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View Full Version : Dr. Fett - dietary question


miachic
12-14-2005, 11:29 AM
Hi Dr. Fett. I swear...I leave you for awhile and then come back with all kinds of strange questions for you. I bet you miss me when I don't ask questions, hehehe ;) .

Anyway. I was reading up on supplements, deficiencies, etc. I have read some about selenium and its role in preeclampsia as well as other areas of the body. Just today I was reading about how it can have some effect on cancer and heart disease, etc. with the way it works with proteins to clear out free radicals in the body, etc. etc. etc. The thing that got me going on this subject today is that I was looking at the nutritional value for salmon for cooking purposes and nothing else. When I saw that it was a good source of selenium, that got me thinking. When I was pregnant, mostly the last two to three months of pregnancy, I could not get enough salmon for anything. I could probably have seriously eaten it for three meals every day. I was looking at a list of foods high in selenium and come to find out, I also craved some of those things as well. Now don't get me wrong, I know that pregnancy creates all kinds of weird things to happen to your digestion and the foods you crave, etc. However, I wonder if there is a coincidence in the foods I wanted with what my body REALLY NEEDED as a way for my body to tell my brain "hello, I need these things, can you put some craving vibes out there."

What do you think about the role of foods and heart disease? I guess my question should be, does one's body crave the foods that are high in the things that it needs the most?

Another thing that I remember is that I craved protein like nothing else during pregnancy. I could not get enough meat and cheese. I've read some information on the need for protein not only because the baby takes alot of the protein content in your body but also when a person starts with PIH or pre-e, the blood vessels become like swiss cheese therefore leaking fluid into their tissues. While pregnant, I had read and talked to my OB about increasing my protein intake because it could possibly help "repair" those areas. Anyway...kind of like a domino effect...baby takes lots of protein, blood vessels become weak (not necessarily for that reason), fluid builds, etc.

So I'm wondering what effects diet could have on all this...as in if I get pregnant again and were to be cautious about a higher protein intake as well as other things such as vitamin C and E (antioxidants), etc., do you think this would help support my system better? or anyones' for that matter that's thinking about going down this road. I mean, obviously better diet equals better health but in the specific area of protein, vitamin C and E, calcium and vitamin D, selenium, etc......

What are your thoughts before I get you more confused? Sorry so long winded and confusing. Trying to process what I'm trying to say while typing, hahaha. Also, would it be beneficial for those of us looking into having a post PPCM pregnancy to go see a dietician to help monitor our sodium intake as well as other things that our bodies need (as above)? Just trying to cover all my bases yet again...still.....

Okay, enough rambling.

JAMESFETT
12-14-2005, 04:06 PM
I wish there were some known nutritional link to PPCM and immune function. At this time there is no known factor or deficiency that would be helpful as a preventative. We have looked closely at iron, protein, Vit E, selenium, Vit A, Vit C, retinoic acid (related to Vit A), and found no difference in Haitian PPCM vs control patients, and no identified deficiency. It is possible there is still an unidentified factor, but I have no idea what it could be. A general good balanced diet is the most important factor in supporting the immune system. We all take in more sodiuim (salt) than we need, and that becomes a factor only in the most severe heart failure, otherwise, diuretics handle the excess fluid.

James

miachic
12-14-2005, 07:45 PM
So other than watching my sodium intake, I shouldn't stress too much about sodium putting me into CHF or anything right? I always look at the sodium in food now and take it into consideration. Heck, if I could just eat spinach through my next pregnancy guaranteeing a good outcome, I wouldn't be opposed to having a diet of the green stuff, hehe. I'm just kidding as I know you need more than to live on and for baby but if it were that easy, it sure would make it nice to have that option :).

KellyDL
12-14-2005, 08:16 PM
There is something that I would like to know. I know that too much sodium isn't good for you. But, with an EF of 55% with only a slight enlargement, is salt going to hurt me at this point? I was told no restrictions, but I don't know if that ment salt or what. Salt was never mentioned to me.

JAMESFETT
12-15-2005, 07:55 AM
in general, nothing to worry about. " In moderation in all things..." is good advice. Too much salt-loading can't be good for us, but in moderation is fine. And with a normal EF, normal BP, it really doesn't matter.

James