Risks Of Taking Supplements
While most vitamins are sold over the counter, theyre not necessarily risk-free. Many supplements can negatively interact with medications you may already be taking, causing unpleasant side effects or aggravating existing health conditions.
Though it may sound far-fetched to overdose on vitamins, its also possible to take in excessive doses to the point of harm. Some micronutrients have set tolerable upper intake levels meaning the amount you can consume before experiencing adverse effects.
To avoid overstepping these bounds, follow dosage instructions on the supplements label, and always consult your doctor before beginning a new vitamin or supplement.
Its also important to note that the Food and Drug Administration does not monitor or regulate vitamins or supplements for quality like it does for medications. Quality may not be consistent from batch to batch. This is why finding a reputable brand is so important.
Do Fertility Supplements Really Work
A quick Google search suggests many prospective mothers have the same questiontyping in ‘fertility supplements’ returns more than 201 million hits. One site sings the praises of a certain nutrient that boosts fertility, while the next site declares there isn’t a smidge of scientific evidence suggesting said nutrient is worth your precious time or money. What’s a person to do with all of this contradictory information?
I’m often asked if over-the-counter fertility supplements can actually boost a patient’s chances of conception, or if they are simply smoke and mirrors. What I tell my patients is that, yes, supplements are worth your time, because what the best fertility supplements actually do is provide you with necessary nutrients that are lacking in today’s culture of processed and fast foods.
Who Might Need Additional Supplementation
If you’re dealing with a specific health condition , it’s really important to talk with your doctor to ensure that the supplements above are appropriate and to ask if additional supplements may be necessary. Depending on your specific situation, your doctor might recommend nutrients such as CoQ10, melatonin, and DHEA, says Gandhi, “but again, less is more and it’s better to individualize care than taking things your body may or may not need. I don’t like to supplement blindly without checking labs and levels.”
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Do You Need Prenatal Vitamins
Prenatal vitamins are important before and during pregnancy to help your body meet the demands of pregnancy and aid in your babys development, says Dr. Nwankwo. Your balanced diet should be the foundation of your nutritional vitamins. Your body is able to absorb more from your diet than from supplements. However, your prenatal will help fill in the gaps.
A run-of-the-mill multivitamin wont cut it when youre pregnant. Prenatal vitamins are specially designed multivitamins that deliver the extra amounts of nutrients needed during various stages of your babys development. For example, they contain folic acid, which is important for babys brain development in the earliest stages. And many have vitamin D and calcium to build strong bones and teeth during the third trimester of pregnancy.
Plus, prenatal vitamins help make sure you have enough nutrients such as iron, to not only provide to your baby but so your own body doesnt become depleted.
What Are The Side Effects Of Prenatal Vitamins
In general, women who take a prenatal vitamin as directed experience little to no side effects. Some women, however, do experience nausea or constipation from their prenatal vitamin.
Every woman is different, and every pregnancy is different, so you may have to try a few different brands before you find one that works well for you. If you are having difficulty tolerating your prenatal vitamin, you should talk to your doctor or visit a dietitian, who can recommend brands that might ease your side effects.
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Prenatal Vitamins Vs Fertility Supplements
Prenatal vitamins are taken during pregnancy to support the growth and development of a fetus in the womb. Prenatal vitamins dont improve fertilitythats not what theyre intended to do. While prenatals are recommended for IVF patients, thats because its best to start them about 3 months prior to pregnancy, and IVF patients are typically hoping to get pregnant within that time frame.
PS: The most important ingredient in prenatal vitamins is folic acid or folate, which has been shown in many, many studies to prevent fetal neural tube defects which can be devastating. The reason neural tube defects are so rare in the developed world is almost exclusively due to the widespread use of prenatal vitamins along with folate enrichment in foods like bread and cereal.
The Right Picks To Take You Through Your Pregnancy Journey
Rachel Gurevich is a fertility advocate, author, and recipient of The Hope Award for Achievement, from Resolve: The National Infertility Association. She is a professional member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and has been writing about womens health since 2001. Rachel uses her own experiences with infertility to write compassionate, practical, and supportive articles.
Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the bestproducts, and articles are reviewed by healthcare professionals for medical accuracy. Youcan learn more about ourreview process here.We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.
Verywell / Sabrina Jiang
Nutrient needs are increased during pregnancy to support the growth and development of the fetus while also supporting the health of the mother. But with so many prenatal vitamins out there, how do you make the right choice? It is important to make sure prenatal supplements have been tested by third-party labs and offer maximum transparency to consumers.
A prenatal vitamin is a multivitamin that is designed with pregnancy and breastfeeding in mind. The number of vitamins and minerals in these supplements are safe and appropriate when trying to conceive, during pregnancy, and postpartum while you are breastfeeding. Some specialized prenatal vitamins may also have other pregnancy-related additives, including DHA .
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Additional Prenatal + Postnatal Nutrition Needs
As weve gathered so far, a womans nutrition needs increase during pregnancybut in terms of diet, its not as much as you might think.
On average, most pregnant women will need to consume an extra 340 extra calories per day.
Additionally, the CDC recommends that breastfeeding mothers consume an additional 450 to 500 calories daily. However, this number can vary depending on your:
- body mass
- activity level
- breastfeeding frequency
During pregnancy, theres also an uptick in certain macronutrient needs. Macronutrients are large food nutrients such as protein, carbs, and fats.
