Iron, folic acid most essential nutrients for expectant moms

Iron and folic acid are most essential nutrients for women of childbearing age

If you’re an expectant mom, or just planning to have children, you should ensure adequate intake of two of the most important nutrients needed to ensure a healthy body and a properly developed baby: iron and folic acid.

Iron is essential for an energetic body, a sharp mind and a strong immune system. It is an important factor in the formation of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen from the lungs to every cell in the body. It supports various aspects of the immune system and is important in a wide range of biological processes.

Certain situations can deplete iron reserves: dieting, athletic endurance training, a vegetarian diet, heavy menstrual bleeding, and various medical conditions.

Having iron supplementation during pregnancy or the rapid growth of childhood is also important to keep the blood healthy for your baby as well as for yourself.

The body tends to use up too much of its iron reserves during pregnancy so taking iron supplementation can prevent iron-deficiency anemia, a life-threatening disorder in which the body absorbs too little oxygen.

Folic acid, meanwhile, is essential for the formation and maturation of both red and white blood cells in the bone marrow.

It also plays an important role in the development of the nucleo-proteins deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), both of which are essential for cell division and many of our genetic characteristics.

Adequate folic acid during pregnancy ensures the normal development of the baby inside the womb.

Research has also shown that folic acid helps prevent up to 70 percent of all neural tube defects of the brain and the spine in infants if adequately taken by women of childbearing age.

Conversely, women with folic acid deficiencies were two to three times more likely to have a premature baby or a baby of low birth weight than those who got enough of the vitamin.

Unfortunately, for many of us, getting adequate amounts of iron and folic acid can be a real challenge. You could even be deficient in either one or both of these without even knowing it because many of our daily diets lack foods rich in these valuable nutrients.

For this reason, Nutrilite, the world’s leading branded vitamin and mineral products, has now developed a unique supplement in tablet form called the Nutrilite Iron-Folic Plus.

This supplement contains one of the best tolerated nutritional forms of iron, ferrous fumarate, combined with folic acid in a base containing the exclusive Nutrilite Spinach Concentrate.

Each tablet contains 10 mg. of iron, 133 mcg. of folic acid, the Nutrilite Spinach Concentrate which contains natural phytonutrients that provide additional nutritional benefits, a special coating that makes it easier to swallow, and no artificial flavors, colors and preservatives.

The Nutrilite Iron-Folic Plus is now available in the country and exclusively distributed by Amway, the global leader in the multilevel direct selling business. For more information, call 814-8181.