Does vitamin supplement use reduce serum levels of some heavy metals and/or trace inorganic elements in pregnant women?

摘要

Adequate nutritional support for pregnant women is an important issue, not only to help such women maintain peak health and performance, but also as it indirectly affects fetal growth and the minimization of adverse fetal outcome risks.1 Among those nutritional components that are integral to this support, adequate protein-containing calories are most frequently discussed. Unquestionably, some essential minerals and chemical elements are generally considered to be of greater concern for pregnant women. At least nine trace elements, including selenium, zinc, copper, manganese, chromium, iron, molybdenum, iodine, and fluoride are important for maintaining physiological functions in human.2 Additionally, vitamin D3 is not only essential for bone health but also associated with improved absorption of essential elements such as calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphate, zinc, and copper.3 However, higher levels of vitamin D3 have been linked to enhanced absorption of toxic elements, including aluminum, cadmium, cobalt, and lead, as well as radioactive isotopes such as cesium and radioactive strontium.3 It is well-recognized that bioaccumulation of such toxic metals in turn appears to disrupt physiological function in humans.