Are your prenatal vitamins measuring up?

 Another interesting research article I came across in Medscape on Prenatal supplements…

"Although drugstore shelves might suggest otherwise, affordable dietary supplements that provide critical nutrients in appropriate doses for pregnant women are virtually nonexistent, researchers have found.

In a new study published this month (April 2023), in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, investigators observed what many physicians have long suspected: most prenatal vitamins and other supplements do not adequately make up the difference of what food-based intake of nutrients leave lacking. Despite patients believing they are getting everything they need with their product purchase, they fall short of guideline-recommended requirements. (see attached research study below)

The researchers analyzed 24-hour dietary intake data from 2450 study participants across five states from 2007 to 2019. Sauder and colleagues focused on six of the more than 20 key nutrients recommended for pregnant people, and determined the target dose for vitamin A, vitamin D, folate, calcium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids.

The researchers tested more than 20,500 dietary supplements, of which 421 were prenatal products. Only 69 products — three prenatal — included all six nutrients. Just seven products — two prenatal — contained target doses for five nutrients. Only one product, which was not marketed as prenatal, contained target doses for all six nutrients but required seven tablets a serving and cost patients approximately $200 a month.  

More than half of pregnant people in the United States are at risk of inadequate intake of vitamin D, folate, and iron from their diet alone, and one third are at risk for insufficient intake of vitamin A and calcium.

Although more than 70% of pregnant women take dietary supplements, the products do not eliminate the risks for deficiencies. The effects of inadequate nutrition during pregnancy may include neural tube defects, alterations in cardiovascular structure, and impaired neurocognitive development.

I thought it would be interesting to see how our Everyday Essentials Pregnancy (R275P), and Prenatal (R714), formulas compared to what the researchers determined as the target dose for vitamin A, vitamin D, folate, calcium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids:

The target daily dose for Vitamin A was ≥198 mcg retinol activity equivalents (RAE) of total vitamin A (with ≤2063 mcg preformed retinol):

• Everyday Essentials Pregnancy (per daily packet): 1,500 mcg RAE (80% as mixed carotenoids and 20% as retinyl palmitate)
• Prenatal (six capsules daily): 1,500 mcg RAE (80% as mixed carotenoids and 20% as retinyl palmitate)

The target daily dose for Vitamin D3 was 7–91 mcg:

•  Everyday Essentials Pregnancy (per daily packet):  50 mcg.
• Prenatal (six capsules daily): 50 mcg.

The target daily dose for Folic Acid was 169–720 mcg dietary folate equivalents (DFE) of folic acid:

•  Everyday Essentials Pregnancy (per daily packet): 1,700 mcg DFE (as calcium L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate)
• Prenatal (six capsules daily): 1,700 mcg DFE (as calcium L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate)

The target daily dose for Calcium was  383–943 mg. 

•  Everyday Essentials Pregnancy (per daily packet): 400 mg. (as calcium citrate)
• Prenatal (six capsules daily): 400 mg. (as calcium citrate)

The target daily dose for Iron was 13–22 mg.

•  Everyday Essentials Pregnancy (per daily packet): 30 mg. (as ferrous bisglycinate chelate) (Ferrochel™) 
• Prenatal (six capsules daily): 30 mg. (as ferrous bisglycinate chelate) (Ferrochel™) 

The target daily dose for Omega-3 Fatty Acids was ≥59 mg ω-3 FAs:

•  Everyday Essentials Pregnancy (per daily packet): Total Omega-3 Fatty Acids - 1.6 grams (1600 mg.) - (860 mg. of EPA, 580 mg. of DHA and 160 mg. of Additional Omega-3 Fatty Acids)  
• Prenatal (six capsules daily): None

NOTE: Other than the Prenatal (R714), NOT containing Omega-3 Fatty Acids, BOTH NutriDyn prenatal formulas met or exceeded the research determined target dose for vitamin A, vitamin D, folate, calcium, iron, and in the case of Everyday Essentials Pregnancy, the omega-3 fatty acids.

Also, our retail price for a month supply is $67.25 for Everyday Essentials Pregnancy (R275P), and $42.25 for the Prenatal (R714)… NOT $200.00 a month!

Original article:Dietary supplements and requirements in pregnancy 

Most pregnant women in the United States (US) are at risk of inadequate intake of key nutrients during pregnancy from foods alone. Current dietary supplement practices reduce risk of inadequacy for only some nutrients and induce excessive intake of other nutrients.

Objectives

Our study aimed to estimate the doses of supplementation needed to help most pregnant women achieve the recommended intake without exceeding upper limits for key prenatal nutrients and to identify US dietary supplements providing these doses.