Dietary Intake and Genetic Background Influence Vitamin Needs during Pregnancy

Abstract

Numerous approaches demonstrate how nutritional intake can be sufficient to ensure the necessary supply of vitamins. However, it is evident that not all vitamins are contained in all foods, so it is necessary either to combine different food groups or to use a vitamin supplement to be well-fed. During pregnancy, deficiencies are often exacerbated due to increased energy and nutritional demands, causing adverse outcomes in mother and child. Micronutrient supplementation could lead to optimal pregnancy outcomes being essential for proper metabolic activities that are involved in tissue growth and functioning in the developing fetus. In order to establish adequate vitamin supplementation, various conditions should be considered, such as metabolism, nutrition and genetic elements. This review accurately evaluated vitamin requirements and possible toxic effects during pregnancy. Much attention was given to investigate the mechanisms of cell response and risk assessment of practical applications to improve quality of life. Importantly, genetic studies suggest that common allelic variants and polymorphisms may play an important role in vitamin metabolism during pregnancy. Changes in gene expression of different proteins involved in micronutrients’ metabolism may influence the physiological needs of the pregnant woman.