, but how does ascorbic acid affect pregnancy?

1. One of the main problems of pregnant women is frequent illnesses. Immunity is reduced, all the forces of the body are aimed at the growth and development of the baby in the womb.It is extremely undesirable to get sick during pregnancy - firstly, intoxication and high fever are dangerous for the fetus, and secondly, you can not take medicine, especially in the early stages. But we are all people, we work in a team, it is very difficult to avoid diseases. Vitamin C helps strengthen weakened immunity - this is an excellent prevention of acute respiratory viral infections.
2. A sufficient amount of ascorbic acid in the body of a pregnant woman strengthens blood vessels, tightens the placenta, reduces the risk of premature aging and exfoliation. A healthy placenta - adequate baby nutrition, lack of oxygen starvation.
3. As noted, ascorbic acid is needed for skin elasticity, it is very important for a pregnant woman, especially in the late stages. Ascorbic acid protects the future mother from stretch marks, or minimizes their number.
4. Ascorbic acid neutralizes products during their decay, facilitating the metabolism in the body. This means that vitamin C helps to reduce the manifestations of toxicosis. In addition, vitamin gives foods a special acidity, and acidic foods help to cope with a feeling of nausea.
5. Another common problem in pregnant women is low hemoglobin, iron deficiency anemia. Even if you consume a lot of iron, it will not be fully absorbed without the proper amount of ascorbic acid, these substances work in pairs.
6. In addition, ascorbic acid has a positive effect on the psychological state of a woman, makes her more stress-resistant and calm, helps to relive home and work problems easier.
7. Especially useful ascorbic acid before childbirth, because it makes the tissues more stretchable and elastic, this allows a woman to give birth without tearing, facilitates the passage of the baby through the birth canal.
8. Ascorbic acid is very necessary for the baby in the womb - it provides its physical and mental development, helps the immune system to form.
9. Very often, during pregnancy, a woman is faced with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, one of the most common is symphysitis, or discrepancy of the pubic joint. Among others, one of the reasons for the development of pathology is a lack of vitamin C in the body.
10. Ascorbic acid increases blood coagulation, this reduces the risk of uterine bleeding during childbirth.
11. Very often, women during the period of bearing a baby encounter varicose veins. A sharply increased load, a lot of weight - all this affects the state of the veins, the disease develops during pregnancy. And ascorbic acid allows you to keep veins and blood vessels in good shape.
12. Ascorbic acid neutralizes and removes toxic substances, toxins and heavy metals from the body. In addition, vitamin C helps lower blood cholesterol.

Ascorbic acid can be taken in tablets or in powder form, the most popular preparations based on vitamin C are Ascorutin, Tsevicap, Asvitol, Rostvit, etc. But it is much more useful and pleasant to eat foods with a high content of ascorbic acid. Among the champions for the content of this vitamin can be identified rose hips, red bell peppers, black currants, sea buckthorn, parsley, Brussels sprouts, dill, kiwi, citrus fruits, strawberries, spinach, horseradish, etc.

Harm of ascorbic acid

In addition, ascorbic acid has contraindications. Taking a vitamin supplement is not worth it if you have a tendency to thrombosis, thrombosis or thrombophlebitis. Also, ascorbic acid should be discarded in case of diabetes and history of miscarriage. In addition, ascorbic acid can give individual intolerance, in case of an allergic reaction, an additional intake of vitamin should be abandoned.

Remember that ascorbic acid is not a harmless sweetie that you can eat in any quantity. Remember your health and the baby in the womb, take vitamin C only as directed, not exceeding the permissible doses.

Video: what will happen if you eat a lot of ascorbic acid