People with higher intakes of calcium and zinc in the three months before they conceived were significantly less likely to suffer hypertensive disorders during their pregnancy compared with those who had lower intakes of these essential minerals, according to new research.
The results highlight the importance of focusing on nutrition before conceiving — not only during pregnancy — in order to promote healthy pregnancies.
While many people begin focusing on their nutrition after becoming pregnant, the researchers said that a person’s nutritional status before conception is important since it can often take time for the body to correct deficiencies or imbalances.
The researchers conducted two separate studies using data from over 7,700 pregnant women across the U.S. who provided information about their health and diet through a study called the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-To-Be. One study focused on calcium while the other focused on zinc. The researchers analyzed the association between pre-conception intakes of each mineral and rates of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy after accounting for demographic, lifestyle and health factors that are also related to the risk of hypertension.
The results showed that people in the highest quintile for pre-conception calcium intake were 24% less likely to experience hypertensive disorders during pregnancy compared with those in the lowest quintile. For zinc, participants were divided into quartiles and those with the highest pre-conception zinc intakes were 38% less likely to experience hypertensive disorders during pregnancy than those with the lowest zinc intakes.
