Pre-eclampsia: the food factor

Apart from paying careful attention to diet, a woman who is at risk of pre-eclampsia should consider increasing her intake of certain important nutrients.

The recent study at Guy's, Kings' and St Thomas' schools of medicine in London showed that women at high risk of pre-eclampsia could avoid the condition by taking antioxidant supplements, namely vitamins C (1000mg daily) and E (400iu daily).

Several recent studies have suggested that free-radical damage may be at the heart of pre-eclampsia. Free radicals are the toxic by-products of body metabolism and, if they are allowed to build up, they can damage healthy cells and tissues. Antioxidants are able to neutralise free radicals, preventing them from causing damage to the body. The London researchers believe that women with pre-eclampsia may not be consuming enough antioxidant vitamins to help process the increased number of free radicals their pregnant bodies make.

Important nutrients which boost antioxidant levels include vitamin B6 (10-50mg daily), calcium (1000mg daily) and magnesium (400-600mg daily). On their own, none of these nutrients have been consistently shown to help pre-eclampsia. However, supplementing with all three, especially if combined with an improved diet, may help prevent the condition from appearing. They may also prevent the condition from getting worse if it has already appeared.

Two other useful supplements are zinc and essential fatty acids (EFAs). Zinc is important to support foetal growth, and your ideal daily intake should be around 30mg. The best way to get EFAs is through your diet. Make sure you are eating lots of oily fish such as salmon and mackerel or that you take 1000mg of omega-3 fatty acids each day.