We want to have healthy kids, but do we really pay attention to our health before having babies?
Healthy Baby is born when there is a healthy oocyte and a healthy motile sperm.
Mitochondria is the cell’s energy factory. Without their proper work it will be hard to build a new life. The large number of mitochondria can be found in liver and muscle cells – where energy is most intensively synthesized and consumed ( e.g. In liver cells mitochondria can occupy up to 22% of the cell). But the largest number of mitochondria are in the oocyte! The mature oocytes contain up to several hundred thousand copies of mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondria are major determinants of ovarian ageing!
Mitochondria can be inherited only through the mother’s line, since all the mitochondria of the future organism are contained in the oocyte.
Thus mother with weak mitochondria will have baby with weak mitochondria!
How to check the work of mitochondria?
- Creatine phosphokinase (CPK), the enzyme that catalyzes the phosphorylation of creatine and reflects the levels of energy metabolites (ATP and PCr) -should not be less than 100 U/L. If CPK is below 100, then mitochondria are not working well.
- C-reactive protein - an indicator of inflammation (Should be less than 0.5 for men and less than 1 for women)
- Uric acid ( should be less than 250-300 umol/L)
- De Ritis ratio (between the serum levels of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT)) Should not be more than 1.5 (if it is higher then catabolism (destructive process) is higher than anabolism (building process)
- Building materials are necessary to form a new life, one of which is protein. Therefore total protein in the blood should be not less than 75 g/L. If it is less than 70, then you need to take measures to replenish it. It is necessary for building baby’s organs.
We spend energy not only on work and physical activities. But also on metabolic reactions (breaking down food) So if your food is rich with sugar, cookies, bread, rolls, chocolates, sweets, jam, fruits and dried fruits, then you waste your energy for breaking down those foods and getting more depleted with essential nutrients for your body.
Why the protein level is important?
Child’s organ development depends on it (pancreas, liver, thyroid gland, immune cells).
To prevent future problems with scoliosis, torticollis, clubfoot, mother need enough protein in order to help child to form strong muscles.
! During pregnancy eat 1-2 grams of protein per kg of body weight. Make sure that you digest and absorb it well (check stomach acidity if needed).
Pay attention to other blood parameters:
- If hematocrit is above 38, you are dehydrated (might you are depleted with minerals, if so add 1/2 tsp of sea salt in 1 glass of water once a day. Hematocrit should not be below 36 as it means you don’t have enough cells carrying oxygen
- Ferritin (intracellular protein that stores iron)- should be at least as high as your body weight, if it is less then it can be an indication of anemia, hemoglobin alone is not showing the situation with iron, however if it is below 12 gm/dL you definitely have anemia. Human metabolism requires iron, which among other things plays a major role in oxygen transport in the body. Energy metabolism, protein synthesis, hormonal function and immune function all require iron.
- Next the most important for healthy pregnancy is normal work of thyroid gland. The intelligence of the child depends on it! Thyroid hormones are crucial for the development of the neural tube, brain etc. Thyroid hormones directly affect metabolism. (Remember that enough iron is needed for proper work of T3 hormone, it cannot enter the cell without optimal level of iron). TSH level should be less than 2.5 free T4 and free T3 levels should be within upper limit of reference range.
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