Should I avoid certain supplements while trying to get pregnant?
Asked by samantha81 on Jan 19, 2010
in Family & Pregnancy
My husband and I are going to try to have a baby. It's the first one for both of us, so I want to make sure I'm taking the right vitamins and not overdoing it. I am aware of prenatal vitamins and folic acid, but I tend to be a bit of a supplement junky. Sometimes I take "Alive" packets, a multivitamin, B12 and Biotin, fish oil and vitamin C. What should I be taking, how much, and what should I avoid?
Answer
In the U.S., prenatal vitamins are routinely prescribed for women who are trying to get pregnant. The purpose is to correct mild dietary deficiencies and to provide folic acid. (Preconceptual folic acid supplementation (400 mcg per day) has been found to reduce neutral tube birth defects. Diet surveys find folic acid intake to be low in the US, particularly among women and blacks, and oral contraceptives may deplete folic acid levels as well.) However, one prenatal vitamin is all you need. Do not take megadoses of single nutrients because excesses of one can throw off the balance of others and also because you may exceed the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL). Nutrients from food usually do not pose a risk of overdose. Pure Omega-3 fish oil supplements should be limited to 1000 mg per day.
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