The news was revealed by scientists from the University of Copenhagen in the journal PLOS ONE.
Research has shown that approx 10-20% of people living on earth suffers from vitamin C deficiency. It is worth remembering that pregnant women should take a double dose of this drug.
— Even a slight deficiency of vitamin C in the body of the future mother can have a significant impact on slowing down the development of the fetal brain, especially in the area responsible for memory Professor Jens Lykkesfeldt said. He chaired a group of scientists who observed pregnant guinea pigs and their offspring. Like humans, guinea pigs are unable to produce vitamin C by their own accord.
— We are used to the idea that a mother can protect her future child. Usually, the fetus feeds on substances supplied to it by the mother’s body. However, it turned out that vitamin C transmitted in this way is not sufficient to ensure the child’s proper development Professor Lykkesfeldt added.
The results of the latest research require special attention to be paid to the lifestyle of future mothers. Moreover, these studies revealed that the damage done in the womb is irreparable.
In tiny newborn guinea pigs born of mothers who have been observed vitamin C deficiency some regularity was noted. The researchers divided them into two groups, one group was given vitamin C at birth and the other was not. After two months – which corresponds to the teenage period in humans – no differences were observed between the representatives of the two groups.
source: ScienceNews.pl