{"id":20309,"date":"2024-04-04T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-04T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naturalwomanhood.org\/?p=20309"},"modified":"2024-09-11T12:42:39","modified_gmt":"2024-09-11T17:42:39","slug":"%d0%bc%d0%b8%d0%ba%d1%80%d0%be%d1%8d%d0%bb%d0%b5%d0%bc%d0%b5%d0%bd%d1%82%d1%8b-%d0%b1%d0%b5%d1%80%d0%b5%d0%bc%d0%b5%d0%bd%d0%bd%d0%be%d1%81%d1%82%d1%8c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturalwomanhood.org\/ru\/trace-minerals-pregnancy\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0420\u0443\u043a\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0434\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e \u043f\u043e \u043c\u0438\u043a\u0440\u043e\u044d\u043b\u0435\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0430\u043c \u0434\u043b\u044f \u0437\u0434\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0432\u044c\u044f \u0434\u043e \u0437\u0430\u0447\u0430\u0442\u0438\u044f, \u0432\u043e \u0432\u0440\u0435\u043c\u044f \u0431\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043c\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438 \u0438 \u043f\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0435 \u0440\u043e\u0434\u043e\u0432"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever been told your iron levels are too low, or that you need more magnesium? How about getting a recommendation for a supplement like Trace Mineral Drops<\/a> or electrolyte powders<\/a>? Or maybe you\u2019ve attempted to recreate the viral Adrenal Cocktail<\/a>, which combines natural sources of Vitamin C, potassium, and sodium, and claims to boost<\/a> your energy levels?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minerals, including what are referred to as \u201ctrace minerals,\u201d are a popular topic of conversation in the holistic health and wellness space. But what, exactly, are minerals\u2013 and more specifically, \u201ctrace minerals\u201d\u2013 and what do they do for our bodies? What role do these elements play in preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum nutritional health, and how can you incorporate them more into your diet? Here, I\u2019ll summarize the most relevant research on trace minerals for preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum nutrition.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minerals, trace minerals, and electrolytes: what they do for you and how to get more of them in your diet<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are two different kinds<\/a> of minerals: macrominerals (which our bodies need in larger amounts), and trace minerals (which our bodies need in smaller amounts). Macrominerals are also sometimes called electrolytes<\/a>, and they include sodium, chloride, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sulfur. These minerals are found in a variety of foods<\/a>. For example, calcium is in dairy, and sodium is in table salt. Trace minerals can also be found in the diet, but in much smaller amounts. These include iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Macro- and trace minerals fulfill many roles in our bodies. For example, they help produce energy (magnesium), maintain proper blood volume and blood pressure (sodium), assist red blood cells in carrying oxygen to the tissues (iron), and help create thyroid hormones (iodine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to being necessary building blocks of our overall health, both macro- and trace minerals are immensely important for a woman\u2019s reproductive health. They help her to conceive, aid in a healthy pregnancy, and even decrease the likelihood of negative postpartum outcomes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preparing for pregnancy: How macro- and trace minerals affect your ability to conceive<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are preparing for a future pregnancy, you should know that macro- and trace minerals are an important component of preconception health. A 2019 study<\/a> of trace elements zinc, copper, and selenium found that women who had lower levels of zinc or selenium took a longer time to get pregnant than those who had adequate levels [1]. Those with low selenium also had a greater relative risk for subfertility (inability to conceive despite 12 months of sexual intercourse without condoms or other contraceptives).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking to improve your diet to help aid your fertility, consider adding more edible sources <\/a>of minerals to your plate with nuts, seeds, shellfish, eggs, beans, cocoa, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, organ meats like beef or chicken liver (yes!) and eggs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sodium may affect progesterone production and ovulation<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another recent study<\/a> analyzed the hormone levels and mineral intakes of 259 cycling women [2]. It found that those with low sodium intake (less than 1500 mg daily) had lower levels of progesterone and increased risk of anovulation<\/a>, a cycle without ovulation. Low manganese intake was also associated with an increased risk of anovulation. Without ovulation, conception is impossible. Too little progesterone can cause pregnancy loss. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good sources <\/a>of manganese include mussels, hazelnuts, pecans, brown rice, chickpeas, pineapple, spinach, soybeans, and bread. Sodium is found in all kinds of salt. The least-processed kinds<\/a> (think sea salt, Himalayan pink salt) are most likely to retain other trace minerals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magnesium and why women are more likely to be deficient than in decades past<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Magnesium is another mineral thought to increase fertility<\/a>, as it helps increase<\/a> the binding of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) [3]. FSH tells<\/a> one of the ovaries to mature an egg inside a follicle and to produce estrogen. This all happens in the lead-up to ovulation. Unfortunately, many people are low in magnesium<\/a> due to the relative deficiency in soil<\/a> thanks to the overutilization of chemical fertilizers and commercial farming practices [4]. Although there are many whole foods sources of magnesium (such as dark, leafy greens and nuts), the levels of magnesium in these foods have decreased over time from the poor soil they grew in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During pregnancy: How macro- and trace minerals can help you have a healthier pregnancy<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Remember how minerals are split up into two categories, macrominerals (electrolytes) and trace minerals? Both types are vital during pregnancy. Let\u2019s first look at electrolytes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re pregnant, the amount of fluid in your body increases as much as 50%<\/a>. Fluids in the body need to constantly be in balance with electrolytes, and having deficient amounts of electrolytes during pregnancy may cause pregnancy complications<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sodium and preeclampsia: Is there a connection?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Have you heard that decreasing your salt intake might help prevent preeclampsia? Actually, research has found<\/a> that women who consume a more balanced ratio of potassium (a macromineral, or electrolyte) to sodium (rather than very high sodium and low potassium) have decreased<\/em> levels of severe preeclampsia [5]. Even if they receive a preeclampsia diagnosis, women with balanced sodium to potassium ratios are less likely to have preterm births and babies with low birth weight.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, should you take it easy with the salt shaker when preparing meals? Not exactly. An uneven sodium-to-potassium ratio is a trademark of a diet largely made up of processed foods or take-out meals. This is very different from using high-quality salt in the context of your home kitchen. Because sodium is also necessary in supporting<\/a> normal stomach acid levels and promoting digestion, it\u2019s wise to continue to salt food as you normally would, while also increasing potassium-rich foods<\/a> in your diet. Good sources of Potassium include avocado, spinach, bananas, sweet potatoes, dried fruits, beans, yogurt, and nuts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can trace minerals help lower your risk of pregnancy complications?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is also ample evidence supporting the benefits of trace minerals for positive pregnancy outcomes. A Korean study<\/a> found that women with high blood serum levels of copper were significantly less likely to have preeclampsia [6]. Similarly, a study<\/a> of pregnant Chinese women found that low serum levels of trace minerals (the two most prevalent being zinc and iron) were associated with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), miscarriage, and preterm delivery [7]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 2017 research review<\/a> found that [8]: <\/p>\n\n\n\n