Читать книгу Safe Food: What to eat and drink in pregnancy - Rosie Dodds - Страница 51

Vitamin D helps our bodies absorb and use a mineral called calcium. Calcium is needed for strong bones and teeth. A good intake of calcium is especially important during pregnancy when your baby’s bones and teeth are developing.

Vitamin D is found in oily fish, such as sardines and mackerel, eggs, milk and other dairy products, and fortified foods such as margarine and breakfast cereals. Vitamin D is also made within our bodies, a process started by sun-light on our skins. People who spend some time out of doors each day, and who eat plenty of foods rich in vitamin D, usually have good stores of the vitamin.

The UK government recommends that pregnant (and breastfeeding) women should take a supplement of 10μg of vitamin D each day (sometimes written as 10mcg or 10 microgrammes). This is because some women in the UK may not build up adequate stores of vitamin D to meet the extra needs of pregnancy. You may like to talk to your GP about a vitamin D supplement if:

you do not eat milk foods, and other animal foods such as fish and eggs

you do not spend some time out of doors between 11am and 3pm each day (it doesn’t matter if the sun isn’t shining)

you usually cover your arms, legs and head when out of doors

you live in the north of England or in Scotland, where the winter days are short.