Vitamin D & Pregnancy

Many people have heard how important it is for a pregnant woman to take folic acid, to help to prevent birth defects to an unborn baby's spine and brain. Just 400 micrograms of folic acid a day can help to prevent spina bifida.

What many people don't realize, is how essential it is to also optimize vitamin D levels during pregnancy.

A two-year-long community project implemented at the Medical University of South Carolina confirms 40 - 60% of preterm births are prevented by raising pregnant women’s vitamin D to a level of 40 ng/mL . I myself prefer levels of about 80 ng/mL.

Vitamin D optimization also reduces the mother’s risk of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and prenatal infections by approximately 50%.

Children born of vitamin D deficient mothers, have higher risk of allergies, asthma, colds and flu, dental cavities, diabetes and autism, as well as a higher risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease later on in life.

What we do and what we don't do, what we eat and what we don't eat, as well as other lifestyle and nutritional choices, all can either positively or negatively impact our genes.

Epigenetics is the study of how all of these factors either turn on or turn off genes. When we do good things, we turn on good genes and turn off bad genes. The opposite occurs when we do not such good things. We are not prisoners to our DNA, as it was once thought.

Vitamin D impacts over 5,000 human genes. I recommend at least 5,000 IU of vitamin D a day for pregnant women who are not out to much in the sunshine. I also recommend 50 micrograms of the MK7 variety of vitamin K2, along with the vitamin D. The ratio between the two should be 10 micrograms of the MK7 variety of k2, for every 1,000 IU of vitamin D. Whenever I refer to vitamin D, I am referring to vitamin D3 and not synthetic vitamin D2, which in my opinion should never be taken. Tanking the proper amout of K2 nd D, will get the calcium where it should be, which is in the bones and in the teeth and not in soft tissues and the arteries.

The article in the Journal of American Medical Association, which was published on June 20, 2017, was 100% wrong. It displayed a blatant lack of fundamental nutritional knowledge. It warned about taking more than 4,000 IU of vitamin D a day and claimed that premature death may be the result. If you don't take vitamin K2 along with the vitamin D, yes that can occur. If you take the K2 with the D, I am confident that you will actually increase your chances of living much longer, not decrease your chances.

Magnesium, manganese, boron and silica are also all important for proper bone formation and calcium/vitamin D utilization.

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