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Introduction
Consuming a healthy diet during pregnancy is an obvious and accepted recommedation. However, what exactly is a “healthy diet” in this context? In addition, there are specific nutrients which are crucial for the healthy development of the child, including nutrients which may be difficult to consume enough of. In addition there are nutrients and foods that need to limited or avoided during this period.
In this episode, researcher and dietitian Dr. Julie Abayomi discusses important nutrients in pregnancy (e.g. iodine, DHA, and folic acid), as well as potentially problematic nutrients/foods (e.g. high-mercury fish and caffeine). In addition, she discusses the current debates about weight gain/loss during pregnancy, as well as what supports are needed for health professionals supporting pregnant women.
Related resources
- [05.00]Dr. Abayomi’s background
- [07.30]Body mass & pregnancy
- [14.13]Is weight loss in pregnancy harmful?
- [19.50]Overview the most important micronutrients in pregnancy
- [22.30]Folic acid
- [26.50]Omega-3 and/or DHA
- [32.05]Iodine
- [39.00]Mercury
- [40.20]Caffeine
- [42.00]How can healthcare professionals be best supported?
- [47.49]Giving dietary advice based on what to include, rather than just exclude
Guest Information
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Dr Julie Abayomi is a Reader in Dietetics & Associate Head of Applied Health & Social care at Edge Hill University. She is also currently the chair of The British Dietetic Association (BDA) England Board and an active member of the BDA Maternal & Fertility Nutrition Specialists group.
Dr. Abayomi is a registered dietitian, having worked in the NHS for over 20 years, with most of that spent specialising in women’s health and nutrition. In 2010 she was awarded a PhD based on research conducted at Liverpool Women’s hospital.
Dr. Abayomi’s research interests include: maternal nutrition, overweight and underweight in pregnancy; diabetes and pregnancy; diabetes and breastfeeding and chronic radiation enteritis.
Danny Lennon has a master’s degree (MSc.) in Nutritional Sciences from University College Cork, and he is the founder of Sigma Nutrition.
Danny is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the Sports Nutrition Association, the global regulatory body responsible for the standardisation of best practice in the sports nutrition profession.
Key Ideas
This episode and topic is a pefect example of something that is at the crux of translating nutrition science into practice.
Whilst a solid understanding of the published evidence and the details of nutrient metabolism is important to the practitioner, in order to allow clients or patients to understand recommendations, and to implement them, the guidance needs to come in the form of food-based recommendations. And crucially, as Dr. Abayomi discussed, the need for positive recommendations for inclusions of certain foods, rather than merely a focus on exclusion or restriction.
In this episode, you heard us discuss one of Dr. Abayomi’s qualitative studies that found exactly this; i.e. pregnant women wanted more of the dietary advice to be aimed at what they should include, rather than simply the more common issue of being told what foods to limit or avoid.
So if we stick with today’s topic of diet in pregnancy, recall that there are nutrients that should be targeted at this time, as well as nutrients that should be limited or avoided.
Nutrients to consider:
- Folic acid
- Vitamin D
- Iodine
- Omega 3 (DHA)
The most common nutrient insufficiencies in women of reproductive age include:
- Iodine
- Iron
- Potassium
- Selenium
In addition, for those on a plant-exclusive diet:
- Calcium
- B12
- Zinc
Nutrients to Limit:
- Usual suspects: saturated fat, salt, added sugars
- Mercury
- Vitamin A
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Non-approved supplements
But rather than tell the person you work with, to consume or avoid these nutrients, the more this can be translated into food-based terms, with practical steps (e.g. shopping for foods, meal recipes, etc.), the more likely these nutrient guidelines can be met.
So in relation to mercury, there is consistent and good communication in this area. [See the detailed study notes for a really nice image that presents recommended servings of different types of fish].
Similarly for things like iodine and omega-3, we can consider: a) what food sources can this person include? and b) what barriers are there for this person getting enough of said foods.
