Nourishing Mums for a Strong and Smart Foundation - December 2024

Here is the setting: You are excited—scared—glowing—anxious—all in all, a bundle of emotions while expecting your bundle of joy. Your friends and family share in the excitement as well: the congratulations come, along with the list of good-intentioned advice. “You must eat this”, “You must eat that”, “Remember to steer clear from this food”, and “This food is not so good yeah, not if you want to be strong”. Essential nutrients play a pivotal role during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester. What you eat is important, and prenatal supplements are commonly recommended to bridge potential nutritional gaps. Nurturing Nutrients Before proceeding further, let me first introduce to you the basic nutrients and how they nourish an expectant mother’s body. Folate/Folic Acid A crucial B vitamin utilised by the body to generate new cells, it is also important for the formation of red blood cells. Folate can be found in a variety of foods especially dark green leafy vegetables like spinach. Particularly significant during pregnancy, folic acid plays a vital role in the development of the neural tube in the early stages of pregnancy1. This process is essential for the formation of the brain and spine1. Iron Iron is one of the key nutrients for red blood cell formation. According to the Recommended Nutrient Intake for Malaysia 20172, an adult female needs approximately 20 to 29 mg of iron every day. During pregnancy, the blood volume will increase approximately 50%, hence, the nutritional need for iron also increases accordingly3. Vitamin D Vitamin D helps in calcium absorption.4 However, there are limited food sources for vitamin D. For example, deep sea fatty fish like tuna, salmon and mackerel as well as egg yolk. Maternal deficiency of vitamin D may increase the risk for pre-eclampsia (hypertension during pregnancy) and gestational diabetes mellitus. Therefore, the importance of sufficient vitamin D cannot be stressed further. A Step Toward Nutrition Support Image credit: Anmum™ MATERNA Let me introduce to you Anmum™ MATERNA, one of the best friends of expectant mothers during their pregnancy journey. I spoke to a few of my friends currently expecting their firstborn, and I realised that most have not opted to consume maternal milk. Out of curiosity, I asked, "Why?" Some said they prefer drinking fresh milk, while others quipped that they are concerned about formulated milk because there may be hidden form of sugars. Most think supplements from their healthcare professional and regular milk have enough nutrients for them and their growing loved one. All in all, they believe that maternal milk is unnecessary. Image credit: Anmum™ MATERNA But did you know that pregnant women need 1000mg of calcium1 daily? Two glasses of fresh milk daily will only provide you with 55.2% of that total. If you take two glasses of Anmum™ MATERNA a day, that is equivalent to 100%** of your recommended calcium daily! It also contains additional (and crucial) nutrients like DHA and MFGM-Gangliosides (GA). These are found abundantly in the brain. DHA is particularly important for development of the brain and eye6 and Gangliosides (GA) help the brain cell connections.7. These two important nutrients will be accumulated into the foetal brain throughout pregnancy and peak during the third trimester. Other important ingredients to support your increased nutritional needs and wellbeing include prebiotic and probiotic—ProbioDR10™ (Bifidobacterium lactis HN019) which is important for a good intestinal environment. Did you know that approximately 70% of our body's defense system is located in our gut? Hence, a good gut environment is important not only for effective absorption of nutrients but also for our body defense. Anmum™ MATERNA is also low in fat and contains No Added Sugars** (for its Plain variant)—it is specially formulated to provide the key nutrients to support your pregnancy. Invest to Support Your Pregnancy Journey with Anmum™ MATERNA Image credit: Anmum™ MATERNA Taking Anmum™ MATERNA as part of well-balanced diet aids with optimal nutrition and presents working expectant mothers of today a quick and stress-free way of getting them—all without the additional unneeded calories. Also, it has No Added Sugars**! Image credit: Anmum™ MATERNA Start nourishing yourself and support your wonderful pregnancy journey with Anmum™ MATERNA today! Just two glasses a day will make a difference. Buy Anmum™ MATERNA or get your free sample at their official website now! **Sucrose, Glucose Syrup Solid, Corn Syrup Solid, Brown Sugar, Dextrose, Lactose, Fructose, Honey and White Sugar are defined as ‘sugars’ and ‘added sugars’ under CODEX Standard 212-1999 and CAC/GL23-1997. CODEX develops harmonised international food standards guidelines and code of practices. Under Malaysia Food Regulations 1985, Sucrose, Brown Sugar, Dextrose, Glucose, Fructose, Honey are defined as sweetening substances. For AnmumTM MATERNA Plain only. Chocolate flavour is less sweet. References 1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, June 15). Folic acid. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/about.html 2Ministry of Health Malaysia. (2017). Recommended nutrient intakes for Malaysia. https://hq.moh.gov.my/nutrition/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/FA-Buku-RNI.pdf 3Artal-Mittelmark. (2022). Physiology of pregnancy. Retrieved from: http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/gynecology-and-obstetrics/approach-to-the-pregnant-woman-and-prenatal-care/physiology-of-pregnancy 4Mulligan, M. L., Felton, S. K., Riek, A. E., & Bernal-Mizrachi, C. (2010). Implications of vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy and lactation. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology. 202(5), 429.e1-429.e9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3540805/#:~:textVitamin%20D%20is%20an%20essential,optimal%20maternal%20and%20fetal%20outcomes 5World Health Organization. (2023). Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/tools/elena/interventions/vitamind-supp-pregnancy#:~:textVitamin%20D%20deficiency%20is%20thought,and%20other%20tissue%2Dspecific%20conditions 6 Greenberg, J. A., Bell, S. J., & Ausdal, W. V. (2008). Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation during pregnancy. Reviews in obstetrics & gynecology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2621042/#:~:textDocosahexaenoic%20acid%20(DHA)%20is%20a,to%2018%20months%20of%20life 7Palmano, K., Rowan, A., Guillermo, R., Guan, J., & McJarrow, P. (2015, May 22). The role of gangliosides in Neurodevelopment. Nutrients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4446785/?reportreader Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner. For more insightful stories and fun recipes, stay tuned to Motherhood Story!

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