Vitamins are amino acid compounds that are needed by our body but can not be produced by the body itself, hence it should come from outside through our daily food intake. The nature gives us the luxury by providing various food sources that contains all the vitamins that we need. In many circumstances, it is lack of our knowledge that results to various kinds of illness and disturbances due to vitamin deficiencies.

Now, vitamin becomes essential in particular conditions which include the conditioning of getting pregnant and the pregnancy itself. Its essentiality lies in its role to support normal growth and development of a human being.

Starting from the very beginning at the conception where the development occurs by absorbing the essential nutrients. The growing fetus needs certain vitamins and minerals to develop body parts and system such as the skin, bone as well as the muscles.

If serious deficiency happens in one or several vitamins and nutrients, the presence of a deficiency disease will and are most likely to cause permanent damage in the growing fetus.

After the completion of fetal growth and development and after birth till it gets mature into a healthy adult, vitamins and minerals are still required to maintain the perfect function of the entire body systems. They are needed as catalysts of various metabolic processes of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. So, the message is very clear, do not neglect your vitamin and mineral requirement, please

It is recommended to start taking vitamin supplements when you plan to get pregnant. You can select the kind of prenatal vitamins which contain a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals. Look for those that contain B vitamins, Folic acid and Zinc, which are essential in the production of female hormones.

Here is an overview of "vitamins that become essential" if you plan to get pregnant

Vitamin A

Vitamin A, together with Vitamin D, E and K are included in the fat soluble vitamin group. It plays an important role in our immune system which provides protection against various infection caused by viruses and bacteria that may lead to infertility. It also maintains skin and eye health.

Vitamin A is also recognized to help in hormone balancing, splitting and differentiation of cells and boost fertility in women and increases the quality and production of sperm in men

The recommended daily requirement for men is 900 mcg and for women 700 mcg. Vitamin A rich foods include milk, egg substitute, cheese, cod liver oil, spinach, sweet potatoes, peaches, mangoes, tomato, peas, carrots, broccoli and sweet melon.

In fact, the orange-red colored fruit or vegetables indicate that they contain β-carotene the precursor of vitamin-A which will be metabolized to become vitamin-A

B Vitamins

Vitamin B Complex are water soluble vitamins and includes vitamin B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folic acid) and B12 (cobalamin). Although they are all important, but folic acid is the primary vitamin B member in pregnancy.

Folic acid is present in a wide range of foods such as strawberries, oranges, pasta beans and broccoli. Folic acid is the most important vitamin in the prevention of spina bifida, a neural tube defect (the lining of the brain and spinal cord) that occurs in many cases of stillbirth

The minimum daily requirement of folic acid to support a healthy pregnancy is 400 mcg. While the other vitamin B members are essential for the development of healthy fetus organ and systems such as the nervous system, blood, skin and eyes. B6 is also known to reduce morning sickness and promote energy during pregnancy.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid is another water soluble vitamin which has an anti-oxidant property. Vitamin C is needed in the smooth absorption of iron and to improve body immunity of the mother.

Vitamin C is found in many fruits and vegetables which are usually sour in taste. The minimum daily requirement for pregnant women is 80 mcg.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is considered as another supplement which you need to increase when trying to get pregnant, since it plays an important role in the formation of bone and teeth of the fetus as well as the healthy bones and teeth of the mother.

Excellent sources of vitamin D are oily fish and milk, which in fact contains the precursor for of vitamin D and with the help of sun rays become vitamin D which is essential in the metabolism of calcium and phosphate.

Resent researches have found out that the actual dietary requirement for a pregnant women and lactation may actually be as high as 6000 IU per day, which is far above the present minimum daily requirement of 200 IU per day.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is another fat-soluble vitamin. It has an antioxidant effect which can improve the function of your body immune system and preventing free radicals to damage sperm.

Vitamin E is also known to have the ability to repair damaged cells, increases the quality of sperm, maintains healthy cervical mucus, regulates the ovulation and increases the probability of conception by men with low sperm counts.

The recommended daily requirement for vitamin E is 15 mg for both women and men. Vitamin E-rich foods include wheat germ, almonds, hazelnuts, spinach, tomatoes, kiwi, mangoes, peanuts butter, corn oil and sunflower seeds.