Many Prenatal Supplements Don’t Provide Enough of Key Nutrients

image via New Scientist

June 6, 2024, 12:00 PM

• •Prenatal supplements are not evaluated for safety and efficacy in the same way that foods and drug products are.
• •None of the most widely available over-the-counter prenatal supplements provide adequate levels of five key nutrients: folic acid, iron, vitamin D, calcium and docosahexaenoic acid.
• •Folate only prevents birth defects when it’s taken prior to the 28th day of pregnancy.
• •Choline is also critical for fetal brain development. Its requirement increases during pregnancy to 450 milligrams per day, and even more so during lactation – 550 milligrams per day.

Prenatal supplements are not regulated by the FDA and may not contain the nutrients they claim to. Many pregnant women are not getting enough folic acid, iron, vitamin D, calcium, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

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