FOR WEEKS 13-28 OF PREGNANCY
 
Vital Essence 2 has been formulated to meet the specific needs of your body during weeks 13 - 28 of pregnancy. Each tablet is packed with specific vitamins and minerals which are particularly important for this phase of your baby's development

(90 tablets - 1 month's supply)
 
NEW FORMULA
 
Suitable for vegetarians
The Second Trimester (13-28 weeks)

By the second trimester your baby’s limbs will be fully formed and the joints able to move. Eyelashes and eyebrows are beginning to grow, teeth are starting to develop in the jaw bones and fat stores are being laid down. The organs are maturing and the developing bones are continuing to ossify. The nervous system is becoming more developed and the brain is beginning to rapidly increase in size, its brain cells multiplying at an amazing 50,000 to 100,000 per second.
Nutritional deficiencies may be aggravated as your pregnancy progresses unless your vitamin and mineral intake is adequate. Your appetite should return as early feelings of nausea and tiredness pass, but don’t be tempted to 'eat for two'. It is quality not quantity that counts, and excess weight gained now may be hard to shift later. Good nutrition will both aid your baby’s development and help to prevent tiredness, depression, muscle cramps and insomnia.

The new formulation of Vital Essence 2 provides everything you need to safeguard your everyday diet, including 400ug of Folic Acid (useful for a whole range of cellular activities, not just for helping to minimise the risk of spina bifida) and increased levels of Vitamins D, plus lots of valuable new protective ingredients such as Beta carotene (a safe way to help protect against Vitamin A deficiency) and Lutein and Lycopene (to help protect against free-radical damage to developing cells). One tablet taken three times a day (with food), alongside a good quality diet, will meet the growing demands of you and your baby.

We recommend that Vital Essence 2 should be taken in conjunction with VitalDHA for maximum benefit to your overall nutrition.
 
All Zita West products are developed in response to the very latest research and are regularly reviewed and reformulated to remain at the cutting-edge of clinical and nutritional thinking for optimum reproductive health.

Vital Essence 2 is suitable for vegetarians. It is free of artificial colours, preservatives and gluten and is certified non-GM. Contains yeast.

Ingredients

Three tablets a day typically provide:
 
                                                  
 Vitamin D     1000iu  25ug          500 RDA%
 Vitamin E      45iu  30mg TE  300 RDA%
 Vitamin C  180mg   300 RDA%
 Thiamin (Vitamin B1)  10mg  714 RDA%
 Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)  10mg  625 RDA%
 Niacin (Vitamin B3)  36mg NE  200 RDA%
 Vitamin B6  10mg  500 RDA%
 Folic Acid  400ug  200 RDA%
 Vitamin B12  20ug  2000 RDA%
 Biotin  200ug  133 RDA%
 Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)  25mg  417 RDA%
 Vitamin K  80ug  
 Calcium  500mg  62.5 RDA%
 Phosphorus  250mg  31 RDA%
 Iron  21mg  150 RDA%
 Magnesium  250mg  84 RDA%
 Zinc  15mg  100 RDA%
 Iodine  220ug  147 RDA%
 Manganese  1mg  
 Copper  1000ug  
 Selenium  100ug  
 Chromium  15ug  
 Beta Carotene  4mg  
 Lutein  1mg  
 Lycopene  1mg  
 Inositol  10mg  
 Coenzyme Q10  8mg  
 Choline Bitartrate  40mg  
 Alpha Lipoic Acid  33mg  
 N-Acetyl Cysteine  50mg  
 Pomegranate Extract  60mg  
 Grapeskin Extract  25mg  

