Protect Your Daughter’s Health Now for Future Child-Bearing Years
- Denise Scott
- Jun 18
- 5 min read
I recently returned from a Culinary Medicine conference in New Orleans, the birthplace of the program. Dr. Timothy Harlan, both a chef and internal medicine doctor, first helped develop this program at Tulane Medical School. He recognized the importance of food in preventing and treating disease, initiating a movement that many medical schools have now adopted.
One of the more interesting topics, and relevant to what I write about, is the use of culinary medicine to support intergenerational well-being.
What is meant by this?
Improving the health of future mothers long before they have their own children to improve the health of babies.
What is the reason for this?
More and more women are unhealthy before becoming pregnant. This is due to many factors, including unhealthy diets, environmental exposures, smoking, obesity, stress, and nutritional deficiencies. These factors can also lead to a decrease in fertility by affecting hormones and increasing inflammation.
I will focus on dietary factors and what is known regarding specific deficiencies. Optimizing nutritional status during childhood and teen years will benefit your child for years to come and ultimately benefit their offspring.
A diet high in sugar and simple carbohydrates, and low in fiber gives rise to inflammation. This leads to higher sugar and insulin levels, creating insulin resistance. This can also lead to lower rates of conception, which is thought to be related to high insulin levels and the development of PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome. PCOS interferes with normal hormone production by the ovaries and increases the risk of infertility.
The Western-style diet can create specific nutritional deficiencies, as can a vegan or vegetarian diet. Deficiencies before pregnancy are difficult to correct during pregnancy and create problems for the developing fetus.
I have written previously about nutrient deficits in teenage girls, such as iron, calcium, and vitamin D, and the deficiencies that can occur on vegetarian and vegan diets - calcium, vitamin D, iron, and B12. See these past articles for additional information:
Additional deficiencies seen include folate, choline, iodine, selenium, vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids. It is worth taking a look at what your daughter eats to encourage variety and possibly supplements. Let's take a look at these specific nutrients.
Vitamin A
Adequate vitamin A should be readily available, but a deficiency in this is the leading cause of blindness in children worldwide. Vitamin A also supports the immune system, skin, and reproductive organs.
Foods with this vitamin include:
Green, orange, and yellow vegetables and fruit
Eggs
Beef and chicken
Dairy
Calcium and Vitamin D
This vitamin and mineral, in adequate amounts, will protect bones into adulthood and during pregnancy. Many teenage girls stop drinking milk, and without it, they are not likely to get enough.
Recommendations:
Calcium 1300 mg
Vitamin D 800-1000 IU or 20-25 mcg
Eating calcium and vitamin D-fortified foods (dairy products, plant-based milk, orange juice, and cereals) is still unlikely to achieve the daily requirements. Calcium-rich foods include almonds, white beans, salmon, tofu, and dark green vegetables.
If the diet falls short, it is best to give a combined calcium and vitamin D supplement. This is especially true for girls who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet. Not having enough of these vital nutrients during the growing years increases the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is primarily found in animal products. If following a vegan or vegetarian diet, this should be supplemented. Deficiency in this leads to neurologic problems, including seizures.
This vitamin is found in seafood, poultry, red meat, dairy, and eggs. Nutritional yeast, plant-based milk, and some cereals are fortified sources.
Iron
I recommended to all my female patients once they were in puberty to take a multivitamin with iron, in particular, to replace the iron they lose monthly from their periods. Iron deficiency leads to anemia and multiple symptoms, such as fatigue, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, poor exercise tolerance, and muscle cramps, that are easily prevented and treatable.
Iron can be given alone as a supplement but is often better tolerated in a multivitamin. Taking a vitamin C source when taking iron increases its absorption.
Folate
Please don’t neglect this vitamin, also known as vitamin B9. Women who are deficient in this are at risk of having a baby with a neural tube/spinal cord defect. It is recommended that all women of childbearing age be supplemented with folate at a dose of 400 mcg daily to prevent this condition in future offspring. The time to supplement is years before pregnancy occurs.
Folate is found in leafy greens, citrus fruits, dairy, eggs, seafood, meat, poultry, beans and legumes, peas, and fortified foods like bread, pasta, rice, and cereals.
Iodine
Adequate iodine is crucial for thyroid function. Since sea salt and other non-iodized salts have become popular, iodine deficiency is being diagnosed. Iodine is also found in seafood, seaweed, dairy products, and iodized salt. Deficiency in this can lead to infertility, congenital disorders, and miscarriage.
Choline
A lack of choline can lead to liver disease and poor brain function. It is recommended that teenage girls get 400 mg daily. Most multivitamins do not have this. Luckily, it is found in many foods, including:
Beef
Poultry
Liver
Fish
Eggs (in the yolk)
Dairy
Vegetables - mushrooms, red potatoes, cruciferous veggies
Legumes
Some whole grains
Selenium
Selenium is necessary for many organs. Its content in plant foods depends on the concentration of the soil in which they are grown. Deficiency in this country is rare except in certain health conditions.
Selenium-rich foods include brown rice, baked beans, whole wheat bread, Brazil nuts (highest source), sardines, yellowfin tuna, and other fish, eggs, cottage cheese, beef, and poultry.
Zinc
The foods with the highest sources of zinc come from animal products - meat, fish and shellfish, dairy, and eggs - so a vegan or vegetarian diet can lead to a deficiency. Beans, whole grains, and nuts are sources, but these also contain phytates, which limit how much zinc the body absorbs. The body absorbs zinc better from animal rather than plant sources. The body does not store this mineral, so daily intake is required.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Some of the best sources of omega-3s come from seafood, but there are also plant-based sources like ground flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, chia seeds, walnuts, and soybeans. You can also get omega-3-enriched eggs.
Seafood is rich in the fatty acids DHA and EPA; omega-3 from plants contain primarily ALA. Omega-3 fatty acids are considered an essential nutrient, meaning that your body cannot make these, so you have to get them from food.
To Summarize
The goal should be a varied diet that doesn’t restrict or eliminate healthy food groups. Focus on
Whole, natural foods that are minimally processed
Healthy complex carbohydrates - whole grains, vegetables, and legumes
Healthy proteins from both plant and animal sources since each source contains different nutrients
Fiber from vegetables, fruits, nuts, and grains for a healthy microbiome
Healthy fats that include poly- and mono-unsaturated fats with omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA and EPA
Consider vitamin and mineral supplements when needed, especially for iron, calcium, and vitamin D.
Feed your child optimally now to support a healthy future for them and their offspring.
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