How Nutritious Foods Benefit Breastfeeding

Why nutritious food is needed and how it promotes healthy breastfeeding

Breastfeeding requires a lot of energy. The energy comes from healthy fats contained in the foods you eat, such as omega fatty acids found in salmon. The body also requires other essentials nutrients, minerals and vitamins such as protein, calcium, iron, folate and various vitamins.

In what way does it use energy from these for breastfeeding?

Iron
During pregnancy the body uses a lot of iron that gets stored in your body, especially during breastfeeding. Foods such as red meat, nuts & seeds, grains and green vegetable are high in iron and is essential in providing much needed iron to you and your breastfeeding baby.

Folate (Folic Acid)
Breastfeeding is highly needed as folate is naturally in breast milk. It is required to have enough for the baby to have enough nutrients in the mothers milk.

Vitamin A
It is important to have Vitamin A in breastmilk as it promotes healthy bones, immunity and vision to the baby when they consume it.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is needed to absorb iron in the body and encourages healthy growth and development in the baby. Vitamin C can also increase protection against immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, prenatal health problems, eye and skin diseases.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential for strong healthy bones as it helps the body to absorb vitamin C. It may also assist in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cognitive impairment and asthma.

Calcium
Calcium plays an important role in the healthy functioning of the circulatory, muscular, and nervous systems.  It helps build healthy bones and teeth.

More information can be found here.