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
To know if your prenatal vitamins are synthetic, you can check the label and consider a few factors.
1. Look for Isolated Chemical Names
Synthetic vitamins are often linked as their isolated chemical names. Look 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.
For example, "dl-alpha tocopherol acetate" and "dl-alpha tocopherol" are both synthetic forms of vitamin E. Another example, "folic acid" the synthetic form of folate, instead of "methylfolate" or "folinic acid" which are both different forms of the natural folate found in foods. Another example, "absorbic acid" the synthetic form of the natural vitamin C.
2. Take Notice of Certain Words
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. Why? Because the synthetic isolated form is often less effective and stable on it's own. Some words to look for include nitrate, acetate, sodium ascorbate, sodium benzoate, chloride, hydrochloride, silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide.
3. No Mention of Whole Food Sources
Natural vitamins come from real whole food sources. If you see the vitamin listed as the vitamin itself, such as "vitamin D," then it's sure to be the synthetic version. Look for food sources such as "citrus" instead of "vitamin C" or "parsley" instead of "vitamin K." This is what indicate the supplement is derived from real food sources.
4. No "Whole-Food-Based" or "100% Organic" on Product
Identify these words in the products description or on the vitamin bottle. If the bottle reads, "Organic", "Whole Food-Based" or "100% Natural Product" 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.
The Bottom Line
It's no secret that many manufacturers of dietary supplements use synthetic materials. 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 buying cheap vitamin supplements, know what to look for in a vitamin product that reveals it's quality and authenticy. Synthetic supplements can cause harm to you and baby's health.
If you're looking for a high-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