Vitabiotics Pregnacare Plus Omega-3, 56 tablets/capsules

Vitabiotics - Pregnacare Plus Omega-3 *56 tablets/capsules

A nutritional support for mum and baby

Pregnacare Plus Omega-3 offers a dual pack of essential vitamins at recommended doses: folic acid 400 mcg and vitamin D 10 mcg, as advised by the UK Department of Health, for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Contains DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which contributes to the normal development of the foetal brain and eyes.

Pregnacare Plus is formulated to provide all mums with the nutrients they need at the right levels, so there is no confusion about which nutrients to take.

Pregnacare Plus offers 28 tablets of multi-nutrient Pregnacare with 400 mcg folic acid.

Pregnacare tablets carefully provide 19 nutrients for mum and baby. Pregnacare is formulated so that everything is at safe levels. This includes vitamin B12, plus vitamin D and folic acid at recommended levels for baby care during pregnancy. Folic acid during pregnancy reduces folate deficiency, the absence of which is a risk factor for defects in the nervous system.

DHA is important during pregnancy as it contributes to the normal development of the foetal brain and eyes.

One Pregnacare Omega-3 capsule a day contains 300 mg DHA, the level recommended by international bodies for pregnant and breastfeeding women, plus 60 mg EPA.

Pregnacare Plus does not contain fish oil extracted from tuna, shark or other fish, as this is not recommended for pregnant women.

Vitamin D in pregnancy

According to the UK Department of Health, 10 mcg of vitamin D is recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding, which is exactly the amount in this product.

Vitamin E in pregnancy

Vitamin E contributes to protection against oxidative stress. Pregnacare contains a small recommended amount of this vitamin, 4 mg. It is present in its natural form, which is absorbed better than the synthetic form.

The importance of omega-3 fatty acids

Adults can convert the essential fatty acid ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), found in plant oils such as linseed oil, into DHA and EPA, but this process is inefficient for the body. Fish oil is a direct and reliable way to obtain DHA and EPA. The foetus and newborn in the first stages of life need to get these fatty acids directly, as they find it very difficult to convert them from ALA themselves.

Brain and eye development

DHA is the dominant fatty acid in the nervous system, as it is found in brain cell membranes. In the foetus, 60% of the brain is fat tissue, of which 40% is DHA. The need for DHA increases in the foetus, corresponding to an increase in its amount especially in the last months of pregnancy. At birth, a baby's brain weighs 70% of an adult's brain weight, and 15% of brain growth happens in the first years of life.