Can I take ascorbic acid during pregnancy?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

During pregnancy, women have to be selective about what gets into their bodies. And this is not so much about food, but about medicines. Even a harmless ascorbic acid is afraid to drink without realizing how it will affect the fetus. Therefore, you need to figure out how useful ascorbic acid is during pregnancy.

Ascorbic acid - what is it?

Ascorbic acid is a well-known vitamin C. In terms of physical properties, ascorbic acid in its original form is a white crystalline powder that dissolves well in water. The taste is sour and probably familiar to everyone from childhood.

Ascorbic acid is available in the form of tablets, powder, dragees and even a solution, which is used for carbon monoxide poisoning. In addition to pharmacology, vitamin C is also used in cosmetology, cooking, the food industry, and even photography. Askorbinka, or rather its organiccompound, widely used as a developing agent not only in industry, but also in amateur photography.

A trip to history

The name of ascorbic acid comes from the ancient Greek prefix "à" and the Latin word scorbutus, which means "no scurvy". It seems rather strange, but only until you get acquainted with the history of the discovery of ascorbic acid.

The importance of vitamin C was known to mankind thanks to sailors. It was they who, eating food devoid of this substance on the ship, faced such a disease as scurvy. Her symptoms were expressed in bleeding gums, weakness, pain in the muscles. However, when sailing to tropical islands, the sailors noticed that their inhabitants had never heard of such a disease.

This, as it seemed then, a coincidence suggested that scurvy develops due to a lack of ascorbic acid in food, which is abundant in citrus fruits growing in tropical latitudes. This assumption led to the fact that in 1928 the chemist Albert Szent-Györgyi derived vitamin C as an organic compound, in its pure form. And 4 years later, he proved that scurvy is a disease that is caused by its acute shortage in the body.

Benefits of ascorbic acid

To figure out if ascorbic acid is possible during pregnancy, you need to know its effect (useful and not very) on the body. Let's start with the benefits of vitamin C.

Benefits of ascorbic acid:

• Stimulates productioninterferon, therefore, boosts immunity.
• Participates in the formation of collagen - a substance on which the state of bone tissue, skin, hair directly depends.
• Strengthens the walls of blood vessels, participates in hematopoiesis.
• Improves blood clotting in hemophilia.
• Participates in the deoxidation of the body, that is, it removes harmful substances (free radicals and metals) from it, which are formed during food poisoning.
• Cleanses blood vessels from bad cholesterol.
• Enhances the action of vitamins A and E, which improves metabolism.

In addition, ascorbic acid slows down the aging process. Therefore, it is often prescribed for age-related cognitive decline (memory, perception, attention, etc.) and Alzheimer's disease.

Taking into account all the beneficial properties of vitamin C, we can conclude that ascorbic acid during pregnancy is simply irreplaceable. However, do not draw premature conclusions without familiarizing yourself with its harmful effects on the body.

The harmful properties of ascorbic acid

The harmful properties of vitamin C can only be detected when it is in excess in the body. By itself, it is only beneficial, but, as with other medications, it is necessary to prevent an overdose of ascorbic acid during pregnancy.

Harm vitamin C:

• Increases the risk of thrombosis due to a strong effect on blood clotting.
• Overdose may cause stomach pain, heartburn, vomiting as acid can corrodeintestinal wall.
• Ascorbic acid with glucose during pregnancy greatly disrupts metabolism, which increases the risk of allergies in the child.
• Regular overdose can lead to kidney stones.
• Too much vitamin C can cause pancreas failure.
• Allergy risk.

Overdose of ascorbic acid during pregnancy can also lead to sleep disturbance, headache, fever. Therefore, it is still not worth abusing it.

Ascorbic acid when planning pregnancy

Thinking about taking ascorbic acid is still at the stage of pregnancy planning. Completely he althy women, as a rule, are recommended by doctors to take only folic acid and vitamin E. In individual cases, this list will be supplemented with multivitamin complexes and other macro- and microelements.

Ascorbic acid will benefit women who smoke and those who have just recently overcome nicotine addiction. The fact is that smoking neutralizes a large amount of vitamin C (about 25 mg per cigarette). Therefore, smokers a priori have a deficiency of this substance in the body.

In addition, ascorbic acid will have a positive effect on the body with anemia and vascular disorders. For the prevention of toxicosis during pregnancy, ascorbic acid will also be a good helper.

First 12 weeks of pregnancy

There are a lot of prohibitions for pregnant women in the first trimester. All because femalethe body at this time undergoes tremendous stress associated with adaptation to a new position. However, ascorbic acid during pregnancy in the 1st trimester does not pose any threat to the woman or the fetus.

On the contrary, vitamin C, stimulating the natural production of interferon, will improve immunity and, as a result, the body's resistance to viral diseases. The main thing is not to exceed the daily dose, which is 2 g per day. Otherwise, an overdose can cause hypertonicity, which is fraught with spontaneous miscarriage.

Second and third trimesters of pregnancy

When faced with the question of whether it is possible to take ascorbic acid during pregnancy, doctors usually give an affirmative answer, regardless of its duration. The fact is that throughout the entire period of bearing a child, a woman's body needs vitamin C not only to increase immunity, but also for the proper intrauterine development of the fetus.

In addition, the vast majority of women during this period are prone to anemia, which is why they are prescribed iron supplements, forgetting about the beneficial properties of ascorbic acid. It is usually given as a pill, but there are exceptions.

The use of intravenous ascorbic acid during pregnancy is necessary to increase blood clotting and prevent birth bleeding. Also, the solution can be prescribed to eliminate late toxicosis, which affects women in the third trimester.

Contraindications

Uncontrolled use of ascorbic acid can cause real harm to the body. Therefore, do not ignore the contraindications and recommendations of doctors.

Contraindications for use:

• increased blood clotting;
• prone to thrombosis (thrombophlebitis);
• diabetes mellitus;
• allergy.

Pregnant women are better off getting vitamin C from food than taking pharmaceuticals. Moreover, it is contained in products that are available to everyone.

Foods High in Vitamin C

Contrary to stereotypes, vitamin C champions are not citrus fruits at all. Therefore, making up for the lack of ascorbic acid, you should look at other products that are richer in its content than oranges.

Vitamin C content per 100g of product:

• Barbados Cherry - 1000-3000 mg.
• Fresh Rose Hips - 650 mg.
• Red Bell Pepper - 250mg
• Sea Buckthorn Fruit - 200mg
• Blackcurrant - 200 mg.
• Parsley - 150 mg.

For reference: oranges contain only 38-60 mg of vitamin C. With a daily intake of 75 mg per day, you need to eat only 200 g of oranges to replenish the body's natural supply.

As you can see from the list below, there are many foods rich in ascorbic acid. The main rule is not to overdo it. After all, an overdose can happen not only fromconsumption of a pure vitamin, but also from uncontrolled eating of its natural sources.