The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) have confirmed that a well-balanced vegan or vegetarian diet can be a good choice for women who are expecting a baby as well as the baby itself.
These vegetarian diets are healthy for both mother and child, and although they may be deficient in vitamin B12, supplements can be had through enriched food products or from multivitamins.
The PCRM issued this report in connection with an earlier article on the risks of neural tube defects in babies whose mothers had low levels of vitamin B12 or vitamin b12 deficiency.
The article in ‘Paediatrics’ was not precise and caused quite a lot of concern amongst pregnant women, who were starting to have doubts as to whether they were getting enough vitamin B12.
The PCRM confirms that women who are on a vegetarian diet can find all the necessary vitamins they need in these food types, added to the fact that a vegetarian diet is nutritiously beneficial, for it has less cholesterol content and saturated fats and offers more fibre, foliate and other antioxidant supplements as well as phytochemicals that help curb cancer.
You may find vitamin B12 in many other food products, such as cereals, soymilk and in other leafy vegetables. Women who are following a vegetarian regimen are probably healthier than others who are eating meat, as is the baby. In addition breast fed babies whose mothers are vegetarians are less at risk of being polluted by chemicals present in dairy foods.
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As a dietitian at PCRM, I would like to thank you so much for posting this important information on your website. The research referenced shows that it is imperative that all women thinking about becoming pregnant have a reliable source of B12 in their diet. I do want to clarify that leafy green vegetables are not a reliable source of B12. Supplements or supplemented foods such as cereals, plant milks, and meat substitutes are reliable sources.
Thank you,
Susan Levin, M.S., R.D.