Vital Essence 2 - Ingredients and their Benefits

Betacarotene - helps protect, safely, against Vitamin A deficiency and cell mutation. Newly added, at 4mg.
Biotin - essential for the healthy division of foetal cells, including those in the central nervous system. The concentration of biotin in breast milk is 15 times higher than in the mother's blood, which suggests that it is very important for a baby's growth and development. Now increased to 200ug. 
Calcium - need continues to rise through the 2nd trimester even though the body becomes very efficient at absorbing it from food. Needed initially for the development of the nervous system and strong, healthy bones and teeth. The foetus accumulates calcium rapidly in the 1st trimester and a mother needs to continue to build up good stores so that plenty is available for her baby without depletion of her own bone material. Vegetarian mothers and those under 18 need to be especially careful to avoid deficiency. Now increased to 500mg per day.
Choline - an essential nutrient required by the body to make important compounds necessary for healthy cell membranes. Demand for choline during pregnancy is very high due to its transfer from the mother to the foetus. Increased intake of choline during pregnancy may help to lower the risk of neural tube defects. Now increased to 40mg. 
Co enzyme Q 10 - for increased energy and to help with cell division. Now increased to 8mg.
Folic Acid - Increased evidence of benefit of Folic Acid supplementation for a whole range of cellular activities throughout pregnancy, as well as helping to minimise the risk of spina bifida. Supplementation can be valuable as good supplies can be hard to find from food alone.
Fruit extracts - (pomegranate and grapeskin). Newly added, along with Alpha Lipoic Acid and N-Acetyl Cysteine, to provide a broader and more effective spectrum of antioxidants.
Inositol - needed for cell growth in the brain and spinal cord and to make the myelin sheath which protects the nerves.
Iodine - an essential micro-nutrient in the human diet, most particularly as a component of thyroid hormones, which play a vital role in the regulation of metabolic processes such as growth and energy expenditure. Essential throughout childhood for normal brain and physical development. Iodine deficiency in pregnancy can put the baby at greater risk of miscarriage or still birth. Now increased to 220ug.
Iron – makes haeomoglobin, the substance which carries oxygen in the blood. Women often have low iron status entering pregnancy because of menstrual blood loss. A common symptom of deficiency is pica, a craving for strange foods. Iron is not absorbed well without Vitamin C and taking it on its own can lead to the loss of essential minerals. Now increased to 21mg.
Lutein and Lycopene - newly added. Thought to help, amongst other things, to protect against free-radical damage to cells.
Magnesium - essential for energy production, for proper nerve function and for every major metabolic reaction. Few enzymes (the protein molecules which carry out the DNA's instructions in the body) can work without it. It is also important for controlling calcium entry into heart cells. Now increased to 250mg.
Phosphorus - along with Calcium, one of the main constituents of bone. It is present in every cell in the body, plays a part in every chemical reaction and is vital for energy production and proper skeletal growth.
Selenium  - a powerful antioxidant, especially important for cell growth and the early development of the brain and spinal cord. Now increased to 100ug.
Vitamin C  - A valuable antioxidant. Also added to help with the absorption of Iron.
Vitamin E - essential for metabolism and the development of your baby’s nervous system.
Vitamin K - essential for making blood clotting factors in the liver.
Zinc - important for many of the body's functions, including cell division, maintenance of hormone levels and brain development. Zinc deficiency is often found in women with fertility problems and in long-term users of the contraceptive pill. Low levels may be one of the causes of morning sickness.

Source Ingredients:

Dicalcium Phosphate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Magnesium Citrate, Magnesium Oxide, Calcium Citrate, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid), Anti-caking agent: Silica, Crosslinked Cellulose Gum, Choline Bitartrate, Magnesium Stearate, Modified Tapioca Starch, Stablisers: Acacia Gum, Ferrous Fumerate, Hydroxpropyl Methyl Cellulose; Pomegranate Extract, N-Acetyl Cysteine, Zinc Citrate, Niacin (as Nicotinamide), Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vitamin E (as D-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate) 1, Pantothenic Acid (as Calcium Pantothenate), Colour: Titanium Dioxide, Grapeskin Extract, Olive Oil, Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Thiamine (as Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1)), Coenzyme Q10, Sunflower Oil, Inositol, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Manganese Gluconate, Soya Oil 1, Glycerin, Beta Carotene, Copper Citrate, Lycopene, Lutein, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide, Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Antioxidants: Natural Mixed Tocopherols 1, Ascorbyl Palmitate; Sucrose, Vitamin K (as Phylloquinone), Chromium Chloride, Vitamin D (as Ergocalciferol), Vitamin B12 (as Cyanocobalamin). Allergen Information: 1 - From Soya
Allergen Information
From Soya: Vitamin E (as D-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate), Soya Oil, Natural Mixed Tocopherols.
 
Contains yeast.

Frequently Asked Questions

My GP says if I am eating a good diet, I do not need to take vitamins?
In our view, even if you have a healthy diet - which many people don't these days, with missed, hurried and convenience meals - you may not be be sure you are getting the vitamins and minerals you need. Not least because intensive food production has stripped many foods of a lot of their nourishment. In our opinion, a good multi-vitamin and mineral supplement is extremely valuable during pregnancy, if only as an insurance policy.

Will Vital Essence 2 help with tiredness?
Yes, tiredness can be caused by numerous factors; taking a good healthy vitamin and multi-mineral supplement may help.

What is the difference between Vital Essence 1 and 2?

Certain vitamins and minerals have been increased to meet the changing demands of the mother and baby during the second trimester. For example:
Iodine has been increased to help with your baby's accelerating brain development.
Iron has been increased to help prevent anaemia and because your baby has greater demands on your own stores of iron during the second trimester 
CoQ10 has been increased for energy and to help with cell division.

Why have you reduced the levels of Vitamin C and E in the new formulation?
The high levels of Vitamins C and E in the previous formulation of Vital Essence 2 were incorporated a couple of years ago, primarily in response to research conducted by St Thomas's Hospital's Maternal and Foetal Research Unit, which suggested that a combination of higher levels of supplemental Vitamin C and E may help minimise the risk of pre-eclampsia during pregnancy. Unfortunately, the full scale study that has since followed has failed to confirm the benefit. As a result, we have decided to restore the levels of Vitamin C and E to where they were before and reinvest the money more effectively, in improving other important areas of the product's performance.