A dietitians view on a maternal diet and B vitamins
 | Nicola a dietitian at EatatEase has been hearing more about the importance of B vitamins in a maternal diet. |
Any female of childbearing age is encouraged to eat a well balanced diet and make sure they are getting the right amount of folate before they even attempt to start a family. But what about the other B vitamins? It is well known that B vitamins are essential for healthy fetal development, but now scientists are reporting that even small reductions can lead to subtle modifications to DNA, which can cause health related disorders, particularly in males.
Researchers from the University of Nottingham have shown that the adult offspring of sheep deprived of B vitamins prior to conception were 25% fatter, showed insulin resistance and had higher blood pressure than animals whose mothers ate a healthy diet.
Dr Sinclair said: "There is no effect on fertility, or birth weight and young offspring appear quite normal. However, sweeping changes to our DNA take place during conception and we now realise that this period is particularly vulnerable to environmental influences that can affect development and lead to chemical modifications that can make permanent alterations to gene expression. If maternal diet is not properly balanced it can upset these processes during conception it is a vulnerable period in mammalian development."
Taking supplements is not necessary if you are following a well balanced diet. B vitamins are found in foods such as fish, red meat, poultry, milk, cheese, eggs, green leafy vegetables, bananas and fortified breakfast cereals.
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