Most Important Vitamins Considered Safe During Pregnancy
Pregnancy may be one of a woman’s most exciting and happy experiences in her life.
Some mothers, however, may also have a confusing and overwhelming time.
The internet, magazines and ads provide women with advice on how to stay healthy during pregnancy.
While most women know that high-mercury seeds, alcohol, and cigarettes are unlimited during pregnancy, many do not know that certain vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements should be prevented.
Information about which supplements are safe and which often does not vary between sources, making it more complex.
This article describes which supplements are considered safe during pregnancy and explains why certain supplements should be avoided.
Why take supplements while you are pregnant?
It is important to consume the right nutrients at all levels of life, but especially during pregnancy, as pregnant women need to feed themselves as well as their growing babies.
Pregnancy increases the nutrient requirements
Women need a significant increase in macronutrient intake during pregnancy. The macronutrients include carbohydrates, proteins and fat.
For example, protein intake must increase from the recommended body weight of 0.36g / lib (0.8g / kg) for non-pregnant women to 0.5g / lib (1.1g / kg) for pregnant women.
However, the requirements for micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals and trace elements, are even higher than the macronutrient requirement.
Vitamins and minerals support maternal and fetal growth at all stages of pregnancy and are necessary to support critical functions such as cell growth and cell signaling.
While a well-planned nutrient-dense diet allows a few women to meet this growing demand, others are not.
Some pregnant women may need vitamin and mineral supplements for various reasons, including:
Nutrient deficiencies: some women may need supplements after a blood test that reveal vitamin or mineral deficiency. It is important to correct deficiencies because birth defects have been associated with a lack of nutrients such as folate.
Hyperemesis gravidarum: This complication of pregnancy is characterized by severe nausea and vomiting and could lead to weight loss and deficiencies in nutrients.
Dietary restrictions: Women with a specific diet, including vegans and food intolerance and allergy, may need to be able to supplement micronutrient deficiencies with vitamins and minerals.
Smoking: Although mothers need to avoid cigarettes during pregnancy, there is an increased need for certain nutrients such as vitamin C and folate for those who continue to smoke.
Multiple pregnancies: Women with more than one baby have higher requirements for micronutrient than women carrying a baby. Additional supplementation is often needed to ensure optimal nutrition for mothers and babies.
Poor diet: Women who eat or choose low-nutrient foods may need vitamins and minerals to complement them to avoid deficiencies.
Experts like the American Obstetrics and Gynecology Congress also recommend that all pregnant women take a prenatal supplement with vitamin and follic acid. It is recommended that nutritional gaps are completed and birth defects like spina bifida are prevented.
Many mothers turn to vitamins and mineral supplements for these reasons.
Herbal Supplements During Pregnancy
Also popular are herbal supplements as well as micronutrients.
One study found that about 15.4 percent of females in the U.S. are using herbal supplements.
Alarmingly, more than 25 percent of those women did not tell their doctor they were taking them.
While some herbal supplements may be safe during pregnancy, much more is possible.
Although some herbs can help with common complications such as nausea and upset stomach, some may cause damage to both the mother and the fetus.
Unfortunately, there is not much research on how pregnant women use herbal supplements and it is not well known how supplements affect expectant mothers.
SUMMARY
Pregnant women turn to micronutrient and herbal supplements for different reasons. While some are safe and helpful, others may cause serious complications that can be harmful to both mother and baby.
Supplements during pregnancy considered safe
Just like medicines, your doctor should approve all micronutrients and herbal supplements to make sure they are needed in safe amounts.
Always buy vitamins from a reputable brand, which can be evaluated by third-party organizations, such as the USP,
by volunteers.
This ensures the vitamins meet quality standards and are generally safe for consumption.
1.Prenatal Vitamins
Prenatal vitamins are multivitamins that are specifically formulated to meet the increasing need for micronutrients during pregnancy.
Before conception, during pregnancy and lactation, they should be taken.
Observational studies have shown the risk of premature birth and the use of prenatal vitamins reduces preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia is a potential hazardous complication of high blood pressure and possibly protein in the urine.
