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 Women in Haiti - Vitamin Angels 2009 As a founding supporter and platinum level sponsor of Vitamin Angels, Rainbow Light has donated over 15 million prenatal and children’s supplements to at-risk women and children worldwide. This support plays a vital role in improving maternal and infant survival rates, birth weights, and children’s physical and cognitive development, while reducing mortality and morbidity rates, birth defects and other ailments caused by nutritional deficiencies.
Malnutrition is a global concern, leading to the deaths of nearly 10 million children each year. 1 “Over the years, Rainbow Light has helped save the lives of tens of thousands of mothers and children because of their long-term humanitarian commitment,” noted Vitamin Angels Founder and President, Howard Schiffer.
Rainbow Light and Vitamin Angels’ goal is to help vulnerable children to thrive physically and cognitively, not just survive. Donations target pregnant and lactating women and their children in areas where the population is medically underserved and at special risk for vitamin deficiencies and related morbidity and mortality.
Your purchases of Prenatal One™, Prenatal Petite™, Complete Prenatal System™ and Kids’ One Multistars® multivitamins drive donations to Vitamin Angels. Together we are making a meaningful difference in the lives of women and children around the world.
Founded in 1994, Vitamin Angels is a non-profit, non-sectarian organization providing basic nutrition to areas of extreme poverty, catastrophic need and civil strife. Learn more at www.vitaminangels.org
1 Altafuller, Paul, and Grant Washington-Smith. “Malnutrition and Cognitive Function in Developing Countries.” Nutraceuticals World, October 2008.
   
The daily requirement for folic acid (folate) doubles in pregnancy, increasing to 800 mcg. This well-researched nutrient plays a critical role in preventing birth defects of the brain and spinal cord, called neural tube defects (NTDs). The neural tube is the embryonic structure that develops into the brain and spinal cord. It begins as a tiny ribbon of tissue and by the twenty-eighth day of your pregnancy, a spinal cord begins to form. When this process goes awry, NTDs result. Studies show that seventy percent of NTDs could be prevented with folic acid supplementation, which is why the March of Dimes and other health organizations recommend it.
Defects of the spinal cord originate in the first month of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. This is why all women of childbearing age should consume at least 400 mcg daily. Folic acid plays other important roles including helping you to produce additional blood cells, aiding in the growth of the placenta and fetus, and producing new DNA as cells multiply.
Food sources of folic acid include fortified breakfast cereals, dry beans, leafy greens and orange juice. A daily multivitamin can also help ensure you get the folic acid you and your baby need.
Rainbow Light’s Prenatal One™, Prenatal Petite™ Mini-Tabs and Complete Prenatal System™ multivitamins each provide the recommended 800 mcg or more of folic acid per day, along with a comprehensive range of nutrients you and your baby need. Choose the one that’s right for you at RainbowLight.com.
Adequate protein intake during pregnancy is critical for both mother and baby. Protein is necessary for all cellular development, as well as for maintaining healthy placenta, amniotic fluid and new blood cell production.
During pregnancy and lactation, the average DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) for protein increases from 46 grams to 71 grams per day. Poor protein intake may negatively impact fetal brain development and increases risks for low birth weights.
By the second trimester the baby’s growth is accelerating and by the third trimester the mothers blood volume has increased by 50%, so it’s especially important to get enough protein during this time. Women who follow strict vegetarian diets or who experience severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy are at greater risk of falling short of daily requirements. Lean meats, poultry, fish, soy, eggs, legumes, nuts and dairy products are all good protein sources. If you don’t eat enough protein every day, it’s important to find ways to boost your intake.
 Whey Protein Energizer™ from Rainbow Light supports your healthy pregnancy with 20 grams of exceptionally pure whey protein, which provides a complete amino acid profile, is easy to digest and will help you feel full longer. Whey protein enhances glutathione production, naturally supporting immune function. Whey Protein Energizer provides a safe botanical blend of American ginseng, ginger and citrus plus plant-source enzymes for natural energy and to ensure no stomach upset. It provides a safe, pure and nutritious protein source during pregnancy with no lactose, soy or added sugar.
If you suffer from morning sickness during pregnancy, you may find it difficult to take your prenatal multivitamins. Certain nutrients like iron, B vitamins and calcium can contribute to nausea, yet doctors and health organizations like the March of Dimes emphasize the important of these and other key nutrients for healthy fetal development and maternal health. Rainbow Light prenatal products provide a simple solution for sensitive tummies, here’s why:
- Certain nutrient forms are easier to digest and absorb than others, Rainbow Light products include bio-available and easily digestible nutrient forms plus added digestive support to be gentle on your stomach. For example, the amino acid chelated form of iron is easier on the stomach and does not cause constipation – another common discomfort during pregnancy.
