We can't stress this enough: whether you're pregnant or planning to be, it's crucial to regularly provide your body with all the nutrients—both macro and micro—it needs to maintain optimal nutritional health throughout your conception journey (before, during, and after pregnancy). This includes a balanced diet and appropriate supplementation. But what should you look for in a pregnancy multivitamin, and how can you make sense of it all?
There are several markers of a high-quality formula—traceable ingredients, bioavailability, time-release capsules (designed to dissolve later in the small intestine for optimal absorption), and of course, key nutrients to help fill gaps in your diet. We recommend choosing a pregnancy multivitamin that contains the following essential nutrients: choline (most people, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, don't get enough), folate, omega-3s, vitamin B12, iodine, biotin, vitamin D, iron, boron, vitamin E, and vitamin K.
When taken together, these key nutrients serve various nutritional needs. These include promoting normal neural tube development (folate, choline), brain development (omega-3 DHA, choline, folate), red blood cell formation (iron, folate, vitamin B12), and bone health (vitamin D3, vitamin K2, magnesium, boron). They also support normal DNA synthesis (folate, vitamin B12) and provide antioxidant benefits (vitamin E).
Contrary to popular belief, when it comes to micronutrition, the "less is more" philosophy often applies. This means it's sometimes better to have fewer nutrients, extending beyond specific nutrients like vitamin C and calcium, to questionable extras like artificial coloring and dubious additives (which we don't include in our supplements).
Don't forget: the form of folate matters! Case in point: opt for a pregnancy multivitamin that contains 5-MTHF folate, as is the case in our Pregnancy Formula. As we explain, folic acid—a synthetic form of folate—is commonly found in pregnancy multivitamins. The issue? Up to a third of people have a genetic variation that makes it difficult to effectively process folic acid. 5-MTHF folate is a bioavailable form that is identical to what's in your cells, even for those with this genetic variation. That's why we use it in our Pregnancy Formula.
As always, if you have specific questions about pregnancy multivitamins or nutrition during pregnancy in general, we recommend consulting your healthcare provider.