While prenatal vitamins are not intended to replace healthy diets, they can help prevent dietary gaps by providing additional high-demand micronutrients during pregnancy.
Since prenatal vitamins contain the vitamins and minerals needed by pregnant women, it may not be necessary to take additional vitamins and minerals unless suggested by your doctor.
Prenatal vitamins are often prescribed by doctors and are also available on the counter.
2.Folate
B vitamin Folate is an integral part of DNA synthesis, red blood cell production, and fetal growth and development.
In many supplements, folic acid is the synthetic folate. The body becomes the active folate form, L-methylfolate.
It is recommended that pregnant women take 600 ug folate or follic acid a day to minimize the risk of neural tube defects and congenital defects such as split palate and heart defects.
A review of five randomized studies, including 6105 women, showed a reduced risk of neural tube defects by adding folic acid daily. There have been no negative side effects.
Although adequate folate can be obtained from diet, many women do not eat enough folate-rich food, which requires supplementation.
The Disease Controlling and Prevention Centers also recommend that all women in childhood consume at least 400 mg folic acid per day.
Many pregnancies are unplanned and birth defects with folate deficiency can occur very early, even before most women know they are pregnant.
Pregnant women, especially those with an MTHFR genetic mutation, may be advised to choose an L-methylfolate supplement to ensure maximum consumption.
3.Iron
The need for iron increases significantly during pregnancy, as the volume of maternal blood increases by nearly 50 percent.
Iron is critical for oxygen transport and for healthy fetal and placental growth and development.
The prevalence of iron deficiency in pregnant women in the United States is around 18 percent, 5 percent of which are anemic.
During pregnancy, premature delivery, maternal depression and infant anemia were associated with anemia.
Most prenatal vitamins can meet the recommended intake of 27 mg of iron per day. However, pregnant women with iron deficiency or anemia need higher doses of iron managed by their physician.
Pregnant iron-free women should only take the recommended intake of iron to prevent adverse side effects. It may involve constipation, vomiting, and abnormally high levels of hemoglobin.
4.Vitamin D
This fat-soluble vitamin is essential for the division of the immune system, bone and cell.
The vitamin D deficit was associated with increased risk during pregnancy for cesarean section, pre-eclampsia, preterm birth and gestational diabetes.
The currently recommended intake of vitamin D during pregnancy is 600 IU per day. Some experts, however, suggest that vitamin D needs are much higher during pregnancy.
All pregnant women should talk to their doctor about screening and supplementation for vitamin D deficiency.
5.Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral involved in hundreds of chemical reactions in your body. It plays a critical role in immune, muscle and nerve function.
This mineral deficiency during pregnancy may increase the risk of premature work and chronic hypertension.
Some studies show that supplementation with magnesium can reduce the risk of complications such as restriction of fetal growth and early birth.
6.Ginger
The ginger root is usually used as a herbal and spice supplement.
It is most often used as a supplement to treat nausea caused by movement sickness, pregnancy, or chemotherapy.
A review of four indicated ginger studies is safe and effective in treating pregnancy-induced nausea and vomiting.
Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy are common, with up to 80% of women experiencing this during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Ginger may help to reduce the unpleasant complication of pregnancy, but further research is needed to identify the maximum safe dosage.
7.Fish Oil
Fish oil contains DHA and EPA, two essential fatty acids that are important for fetal brain development.
Adding DHA and EPA to pregnancy could boost infant brain development and decrease maternal depression, although research on this topic is unfinished.
While observational studies have shown that cognitive function in women’s children who were supplemented with fish oil during pregnancy has improved, several controlled studies have shown no consistent advantages.
For example, one study of 2,399 women found no differences in the cognitive function of children who had their mothers supplemented with fish oil capsules containing 800 mg DHA per day during pregnancy compared to infants whose mothers did not.
This study also found that adding fish oil did not affect maternal depression.
However, the study found that fish oil pre-term supplements are protected, and some evidence suggests that fish oil may be beneficial to fetal eye development.
