Nutrients (including proteins, vitamins, and minerals) play a key role in the growth and development of the body. Their requirements ensure that the body grows safe and normal. Nutrients supply energy and they regulate and control the chemical processes in the body.We need nutrients all through our life to stay active and healthy. Their requirement increases and becomes more important during pregnancy as a pregnant woman has to support a new life. At that stage, if nutritional demands aren’t satisfied, there can be short-term and long-term birth challenges the baby has to face. Also, the pregnant woman may face complications due to deficiency. Thus, it is highly important that all the nutritional requirements are met in the right proportion at the right time.
Indian diet is calorie-rich but micronutrient-deficient which results in several adverse pregnancy conditions. Thus, Indians must enrich their diet and should consume more nutrients, vitamins, minerals for better outcomes.
Magnesium is a major mineral (the fourth abundant mineral found in the human body) which is required all through pregnancy. The role of Magnesium is highly crucial for a pregnant woman. Magnesium in its mineral form plays an important role for our body and its system; one of the biggest jobs being stabilizing function in the bone formation and regulating energy cells in our metabolism process.
Magnesium is involved in over 600 reactions which include gene maintenance, protein formation, energy creation, nervous system regulations, muscle movements, blood glucose control, glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, etc. in the body. If one manages to keep their Magnesium level in balance, it works as stress-resistant and ensures a better level of blood pressure in the body. A balanced Magnesium level in the body allows dealing with cramps and menstrual pain with comparative ease during pregnancy.
A pregnant woman may be eating a healthy diet, still, there may be chances of Magnesium-deficiency. In such situations, Magnesium is taken in the form of supplementation. The human body requires a sufficient amount of Magnesium for maintaining bone strength, blood pressure, and heart rhythm.
What are the advantages of consuming Magnesium during pregnancy?
One of the most essentially required minerals, Magnesium plays a fundamental role in countless biological functions. Its requirement increases substantially during pregnancy. Since this mineral regulates our cardiovascular system as well as healthy blood pressure, it also acts as stress resistant. A balanced amount of Magnesium level in pregnancy helps prevent cramps, eclampsia, and preeclampsia. Magnesium is also known to have mood-stabilising properties.
Pregnancy comes with lots of physical and emotional changes. Pain in several body parts and cramps can make this phase highly uncomfortable. The intestinal tract of a pregnant woman has to carry out a lot of functions which can lead to digestive instabilities such as constipation. Magnesium can smoothen bowel movements and deal with such conditions. Also, Magnesium supplementation during pregnancy may reduce other pregnancy complications such as placental dysfunction, preeclampsia, chronic hypertension, low birth weight, and premature birth.
Importance of Magnesium for pregnant women
As we know, Magnesium is involved in multiple body functions. When a pregnant woman starts taking Magnesium supplements, it helps her in several ways. Some of the important functions are described below:
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- ✓ Magnesium and Calcium work together in the body. Calcium acts on stimulating the muscle contractions, and Magnesium relaxes the muscles. Magnesium can also reduce uterus contraction.
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- ✓ Magnesium is a good way to deal with insomnia. This mineral also acts as a stress-reliever.
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- ✓ Substantial amounts of Magnesium and Calcium in diet may prevent bone damages in the later stages of life (osteoporosis).
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- ✓ Among the most common unpleasant experiences of pregnancy, morning sickness, nausea, etc. can be treated with Magnesium.
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- ✓ Magnesium helps to reduce the cramps. It also reduces the intensity of Braxton Hicks contraction which at times can be an uncomfortable experience. It also prevents hypertension.
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- ✓ Magnesium may reduce the chances of headaches (migraine) in pregnancy. It relaxes the contraction of blood vessels in the brain. This further eliminates the build up of Lactic Acid (which can result in migraine and tension).
- ✓ Magnesium is said to be associated with improving pain tolerance threshold. It regulates blood pressure levels. Thus, this can make delivery less painful and uncomfortable.
Importance of Magnesium for babies
A pregnant woman’s body requires a balanced amount of Magnesium in order to carry out healthy biological processes which also impact the growth and development of the foetus.
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- ✓ Magnesium also improves and enhances foetal circulation.
- ✓ Magnesium reduces the chances of growth retardation.
What if a pregnant woman has Magnesium deficiency during pregnancy?
Magnesium deficiency (also referred to as Hypomagnesemia) can have adverse effects on a pregnant woman in various forms. One of the major effects is the complaint of calf cramps and vague abdominal pain. In case of deficiency, the contracted womb may not be relaxed during pregnancy. A number of signs and effects may not be that serious in nature but the ones which do carry serious implications need to be countered. In serious cases of extreme deficiency, the worst-case scenario is to go through premature contractions and thus premature deliveries.
Magnesium deficiency also contributes to the intensification of pregnancy nausea and may as well lead to preeclampsia. The deficiency of Magnesium in the body ceases the balancing effect of the cardiovascular system. It simply increases the risks of pregnancy hypertension. This is why it becomes advisable to always check the Magnesium level in the body, as it impacts both the mother and the child in the context of deficiency.
WHO states that both the developed and developing countries face subclinical deficiencies of Magnesium. Overprocessing of foods can further reduce the level of Magnesium. Also, the cultivation process has changed over time which resulted in mineral content depletion.
