I am in my 15th week of pregnancy and want to start taking nutritional supplements with DHA. Can you tell me the ideal time to start taking DHA and what is the brand name for vegetarian supplements of DHA?
Mother’s Horlicks contains DHA from vegetable sources along with other vitamins and minerals that are proven to promote all-round development of your baby. You can take three cups of Mother’s Horlicks per day, which will be sufficient enough to nourish your baby and it will also improve the quality and quantity of the breast milk after the birth of your baby.
What are the vegetable/algal based/fish based (not liver oil) DHA supplements available in India that can be taken during pregnancy?
There are various DHA supplements available worldwide. At present in India, some important DHA supplements available in the market are products from GSK (Mother’s Horlicks), British Biologicals and Dumex.
Algae is the most common source in DHA supplements. DHA supplements derived from algae/vegetable are generally recommended as DHA from fish source may contain oceanic contaminants such as mercury. So consumption of certain fishes and fish oil supplements may be harmful during pregnancy.
Mother’s Horlicks is one of the DHA supplement health drinks that can be taken during pregnancy. It is especially formulated for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers which contain DHA rich algal oil along with other vitamins and minerals.
Your baby requires adequate amounts of DHA while in your womb and the months just after delivery as DHA is important for the development of the brain, eyes and nerves. Mother’s Horlicks can also help improve the birth weight of your baby, while post-delivery, it can improve the quality and quantity of breast milk.
Can I serve Women's Horlicks to my husband and nine year old son?
Women’s Horlicks has been tailored for the special nutritional needs of women. It contains extra calcium, iron, vitamins C and B. This is because a woman has more of calcium loss compared to men due to the female hormones and also due to pregnancy and lactation. Additionally, since she loses blood during her menstrual cycles, she is prone for anemia, for which she might require additional iron. This is one of the main reasons for the need of supplementation of calcium and iron to a woman. The whole family can definitely consume this drink, but the lady of the house would benefit most from it, as it targets her specific nutritional needs.