Page 23 - summer2016

This is an unfortunate impression as liver was cases of blindness per year worldwide. This is Liver is an
part of her family’s traditional foodways. An- why developing countries safely give megadoses
other patient hoping to become pregnant said, of vitamin A to newborns.” excellent
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“You don’t want too much vitamin A in preg- Likewise, highly respected medical organi- source of
nancy because it can cause birth defects.” But is zations, including the March of Dimes and the all these
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this true? What historically was the practice of Mayo Clinic, do not list liver among the foods
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eating liver while pregnant? Was there a good to limit or avoid completely during pregnancy. vitamins as
reason to discontinue this practice? What are the But rather than relying on expert opinions, let’s well as
risks, if any, of consuming preformed vitamin consider what “far greater risks” may present choline and
A? themselves if a women enters pregnancy with
Liver and cod liver oil, both high in vita- low vitamin A status. cholesterol; all
min A, are traditional foods valued by many Vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy is are needed
indigenous cultures. It wasn’t long ago that known to increase the risk of maternal mortality for successful
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books advising mothers on what to eat during and is associated with premature birth, intra-
pregnancy placed liver on the top of the list, not uterine growth retardation, low birthweight, reproduction.
only for vitamin A, but also vitamins B , B , B , and abruptio placentae. Ideally the prevention
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B and protein. And with good reason. Liver of birth defects and other poor outcomes will
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is an excellent source of all these vitamins as begin before conception. An important key to
well as choline and cholesterol; all are needed prevention is the mother and father consuming
for successful reproduction. Cod liver oil was a fully nourishing traditional diet. All major
a mainstay of the diet for many families prior organ systems develop early in pregnancy, often
to the 1970s. In 1941, the UK instituted the before a women knows that she is pregnant.
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Vitamin Welfare Scheme, which provided cod Vitamin A signalling is essential during the
liver oil in black currant syrup to improve the development of several organs including eyes,
nutrition of vulnerable groups including expect- brain, liver, kidneys and heart. 45,46
ant mothers. A personal story may be useful here. Func-
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The Erie, New York, Department of Health tional nutrition expert Chris Kresser responded
publication “Eating Right During Pregnancy” to a question on vitamins for pregnancy via
places liver and liver sausage first under “Be his blog. A comment was posted by a mother
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sure to include these foods rich in iron in your who believes a lack of vitamin A in her own
diet.” What this health department may not diet was the cause of her daughter’s congenital
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recognize is the fact that vitamins A and B kidney condition, vesicoureteral reflux (VUR).
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are also required to build red blood cells; “iron While no one can be sure of cause and effect,
deficiency” anemia may never be completely it is troubling that urinary tract defects are the
resolved without supplying these two vitamins most common class of defects in developed
in adequate amounts. 38,39 (B and folate are re- countries. According to this mother, “the pedi-
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quired for red blood cells as well.) The American atric urologist said he didn’t know why kids get
Pregnancy Association offers similar advice: VUR but that it was probably hereditary since a
“The U.S. RDA recommends about 27 mg [iron] child with the disorder has a 30 percent chance
per day. Lean beef, chicken, lamb, liver, turkey of having a sibling with the disorder as well. I
and veal are good options.” think he’s only halfway right—a mother who is
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Certainly not all nutrition experts advise malnourished for one pregnancy is likely to be
against the consumption of foods or supple- malnourished for another, especially subsequent
ments high in preformed vitamin A. According pregnancies from the first one where something
to Dr. Micozzi: “In fact, a lack of vitamin A, went wrong developmentally.”
especially during pregnancy and in infancy, In support of this mother’s suspicion, a
poses far greater risks. Deficiency of vitamin study of pregnant women with short birth in-
A in developing babies is known to cause birth tervals or multiple births showed that almost
defects, poor tooth enamel, a weakened immune one-third of the women had plasma retinol
system, and literally several hundred thousand levels below 1.4 µmol/l corresponding to a
Wise Traditions SUMMER 2016 Wise Traditions 23