Prenatal Health: How to Tell If Your Prenatal Vitamins Are Synthetic
All prenatal vitamins are not created equal, and for pregnant women the quality of your prenatal vitamin really does matter!
Imagine being a pregnant mom thinking you're actually getting real nutrients from your storebought prenatals to help fill nutrient gaps (where you may not otherwise be getting from food), when you're actually not.
Most over-the-counter prenatal vitamins are trash because they're synthetic lab-made replicas of real organic vitamins, which makes them risky. Especially if you're experiencing common symptoms of pregnancy like nauseua, fatigue, loss of appetite and food aversion, and you really need the extra nutrients from supplementing.
If you're looking for a quality prenatal vitamin with REAL bioavailable nutrients to support you and baby, go purchase my herbal Prenatal & Beyond Multivitamins from the apothecary.
Meanwhile, let me teach you how you can make wiser choices when purchasing vitamins by learning to identify synthetic dietary supplements from natural vitamin products.
How to know if your prenatal vitamins are synthetic...
Step 1
Search for words listed in the ingredients that begin with "dl." When a word contains "dl" in the prefix, it is an indication that the vitamin is synthetic. As an example, "dl-alpha tocopherol acetate" and "dl-alpha tocopherol" are synthetic forms of vitamin E.
Step 2
Find words that end with "ate" or "ide" in the list of ingredients. These words indicate that the manufacturer used synthetic materials for increasing the vitamin's potency and stability. Some words to look for include nitrate, acetate, sodium ascorbate, sodium benzoate, chloride, hydrochloride, silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide.
Step 3
Find the synthetic form of the vitamin listed under the ingredient list. Natural vitamins come from natural food sources. If you see the vitamin listed as the vitamin itself, such as "vitamin D," then it's likely sure to be the synthetic version. Look for food sources such as "citrus" instead of "vitamin C" or "parsley" instead of "vitamin K."
Step 4
Identify the words "natural" on the vitamin bottle. If the bottle says, "100 percent natural" the vitamin supplement does not contain synthetics. On the other hand, a label that says, "natural," might have at least some synthetic components. According to Earl Mindell's "New Vitamin Bible," only 10 percent of the product must come from natural food sources in order for a company to claim "natural" on the product's label. If the product label does not say "100 percent animal-based" or "100 percent plant-based," the supplement is synthetic.
Bottom line here...
It's no secret that manufacturers of dietary supplements sometimes use synthetic materials for increasing the vitamin's potency and stability. According to the Organic Consumers Association, some of these materials come from coal tar derivatives, the same toxins that cause throat cancer in tobacco smokers.
Before shopping for vitamin supplements, know what to look for in a vitamin product that may cause harm to you and baby's health.
If you're looking for a quality prenatal vitamin with REAL bioavailable nutrients to support you and baby, go purchase my herbal Prenatal & Beyond Multivitamins from the apothecary. Formulated by yours truly, a clinical herbalist and holistic nutritionist to include key nutrients like folate, iron and b vitamins to support you and your growing baby.
Love and health,
Shavonne