Acute Magnesium deficiency can lead to a range of pregnancy complications including teratogenicity, intrauterine growth retardation, hypertension, placental lesions, foetal loss, etc. Some symptoms of Magnesium deficiency are listed below:
- Cramps and muscle twitches
- Muscle weakness and fatigue
- Irregular heartbeat
- High blood pressure
- Osteoporosis
- Mental health conditions
Hypomagnesemia is found primarily in developing countries. The deficiency has potential risks for both the mother and the newborn. These risks include:
- Preeclampsia
- Preterm labour
- Intrauterine growth restriction
- Restricted foetal growth
- Gestational diabetes
A pregnant woman is recommended to consume enough Magnesium in order to avoid the above-mentioned conditions. Supplementation during pregnancy becomes highly crucial as poor dietary practices aren’t able to meet out the nutritional demand of the two. Throughout labour and before the conclusion of breastfeeding, several doctors advocate continuing consumption of this mineral. In this way, during the critical first months, the Magnesium level of the mother and infant stays balanced for sure.
When should a pregnant woman take a Magnesium supplement?
Magnesium is required all through the pregnancy as various growth and developmental processes depend on this mineral. Doctors recommend a higher dose of Magnesium in the third trimester as compared to first and second trimester as Magnesium intake reduces the risk of the baby’s growth retardation and prevents maternal hypertension.
How much Magnesium is a pregnant woman required to supplement?
ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) recommends 310 mg of Magnesium/day for all women of childbearing age. Ideally, this should be consumed via a healthy diet of green leafy vegetables.
However, Indian gynaecologists will recommend a pregnant woman to consume 206 mg of Magnesium in first and second trimester whereas for the third trimester, 310 mg of Magnesium is recommended. Since most of the Indian pregnant woman show Magnesium-deficiency, no gynaecologist will recommend the consumption of a lower amount which can impose serious risks on the baby’s overall development. Overdose of Magnesium leads to several pregnancy complications both the mother and the baby have to face.
Can a pregnant woman take an international prenatal pill during pregnancy?
According to ICMR guidelines, a pregnant woman requires 310 mg of Magnesium every day. Most of the international prenatal supplementations marketed in India don’t have ICMR recommended amount of micronutrients. They either exceed what ICMR recommends or contain less amount. Some famous international prenatal pills contain 150 mg of Magnesium which is inadequate for Indian pregnant women and thus consuming them won’t satisfy the nutritional requirements.
The pregnant woman may have to take higher doses, or the doctor may recommend an extra prenatal tablet to meet out the nutritional requirement. Consuming an extra pill during pregnancy not only irritates the GI (gastro-intestinal) system but also reduces patient adherence. Also, most of the international pregnancy pills contain Magnesium sulphate salt while in India, doctors recommend Magnesium oxide.
How can a pregnant woman increase Magnesium intake through diet?
It is important to recognize and consume the food that carries Magnesium, such as sunflower seeds, oats, and banana slices. It becomes imperative for anyone, let alone pregnant women, to keep up their Magnesium levels in balance, in order to stay fit and keep their body accustomed to the best possible health.
Foods containing Magnesium:
- Nuts
- Seeds – sunflower seeds and linseed
- Wheat germ
- oats
- Dark chocolates
- Fruits (bananas, avocados)
- Fat-free/low-fat milk and milk products (cheese, yoghurt)
- Dark greens and leafy vegetables
- Legumes (soybeans, peanuts)
Indian pregnant women are highly recommended to practice a dual approach which includes a balanced diet and supplementation. This not only fulfils her personal nutritional demands but also satisfies her baby’s nutritional demands as well. For every woman who is trying to conceive or who is already pregnant, one thing to focus is that Magnesium has both short-term and long-benefits.
Which is the best Magnesium supplement available for Indian pregnant women?
It is no less than a challenge to buy the most suitable and safe pregnancy multivitamin. While there is an abundance of such pregnancy pills online, in most of the cases, a pregnant woman buys an international prenatal supplement. There can be several reasons for this. Maybe she has some relative or known living abroad and they recommended her. However, buying international prenatal supplements isn’t the right choice since they don’t follow the recommended dietary allowances of Indian pregnant women set by ICMR. Thus, consuming them won’t be enough and there will always be some nutritional gap.
TrimacareTM by PlusPlus Lifesciences is designed and formulated by a team of doctors, pharmacologists, and nutritionists following the guidelines of WHO and ICMR. TrimacareTM comes in 3 different packs for each trimester, as the pregnancy needs are unique in each trimester, and it provides all the 20+ nutrients required by a pregnant woman and her child holistically and to supplement the needs perfectly.
TrimacareTM1 (pregnancy multivitamins for the first trimester of pregnancy) and TrimacareTM 2 (pregnancy multivitamins for the second trimester) contain 206 mg Magnesium while TrimacareTM3 (pregnancy multivitamins for the third trimester) has 310 mg of Magnesium. TrimacareTM uses Magnesium in the form of Magnesium oxide which is recommended by leading gynaecologists of India.
It can be introduced at any stage of pregnancy. It is a one stop solution which supplements all the micronutrient needs of pregnancy. Hence, there is no need to take multiple pills every day for different nutrients. It is made with natural, plant-based ingredients thus it is safe and chemical-free.
TrimacareTM is recommended by leading doctors of India. This pregnancy supplement is available both online (Amazon, 1mg, Flipkart,) and offline at your nearest chemist.
