It isn’t safe to eat liver every day, once or two times a month is not thought to be hazardous.
Benefits of Eating Liver during Pregnancy
Liver is typically considered a healthy food that’s rich in vitamins, minerals, and protein, but it includes high quantities of preformed vitamin A, or retinol. Preformed vitamin A is found in animal products like eggs, milk, and liver. Excessive of this type of vitamin A in your diet can cause birth defects in your establishing baby, especially during the first months of pregnancy.
The other type of vitamin A is called provitamin A carotenoids, which are discovered in fruits and vegetables. There’s no limit to the quantity of carotenoids an expectant mother can safely take in, so you do not have to stress over getting too much vitamin A from vegetables and fruits.
A part of cow’s liver can contain up to three times the optimum daily amount of preformed vitamin A recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The USDA suggests getting no greater than 10,000 IU of preformed vitamin A from supplements, animal sources, and fortified foods– combined– every day. (For women younger than age 19, that number is lower.).
A single serving of cow’s liver can contain as much as 30,000 IU of retinol. So you might certainly exceed the advised daily dose if you consumed a serving of liver. However you would have to eat that much every day over a period of months to receive a hazardous amount of preformed vitamin A.
It’s a good idea to avoid everyday doses of cod liver oil as well. Years ago it prevailed for parents to give children cod liver oil because it’s rich in vitamins. And now, thanks to the awareness of the advantages of omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish oils, cod liver oil is regaining its appeal (amongst parents, that is).
Like cow’s liver, nevertheless, cod liver oil contains large amounts of retinol. A teaspoon of cod liver oil includes 4,500 IU of retinol. If you’re interested in taking an omega-3 supplement, ask your doctor for a suggestion.
Dangers of eating liver while pregnant
Some research studies recommend that high dosages of vitamin A may cause birth defects. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the advised dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin A for pregnant women is 2,565 IUs (global systems) daily. In a 1995 research study, women who took more than 10,000 IUs of vitamin A day-to-day (almost 4 times the quantity suggested by the IOM) in the first two months of pregnancy had more than double the risk of having a baby with birth defects. Other studies have suggested that doses under 30,000 IUs daily most likely do not cause abnormality, however the lowest dose that might cause abnormality is unknown.
The body makes its own vitamin A, when required, from substances such as beta carotene, which is discovered in yellow and green vegetables. This raw material for the vitamin is entirely safe and healthy during pregnancy. However, much of the vitamin A consumed is the preformed vitamin (retinol) which, in extreme amounts, might cause abnormality. Preformed vitamin A is discovered in lots of vitamin supplements and some foods, consisting of meats, eggs, dairy products and prepared breakfast cereals.
Liver is the only food that supplies extremely high quantities of vitamin A. For example:
- A 3-ounce serving of beef liver might include 27,000 IUs.
- A 3-ounce serving of chicken liver may contain 12,000 IUs.
A pregnant woman who consumes liver routinely might consume enough vitamin A to posture a risk to her baby.
Though it is not shown that eating liver causes abnormality, the safest method is for pregnant women to lessen their consumption of liver. A pregnant woman also ought to be sure that her multivitamin or prenatal supplement contains no more than 5,000 IUs of preformed vitamin A. Some prenatal vitamins include no preformed vitamin A, substituting beta carotene or leaving out vitamin An entirely. She should not take any vitamin A supplements beyond that quantity.
