Are You Taking a High Quality Prenatal Vitamin?
By Julie M cGinnis, M S, RD
The choice to take a prenatal vitamin is an easy one, but deciding which one can prove more challenging. Experts in the medical community will advise you to begin a prenatal vitamin three months prior to conception to ensure adequate nutrient stores for yourself and your baby. Taking a prenatal vitamin is one of the best ways to give your baby a great start because research has found that supplementation with certain nutrients significantly reduces the risk of neural tube defects, heart defects, low birth weight, and pre-term birth1,2.
Today the retail market offers many choices for a prenatal vitamin. Please consider the following issues before making a choice:
Is your prenatal free of contaminants and third party tested?
One of the most critical issues when choosing your prenatal vitamin is purity, so be sure to select a product from a company that has third-party testing in place. This testing should be done by an independent laboratory to ensure that the product is not only meeting label claims for potency, but that it is free of heavy metals and other contaminants. Science has shown that these dangerous ingredients can cross the placenta and reach the fetus, exposing your unborn child to potential toxins. The supplement company should allow you to have access to these results by email or, better yet, posted on their website, proving that their products have no detectable levels of toxins.
Does your prenatal vitamin contain high quality ingredients?
This may be difficult to figure out on your own and seeking the advice of a health practitioner or knowledgeable staff member at a reputable store is recommended. Here are a few general tips:
- Choose a full spectrum prenatal multivitamin that is free of artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors, or potential allergens.
- Find a prenatal vitamin with vitamin B12 in the methylcobalamin form.
- Choose a prenatal vitamin with the natural form of vitamin D3 as cholecalciferol.
- Choose minerals in a chelated form (particularly iron). Vitamins and minerals found in these forms offer superior absorption and chelated iron is better tolerated causing less nausea and constipation.
- Remember, a one-a-day prenatal will not contain adequate calcium and additional supplementation should be considered if your diet is low in calcium-containing foods.
As a registered dietitian with over twenty years in the field of nutrition, I am very diligent about my diet. However, throughout my pregnancy, I suffered with nausea and vomiting daily until my son’ s delivery. The only thing I could do to be sure I was meeting my nutritional needs during this time was to take my prenatal vitamin every day. Do to my unrelenting nausea, I had to cut my large prenatal vitamin tablet into fourths in order to get it down. How I wish I had had a “ drinkable” prenatal at that time. For those of you who are pregnant now, you are in luck as there is a company called Vitalah (www.vitalah.com) that has just introduced their new Oxylent Prenatal Vitamin, which is the official prenatal multivitamin by the American Pregnancy Association (APA). I love this great tasting effervescent product and how easy it is to use. When added to water, it offers unique features: high quality ingredients, superior absorption, third party testing for potency and purity and hydrating nutrients. This product does not contain any gluten, caffeine, lactose, or artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors. Oxylent Prenatal Vitamin is the perfect complement to a healthy diet to support you during preconception, pregnancy and nursing. In addition to your prenatal vitamin, it is recommended to be taking Prenatal DHA by Nordic Naturals, the official Omega-3 of the APA. Prenatal DHA is the perfect solution for ensuring adequate levels of DHA for mom and baby from pregnancy through lactation. In highly absorbable triglyceride form, two soft gels provide 450 mg of DHA. You can feel secure with Nordic Naturals, as all their products are third-party tested for purity and potency. Please check with your health care practitioner about additional products you may want to consider taking at this time.
Julie McGinnis, M.S., R.D., certified herbalist holds a master's degree in nutrition from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, and has been involved in the field of nutrition for 20 years. Upon completion of her herbal certification, she began her career in complimentary health and worked for years in R&D for a professional line of nutrition supplements. She has written professional nutrition and health literature for major health food stores, Pharmaca, and other small businesses. She has instructed many online nutrition classes and has continued a private practice throughout her career.
References
- Botto LD, Khoury MJ, Mulinare J, Erickson JD. Periconceptional multivitamin use and the occurrence of conotruncal heart defects: results from a population-based, case-control study. Pediatrics 1996;98:911–7.
- Czeizel AE. Reduction of urinary tract and cardiovascular defects by periconceptional multivitamin supplementation. Am J Med Genet 1996;62:179–83.
