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Pregnancy
YOUR MINERAL NEEDS
By Jill Tomlin
Minerals, like vitamins, are essential for a well-balanced diet --
especially when you're pregnant. They keep your body running in tip-top
shape. They also are involved in just about every aspect of your
growing baby's development. Here's a rundown on these important
minerals and what foods are good sources of them.
A Mineral-Rich Diet
As you can see from the following list, minerals are abundant in many
of the foods you're already eating on a daily basis. Getting a
mineral-rich diet should not be difficult because minerals are widely
available in so many foods that you're likely to get what you need.
Just stick with a variety of the basic food groups: dairy products;
meats, fish, and seafood; whole grain breads and cereals; fruits; and
vegetables.
- Calcium: Dairy products, tofu, and dark green vegetables
- Chromium: Whole grains, wheat germ, and orange juice
- Copper: Poultry, fish, meats, soybeans, potatoes, and dark green leafy vegetables
- Fluoride: Fluoridated water
- Iodine: Seafood and iodized salt
- Iron: Meat, raisins, dried apricots, potatoes with their skins, and dried peas and beans
- Magnesium: Milk, peanuts, bananas, wheat germ, and oysters (eat them cooked only)
- Manganese: Raisins, spinach, carrots, broccoli, oranges, and peas
- Molybdenum: Whole grains, beans, and milk
- Phosphorus: Meats, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs, whole grains, and nuts
- Selenium: Dairy products, meats, seafood, and whole grains
- Zinc: Meats, turkey, wheat germ, eggs, and liver
Prenatal Supplements
Your health-care provider probably has prescribed a prenatal supplement
that contains the right mix of vitamins and minerals you will need for
pregnancy. This can be a great insurance policy, but it shouldn't take
the place of a good diet. Foods contain lots of micronutrients and
fiber which you cannot get through a supplement.
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About The Author
Topeka, Kansas native Jill Tomlin writes about health issues for Your Baby Today. Her work appears in national publications.
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