Health Policy Does Compulsory Counseling for Pregnant Vegans Come?

Nutrition recommendations: Mandatory advice for pregnant vegans?
Expectant mothers must pay special attention to what is allowed on the diet during pregnancy. This is especially true for women who eat vegan. A CDU politician now even calls for nutritional counseling for pregnant vegans.

Vegans need to be aware of adequate nutrition
Vegan diet has been trendy for years. More and more people live for moral and ethical reasons meat-free. For many, however, the health aspect is in the foreground. Typical civilization diseases such as obesity, diabetes or high blood lipid levels are rare in vegans. However, people who completely dispense with animal products such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, must be more careful to absorb all the important nutrients in sufficient quantities. This is especially important during pregnancy, as the adolescent child must be provided with.

Pregnant women should pay particular attention to what's on their table. This is increasingly true for vegans. A politician is now calling for nutritional counseling for her. (Image: Syda Productions / fotolia.com)

Pregnant vegans should consult with gynecologist
Nutrition and health professionals have long been keen to inquire about which foods contain the most nutrients and how vegans can help prevent vitamin B-12 deficiency. The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) has recently renewed its dietary recommendations for vegans. As the DGE Vegan Diet states, a vegan diet is not recommended for pregnant, breastfeeding, infants, children and adolescents. Also, the President of the Association of Gynecologists, Christian Albring, recently told "Spiegel Online": "A vegan diet during pregnancy is not impossible, but very difficult." He advises pregnant vegans, with the attending gynecologist about the chosen diet to advise.

Nutrition advice for expectant mothers demanded
The CDU member of parliament Gitta Connemann has now demanded that expectant mothers should receive nutritional advice, which takes place in the context of general preventive care. According to "Spiegel Online", the MP said: "The CDU will not dictate to pregnant women or young parents what to eat and when. But pregnant women and young parents need to know that choosing a personal nutritional style can pose a risk to the health of unborn and young children. "From the point of view of the politician, this advice could be provided by gynecologists, GPs, paediatricians, midwives, or employees in Horten and Daycare centers are provided. According to Connemann, who has been washed up on a farm, expecting parents need information. Although they wanted the best for their offspring, but: "Here they can be led by health trends but quickly on the wrong track."

Necessary intake of vitamin B12
Pediatrician Burkhard Lawrenz also considers nutritional advice for pregnant women to be sensible. The spokesperson on the Prevention and Early Care Committee of the Association of Pediatricians is worried that neonatal health problems will become more common as more and more women go vegan. In his view, there is a lack of concrete knowledge about what a healthy diet looks like. The physician believes that some would critically eye the intake of vitamin B12 necessary for a vegan diet with food supplements, as they perceive this as a drug. Vegans should know where to get the necessary protein and vitamin B12, especially for expectant mothers. According to "Spiegel Online", pregnant vegans need to take vitamin B12 daily with a dietary supplement. For in the case of a defect, the unborn child is in danger of serious developmental disorders.

Beware of iron tablets
In addition, experts also advise the intake of vitamin D, folic acid and iodine. "This recommendation is just as true for carnivorous pregnant women," explains ecotrophologist Edith Gätjen. Even with them, for example, it often comes to a vitamin D deficiency. The report may also require the use of iron supplements, but care should be taken with care. Only recently, researchers from the Imperial College London in the journal "PLOS ONE" reported that iron tablets can damage DNA. (Ad)