"Real Food" Vitamins Versus Synthetic OTC Vitamins

Hi Holly,

Does taking a "real food" prenatal vitamin vs. a synthetic over-the-counter or prescription really make a big difference?

Thanks!

Newly pregnant

Hi Newly,
First of all, congratulations!

Second, no, the "Real Food" vitamins are a Real Marketing Gimmick. And they are Real Expensive. You can get Real Foods by eating Real Foods. Yes! Eat lots of plants! Lots and lots of plants. They are so much more delicious than pills. And the amount of protective plant chemicals in them will far outweigh the relatively tiny amounts in the "real food" pills.

I do think it's a good idea, nonetheless, to take an inexpensive, mostly synthetic vitamin. Let me explain what I mean by synthetic. These are made in a lab, thus they are usually cheaper. They are "natural" since they are made by animals. People are animals! OK, "Natural" actually has no legal meaning on labels and is used as a marketing ploy. The anachronistic, philosophical separation of "Man" and "Nature" is not scientific, it does not help inform us of the therapeutic value of compounds, and it provides a rationale for us to damage what we perceive of as separate from us--"nature"--but I am always trying to convince people that we are part of nature.

Synthetic vitamins are identical to ones isolated from plants--I have been convinced of this, personally, since countless tests for over the past 100 years have verified this without the slightest deviation in results. Anyone trying to tell you differently is trying to sell you something.

However, there are some vitamins that are difficult, technically, for chemists to make. Plants are such admirable chemists! So look for one with "natural" (in this case that means plant-derived) vitamin E, or for synthetic D- or alpha-tocopherol. If it says "DL tocopherol", that means a chemical impurity, L-tocopherol, which isn't known to be harmful, but is just an unknown, was not separated in the lab from the active from of the vitamin. That is less desirable, to have an unknown in there. So an inexpensive vitamin which is mostly synthetic but could have some "natural" plant isolated vitamins seems like a good bet.

Many people fall short of a few key vitamins, and taking a cheap multi helps make up the difference. For example, if you are a strict vegan, you ought to take a B12 supplement to avoid pernicious anemia, and older people have trouble absorbing B12, too. I have a vegan friend who was chronically tired and had incipient nerve damage, but he is now getting better after I reminded him to take his B12.

However, you can harm yourself by getting too much of certain vitamins. Since there are so many vitamins and minerals, and so many different brands, it can get confusing fast! For an excellent review of what to look for (and what to avoid) in a multi, check out this excellent review of multis by the Center For Science in the Public Interest.

Also, consumerlab has a wonderful site that you have to subscribe to for a small yearly fee, but they independently test many brands of supplements and vitamins and make sure they contain what they say they contain, and that they have no naughty thing in them like heavy metals or unlisted drugs. You would be surprised how many supplement makers have been caught by consumerlab with inadequate amounts of what you think you are buying, or icky things in them. But the supplement and vitamin business is not regulated, so we as consumers must remain vigilant by first investigating whatever we plan to take.

In addition to a multi, women should take at least a gram of calcium per day (1000 mg) AND vitamin D (since you need the D to keep absorb the calcium). A single multi pill is too small to contain a whole gram of calcium. And there's lots of talk now about increasing the RDA for D lately, so keep your ears perked for that. I'm currently winning a battle against osteoporosis with weight lifting, calcium citrate, and extra vitamin D, but it's a tough battle even with all my efforts, so I'm currently annoying all my female friends by telling them to take their calcium plus D.

Now, you are in an extra special position, having two to worry about, so you have probably heard all this before, but you will have to watch out for eating too much of the wrong sorts of fish, that would give your baby too much mercury. You can read about this, again, from the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Also, of course, it's best not to drink alcohol while pregnant, at all! This will mess with your baby's development. When everyone else is drinking around me and I don't want to, I find a non-alcoholic beer, sparkling water, or some lovely tea just as satisfying. And then I'm more likely to win whatever silly board game we tend to be playing.

Also, if you are pregnant and have a cat, get someone else to scoop the litter to avoid toxoplasmosis, or use gloves and then wash your hands throroughly afterwards if you can't. This is my daily task and I recommend making it more exciting by humming a few bars of the National Geographic theme song and pretending I am on an archeological dig. What will we find today? Lost pharaoh's treasure? Crumbling Mayan ruins?

Best of all, get regular check ups through your pregnancy with a doctor that you trust, who can probably think of more things to add to my short list of what to do and what not to do.

Best wishes to both of you!
Holly