Changes in your diet not only affect you physically, physiologically, inside, but also

mentally, how will you think psychologically, how will you feel?

But you'll never know just how good you can feel until you put it to the test and try

eating healthier.

Welcome to the Nutrition Facts Podcast, I'm your host, Dr. Michael Greger.

Today we look at what plant-based foods have to offer for the special dietary demands

of pregnancy.

In our first story, we compare the breast milk of vegetarian and non-vegetarian women.

A completely plant-based diet is suitable during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, and childhood,

a position echoed by the oldest and largest association nutrition professionals in the world.

As a couple hundred health professionals, though, and as few as one in three appear to know

it, like any diet during pregnancy, though, it should be well-planned, which means consuming

at large amounts in a wide variety of plant foods from all the plant-food groups including

whole grains, legumes like soybeans, regular beans, split-peach, chickpeas and lentils,

vegetables, fruits, and nuts and seeds.

Make sure to get enough calcium from healthy plant-based sources and sufficient vitamin

D from sun or supplements.

And critically important, make sure you get a regular, reliable source of vitamin B12.

The two books I recommend for raising plant-based families, published by two of my favorite

evidence-based dietitians, or your complete vegan pregnancy by Reed Mengles and Nourish,

co-authored by Brenda Davis.

What data do we have on the impact of vegan diet on pregnancy outcomes?

...