During pregnancy, focusing on your diet is essential to ensure your growing baby gets all the necessary nutrients for healthy development. One key nutrient is zinc – a mineral vital for many important functions, such as protein synthesis and cell growth. Our Naturopath and Nutritionist, Paige Cowley, is here to explain why zinc is so important during pregnancy.
Zinc levels
While severe zinc deficiency isn’t common, it’s a surprising fact that around 80% of pregnant women worldwide may not be getting enough zinc. The average daily intake is 9.6 mg, which is below the recommended levels for adults. This highlights the importance of paying attention to zinc intake for the health of both mum and bub.
Low zinc levels in mums can affect baby’s development and birth outcomes. Studies show that low plasma zinc levels might hinder the transport of zinc through the placenta, impacting baby’s zinc levels. Additionally, zinc deficiency can influence hormone levels important for labour and mum’s immune system.
Research on zinc supplementation during pregnancy has shown varied outcomes, reflecting the complexity of different populations and methods. So the question remains, what can you do aside from supplement?
Incorporating Zinc in your diet
Knowing that zinc plays such a vital role in pregnancy health, we can simply work to include more zinc-rich foods in your diet. The top zinc-rich foods you could consider incorporating into your diet regularly include:
- Oysters
- Crab
- Beef
- Pork
- Lobster
- Chickpeas
- Cashews
- Oats
Out of this list, it’s actually oysters which are commended for having the highest level of zinc of any food, with 74 milligrams in an 85 gram serving. Please note that it’s recommended to avoid raw oysters and other raw seafood during pregnancy, you can certainly look at incorporating them in a stew or even grilling them to get max benefits and avoid any contamination from being uncooked. Please consult your nutritionist or GP for more information.
Dishes that you could consider putting on the menu (or going out to order) could be something like:
- Overnight oats with berries and cashew butter
- Chocolate chickpea brownies
- Grilled oysters with garlic butter
- Beef and vegetable cashew stir fry
- Pork mince buddha bowls
- Chickpea curry
- Home made hummus
Ensuring that you get enough zinc during pregnancy is crucial for both mum and baby. Unpacking the importance of zinc helps us appreciate its impact on birth outcomes, along with mum’s and bub’s health.
References
Zinc in Early Life: A Key Element in the Fetus and Preterm Neonate – Zinc in Early Life: A Key Element in the Fetus and Preterm Neonate – PMC (nih.gov)
Maternal zinc deficiency during pregnancy elevates the risks of fetal growth restriction: a population-based birth cohort study – Maternal zinc deficiency during pregnancy elevates the risks of fetal growth restriction: a population-based birth cohort study – PubMed (nih.gov)