- Additionally, Rainbow Light’s prenatal multivitamins include enzymes and probiotics in every formula to help soothe digestion and fresh ginger juice is included for its well studied role in safely relieving morning sickness.
- Calcium-rich foods such as dark green leafy vegetables and dairy products, in combination with your Rainbow Light multivitamin, can help you meet your daily prenatal requirement of 1,300 mg per day. For those who can’t stomach these foods, Rainbow Light’s Food-Based Calcium™ is a very gentle calcium product for prenatal use as it provides 500 mg of calcium per tablet.
- Small, frequent meals which include protein can help stave off nausea as well. A tasty solution is Rainbow Light’s Whey Protein Energizer™ shake. When your stomach is feeling sensitive try taking your prenatal multivitamin and calcium supplement with food or just before bed and drink plenty of water.
- Start taking a multivitamin with folic acid daily prior to conception and throughout pregnancy; it plays a critical role in early development of the brain and spinal cord.
- Trying to conceive can add to stress, which in turn may hinder conception. Practice yoga, meditation or deep breathing exercises to help manage stress. And remember, women over 35 may take longer to conceive, so try to keep a positive outlook if you don’t conceive right away.
- Eat small balanced meals consisting of whole grains, legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables and eat frequently to maintain blood sugar which will help prevent nausea. Drinking ginger or peppermint tea, eating high protein snacks before bed, keeping crackers, cereal or nuts beside your bed and having a nibble before getting out of bed and/or sipping sweet juice or flat soda in the morning can all help with nausea.
- Include at least four servings of calcium-rich foods daily which can help decrease the risk of pre-term delivery and reduce leg cramps in the mother, while building healthy bones in the baby.
- Stay hydrated and exercise regularly, this will help with constipation and general health. Try for 30 minutes of exercise on most days. Remember, three brisk 10-minute walks are as effective as a half hour all at once. Discuss exercise with your health care provider.
- Limit caffeine intake to 300 mg per day. Eight ounces of coffee contain approximately 150 mg; black tea contains about 80 mg.
- Get 400 IU or more of vitamin D daily for a myriad of benefits ranging from prevention of pre-eclampsia in the mother to building healthy bones and muscles in the baby.
- Rest and relax when you can; research shows that both can nurture a healthy mom and baby. Trying to conceive, pregnancy and motherhood all bring new challenges and stress to our bodies, the more relaxed the mother is during these stages the easier the time will be. Take little naps if possible, or go to bed a little earlier/get up a little later. Take a warm bath with a few drops of lavender oil before bed time, try yoga or meditation.
- Accept help. In our thirties and forties, many of us have gained confidence, independence… and a reluctance to ask for help. Support from friends and families is key, so keep a list of things you need to have done, like laundry or grocery shopping, and allow friends and family to help.
- Take a daily prenatal multivitamin like Prenatal One™ to ensure you get the nutrients you and your baby need, including iron, vitamins A, C, D and a complete B-complex with folic acid.
The omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) may help increase a developing baby’s cognitive functioning. DHA is essential for optimum development of the brain, eyes and central nervous system. Adequate DHA intake may also help reduce the risks of pre-term labor and of postpartum depression in the mother.
Throughout the third trimester of pregnancy, DHA is passed to the fetus through the placenta. Some experts believe DHA is associated with the eventual ability to learn, judge and concentrate. One study showed children whose mothers took a DHA supplement during pregnancy scored higher on intelligence tests at four years of age than children of mothers not taking DHA supplements.(1) Other research suggests breastfed babies have IQs of six to 10 points higher than formula-fed babies. Medical and nutritional experts attribute this difference to the DHA infants receive while nursing.
The body cannot produce omega-3 fatty acids like DHA, nor can it convert omega-6 fatty acids – plentiful in the Western diet – into omega-3s. Fatty fish provide high concentrations of omega-3s, but due to concerns over toxins, experts recommend limiting fish intake during pregnancy. Purified fish oil supplements offer a solution for obtaining optimal levels of omega-3s such as DHA without the risks of contamination.
Rainbow Light’s DHA 250 Smart Essentials™ provides optimal, one-per-day support for cognitive development with 250 mg DHA, plus additional nutrients for brain and heart health, all in a molecularly distilled formulation designed for easy digestion and exceptional purity when you need it most.
(1) Helland IB, Smith L, et. al. Maternal supplementation with very-long-chain n-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation augments children’s IQ at 4 years of age. Pediatrics. 2003; 111; 39-44.
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