Maternal DHA levels are important to fetal growth and are considered safe to supplement. The jury still decides whether to take fish oil during pregnancy.
In order to get DHA and EPA from the diet, pregnant women are encouraged to eat two or three portions of low-mercury fish such as salmon, sardines, or pollock per week.
8.Probiotics
Many moms turn to probiotics with a growing interest in good health.
Probiotics are living micro-organisms designed to promote digestive health.
Many studies have shown that probiotics are safe to take during pregnancy and there are no harmful side effects apart from the extremely low risk of probiotic-induced infection.
Several studies have also shown that probiotic supplementation may reduce the risk of gestational diabetes, postpartum depression, infant eczema, and dermatitis.
Probiotic use research is ongoing during pregnancy, and there is certainly more to be found about the role of
probiotics in maternal and fetal health.
SUMMARY
Supplements like folate, iron, and prenatal vitamins will always be considered safe for pregnant women. Any supplement, whether it is a vitamin, mineral or grass, must always be discussed with your doctor.
Supplements to Avoid During Pregnancy
Although some micronutrients and herbs are safe for pregnant women, many should be avoided.
1.Vitamin A
Although this vitamin is extremely important for the development of fetal vision and immune function, vitamin A can be too harmful.
Because vitamin A is fat-soluble, excess body quantities are stored in the liver.
This accumulation can result in toxic effects on the body that can damage the liver. It may even cause baby birth defects.
For example, excessive amounts of vitamin A have been shown to cause congenital birth defects during pregnancy.
Pregnant women should be able to receive sufficient vitamin A between their pre-natal vitamins and diet, and additional supplementation is not recommended.
2.Vitamin E
This fat-soluble vitamin plays many important roles in the body and is part of gene expression and immune function.
Although vitamin E is very important to health, it is recommended that pregnant women do not add to it.
Vitamin E supplements have not improved the effects on either mother or baby, but may increase the risk of abdominal pain and premature amniotic sack rupture.
3.Black Cohosh
Black cohosh is a member of the buttercup family and is used to control a variety of purposes, including hot flashes and cramps.
Taking this plant during pregnancy is unsafe because it can cause uterine contractions that could induce premature labor.
Black cohosh has also been found to cause liver damage in some people.
4.Goldenseal
Goldenseal is a food supplement for airborne infections and diarrhea, although it does not have very much studied its effects and safety.
Goldenseal contains a drug called berberine which has been shown to aggravate infant jaundice. It can cause
kernicter, which can be fatal, a rare type of brain damage.
For these reasons, goldenseal in pregnant women must be avoided.
5.Dong quai
Dong quai is a root that has been used in Chinese medicine for more than 1000 years.
Although used to treat everything from menstrual cramps to high blood pressure, there is no evidence of its effectiveness and safety.
Pregnant women should avoid dong quai as this can encourage uterine contractions and increase the risk of possible miscarriage.
6.Yohimbe
Yohimbe is a supplement made from an African tree’s bark.
It is used as a herbal remedy to treat a range of conditions from erectile dysfunction to obesity.
This herb should never be used during pregnancy, as it is associated with dangerous side effects such as high pressure, heart attacks and attacks.
7.Other herbal supplements in pregnancy considered unsafe:
- Saw palmetto
- Tansy
- Red clover
- Angelica
- Yarrow
- Wormwood
- Blue Cohosh
- Pennyroyal
- Ephedra
- Mugwort
SUMMARY
There are many vitamins and herbal substances that should not be taken during pregnancy. Always consult your doctor before you take any micronutrients or herbal supplements.
The Bottom Line
Pregnancy is a time of growth and development that gives priority to health and nutrition.
While some supplements may be helpful during pregnancy, many can cause harm to either pregnant women or their babies.
Most importantly, supplements may help fill nutritional gaps, but they do not replace a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Nourishing your body with nutrient-dense foods, getting enough exercise and sleep, and reducing stress are the best way to ensure a healthy pregnancy for you and your baby.
Although supplements may be necessary and helpful in certain circumstances, always check doses, safety, and potential risks and benefits with your doctor.