Nutrition during pregnancy

Before and during early pregnancy, it is particularly important for you to have a diet that is rich in folate. Recent reasearch has shown that a folate-rich diet may help prevent expectant moms from having babies with neural tube defects (NTDs) for example brain defects. Brain defects result from the failure in the closure of the covering of the brain during early embroyonic development. Because the covering of the brain takes place during early pregnancy, these defects may occur even before you realise that you are pregnant.

Folate, also known as folic acid, is a B vitamin that is found in many foods. Foods that are rich in folate include dark leafy vegetables, legumes (eg. peas and beans), root vegetables and certain fruits (eg. oranges). Some breakfast cereals and milk-based beverages are now fortified with folate. Overcooking can destroy all the folate in food. Thus, serve fresh fruits and consume vegetables raw whenever possible, if not, cook them lightly. Cooking vegetables in minimal water may also help retain some folate