Читать книгу Safe Food: What to eat and drink in pregnancy - Rosie Dodds - Страница 46

We all need small amounts of vitamin A to keep our skin healthy. A balanced diet containing a range of fruit and vegetables, margarine and eggs will provide all the vitamin A we need. There is no need to take extra during pregnancy.

It may be harmful to your developing baby to have too much vitamin A. There are two ways in which this may happen: first, if you eat large amounts of liver, and second, if you take supplements of either vitamin A or fish oil.

Animal liver and liver products may contain high levels of vitamin A. This is related to the type of food on which the animals have been fed. It is therefore best that you do not eat liver, or foods made from liver (such as pate) while you are pregnant. It is OK to eat these foods once you have had your baby.

Fish oil supplements (tablets, capsules or medicine) may also contain high levels of the wrong type of vitamin A. Fish oil contains essential fatty acids – but it is better to eat oily fish like mackerel, herrings, pilchards and salmon, rather than take a supplement.

If you feel you need to take a vitamin supplement, avoid ones that contain the ‘retinol’ form of vitamin A. Too much (more than 3,300 microgrammes, or mcg or μg) of this type of vitamin A may harm your developing baby. The ‘carotene’ form of vitamin A is safe – so check the label carefully and ask your pharmacist for advice.