fbpx

Important Nutrients for Heart Health

February 11, 2022

Bowls of health foods
February is American Heart Month and a time to bring awareness to our cardiovascular health. Approximately half of all Americans have at least one of these risk factors for developing heart disease: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, or smoking.1 If you are expecting and have a heart condition, it’s important to understand the unique strains that pregnancy can put on the heart. Here we’ll share some of the ways pregnancy can stress the heart and how you can strengthen it.

How Pregnancy Affects the Heart

During pregnancy, as your body is working hard to nourish your developing baby, your body’s heart and circulatory systems are stressed. Blood volumes expand by 30% to 50%, heart rate increases, and blood sugar levels spike.2

Delivery is also a workout for your heart. Each time you push, your blood flow and blood pressure change quickly. In fact, it can take several weeks after delivery for your heart to return to pre-pregnancy functioning.

Women who are pregnant and have pre-existing heart conditions are at a greater risk of complications. But with preventative measures, you can help increase your chances of safely delivering healthy babies.

Strengthen Your Heart

Focusing on your heart health before and during pregnancy can help you avoid complications that could threaten your own or your baby’s life. Taking good care of yourself is the best way to take care of your baby. Here are some ways to improve your heart health:

  • Exercise regularly
  • Get plenty of rest
  • Reduce stress
  • Manage anxiety
  • Monitor your weight gain
  • Eat a heart-healthy diet
  • Avoid smoking, alcohol, caffeine, and illegal drugs

Get the Right Nutrients

There are some key heart-healthy nutrients that can help you reduce your risk of heart-related complications during pregnancy, including:

  • Omega-3 fatty acids/DHA (fish, walnuts, leafy greens)
  • Fiber (whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts)
  • Monounsaturated fat (avocados, nuts, seeds, peanut butter)
  • Folate (citrus fruit, dark leafy greens, grains, beans)
  • Potassium (bananas, potatoes, tomatoes)

Prenate® Vitamin Family
This post is brought to you by the Prenate® Vitamin Family, a line of prescription prenatal supplements designed to enhance preconception, prenatal, and postpartum nutrition in women. Talk with your doctor about how taking a daily prescription prenatal or postnatal vitamin could help support a healthy pregnancy and postpartum wellness.

Health foods Pinterest graphic

Connect with Prenate®

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

WARNING: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

WARNING: Ingestion of more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids (such as DHA) per day has been shown to have potential antithrombotic effects, including an increased bleeding time and International Normalized Ratio (INR). Administration of omega-3 fatty acids should be avoided in patients taking anticoagulants and in those known to have an inherited or acquired predisposition to bleeding.

This site and its contents are an information resource only, and are neither intended to nor should be used in replacement of your doctor or other prescribing professional’s medical guidance, recommendations or advice. Neither this site nor its information should be used or relied upon for any diagnostic, medical, treatment, nutritional or other purpose. All aspects of pregnancy, including whether pregnancy is right for you, and the nourishment and care of your child, should be made with your doctor and other appropriate medical professional, and in consideration of your and your child’s particular medical history. Avion Pharmaceuticals, LLC (“Avion”) makes no representation, warranty or other undertaking that this site or its information are appropriate for you or your child’s specific needs or issues, and further expressly disclaims all damages, losses, injuries or liability whatsoever incurred or alleged to have been incurred in consequence of your reliance on the information on this site. Avion does not endorse any test, procedure, treatment, remedy, therapy, cure, nutritional regimen, method or other activity or undertaking that you and/or your doctor or other medical professional may elect or recommend. By visiting this site you agree to these terms and conditions and acknowledge that you have read and understand the same. These terms and conditions, together with any information on this site, may be amended, restated or otherwise changed from time to time and at any time by Avion within the sole, absolute and uncontrolled exercise of its discretion. You acknowledge and agree that Avion has no duty or obligation to keep you informed of any amendments to, restatements of or other changes to these terms and conditions or this site, and that you are solely and exclusively responsible for apprising yourself of the same.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

WARNING: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

WARNING: Ingestion of more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids (such as DHA) per day has been shown to have potential antithrombotic effects, including an increased bleeding time and International Normalized Ratio (INR). Administration of omega-3 fatty acids should be avoided in patients taking anticoagulants and in those known to have an inherited or acquired predisposition to bleeding.

This site and its contents are an information resource only, and are neither intended to nor should be used in replacement of your doctor or other prescribing professional’s medical guidance, recommendations or advice. Neither this site nor its information should be used or relied upon for any diagnostic, medical, treatment, nutritional or other purpose. All aspects of pregnancy, including whether pregnancy is right for you, and the nourishment and care of your child, should be made with your doctor and other appropriate medical professional, and in consideration of your and your child’s particular medical history. Avion Pharmaceuticals, LLC (“Avion”) makes no representation, warranty or other undertaking that this site or its information are appropriate for you or your child’s specific needs or issues, and further expressly disclaims all damages, losses, injuries or liability whatsoever incurred or alleged to have been incurred in consequence of your reliance on the information on this site. Avion does not endorse any test, procedure, treatment, remedy, therapy, cure, nutritional regimen, method or other activity or undertaking that you and/or your doctor or other medical professional may elect or recommend. By visiting this site you agree to these terms and conditions and acknowledge that you have read and understand the same. These terms and conditions, together with any information on this site, may be amended, restated or otherwise changed from time to time and at any time by Avion within the sole, absolute and uncontrolled exercise of its discretion. You acknowledge and agree that Avion has no duty or obligation to keep you informed of any amendments to, restatements of or other changes to these terms and conditions or this site, and that you are solely and exclusively responsible for apprising yourself of the same.

Pin It on Pinterest