Calcium and Zinc Intake Before Pregnancy May Lower Hypertensive Disorder Risk: Study

According to new research to be presented at NUTRITION 2024, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, individuals who consumed higher amounts of calcium and zinc in the three months prior to conception were significantly less likely to experience hypertensive disorders during pregnancy compared to those with lower intakes of these essential minerals.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is one of the most common disorders of pregnancy and can harm both the pregnant person and the developing fetus. Considering the potential adverse effects of antihypertensive medications during pregnancy, researchers have focused on opportunities to prevent dangerous hypertension-related disorders such as pre-eclampsia through modifiable factors like nutrition.

Recommendations of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine suggest that women of childbearing age should consume 1,000 milligrams of calcium and 8 milligrams of zinc daily.

While many people begin focusing on their nutrition after becoming pregnant, the researchers said that a person's nutritional status before conception is important since it can often take time for the body to correct deficiencies or imbalances.

The researchers conducted two separate studies using data from over 7,700 pregnant women who participated in the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study. One study examined calcium intake while the other focused on zinc. By analysing the association between pre-conception intake of each mineral and the incidence of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, the researchers accounted for various demographic, lifestyle, and health factors related to hypertension risk.

The findings revealed that women in the highest quintile of pre-conception calcium intake were 24% less likely to develop hypertensive disorders during pregnancy compared to those in the lowest quintile. Similarly, participants were divided into quartiles for zinc intake, and those with the highest pre-conception zinc intake were 38% less likely to experience hypertensive disorders during pregnancy than those with the lowest intake.

"Our findings underscore the significance of preconception dietary intake of calcium and zinc in potentially reducing the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Higher intakes of zinc and calcium before conception, derived from diet and supplements, are both associated with a lower risk of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy,” said Liping Lu, who conducted the research as a postdoctoral research scientist at Columbia University.

Reference: Liping Lu; The Dietary Micronutrient and Supplementation in Population session; The Nutrient Status and Supplementation in Life's Beginnings session; American Society for Nutrition