The American Pregnancy Association recommends increasing protein intake to 75 to 100 grams per day while pregnant. In addition, they should strive to consume complex carbohydrates and unsaturated fats whenever possible.
Take A Prenatal Vitamin
A prenatal vitamin is good insurance for you and your future baby. Studies show downing a daily supplement can lower your risk of giving birth prematurely and help with your baby’s development.
But thats not all a prenatal can do. Research has found that women who take prenatal multivitamins also tend to get pregnant faster, so popping a prenatal once a day is always a smart move when youre TTC .
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Do Prenatal Vitamins Have Side Effects
A lot of people wonder about about prenatal vitamins side effects. Some people get nauseated or constipated from taking prenatal vitamins. If this happens to you, talk with your doctor about changing brands or the types of vitamins youre taking.
Prenatal vitamins come in tablets or capsules, so finding the kind that works best with your body can help ease side effects. Your doctor or midwife can help you find a prenatal vitamin that will work best for your body.
Garden Of Life Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal
Unlike the others on the list thus far, this small, easy-to-tolerate pill is only available through an Rx from your doc. So now you’re probably wondering: Is prescription better than OTC? Not necessarily, according to Dr. McDonald, who says she doesn’t having a preference for one over the other.
What draws people to an Rx option rather than the more “trendy” OTC versions is that your health insurance might cover the cost if the specific prenatal fits your plan, Dr. Dweck explains. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, consult your insurance plan to see what, if any prenatal vitamins, are covered and then chat about it further with your provider.
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Coast Science Male Fertility Supplement Mfsg5
Coast Science Male Fertility Supplement MFSg5 is based mostly on vitamins A, C, B, and E, but youll also find a proprietary blend of a few less-common herbal extracts in this supplement too.
These include PQQ, a glutathione derivative, and ashwagandha. These are not the most well-studied herbal extracts for male fertility, so unless the mainstays arent working for you, this might not be a good first-line option.
Eu Natural Conception Men
Eu Natural Conception Men has a wide range of vitamin, mineral and herbal ingredients for improving mens sexual wellness and fertility.
These include simple ingredients like zinc and selenium, as well as herbal extracts that enhance the utility of these vitamins and minerals, like ashwagandha. For men looking for a fertility supplement, this is our top choice.
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Vitamins: Trying To Conceive
When you’re planning to conceive, there are certain things you can do that can benefit the health of your future baby. It’s important that you and your partner take care of both your physical health and overall wellbeing, as this can improve your chances of becoming pregnant.
A big part of supporting your health involves eating a healthy, balanced and varied diet to make sure that your body is healthy and ready to conceive. Lifestyle habits like regular exercise and managing everyday stress can also play a key role.
Best Overall: Thorne Research Basic Prenatal
If you’re looking for an excellent overall prenatal, Thorne’s Basic Prenatal is the top pick, particularly for its highly absorbable form of folate. Adequate intake of folate is known to support the healthy development of the fetuss organs and tissues. In addition, it is especially critical for the closure of the neural tube, which is the precursor to the brain and spinal cord.
Though many foods like cereal, bread, and grains are enriched with folic acid and other b vitamins, supplementation is still recommended for pregnant women, as their need for this nutrient becomes 50 percent higher.
It is recommended that women consume 600 micrograms of supplemental folic acid, in addition to the folate found in food. Thornes Basic Prenatal contains 1,000 micrograms of metabolically active folic acid283 percent of the recommended daily intake for folate. In addition, this prenatal is gluten-, dairy-, soy-, and artificial flavor-free.
Thornes facility is NSF- and cGMP-compliant and they rigorously test for 760 contaminants to verify the identity, potency, and purity of each ingredient listed on their product labels.
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First Consider What You’re Eating
We can’t talk about supplements without first talking about food. That’s because popping a pill won’t do the maximum amount of good if your overall diet is junk. The good news: Most women don’t need to completely overhaul their diets to optimize fertility.
“Women who are considering pregnancy don’t need a special diet per se, but ensuring that the diet is rich in antioxidants, colorful, and minimally processed is the ideal goal. If a woman is generally in good health, then that should be enough,” says Wendie Trubow, M.D., functional medicine gynecologist.
A good approach: forgoing highly processed carbs and eating an anti-inflammatory Mediterranean-style diet, as several large studies have shown that this way of eating is associated with enhanced fertility. “Even among women undergoing IVF, when you’re essentially overriding their normal hormones, there was an increased rate of conception among women who were eating a Mediterranean diet,” says Victoria Maizes, M.D., executive director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and author of Be Fruitful: The Essential Guide to Maximizing Fertility and Giving Birth to a Healthy Child.
If you wouldn’t describe your current health as “great,” you may want to take your dietary changes a step further. “Some patients who have polycystic ovarian syndrome or autoimmune issues could benefit from a paleo or elimination diet, but that’s individually based,” says Bindiya Gandhi, M.D., functional family medicine physician.
What Is The Best Fertility Supplement
When choosing fertility supplements, be sure to do your brand research. The companies that you want to put your trust in will be reputable and focused on research, quality control and superior ingredient sourcing so make sure you ask your healthcare provider if questions arise. They can help you identify natural versus synthetic ingredients. For example, in prenatal vitamins, folate is naturally occurring while folic acid is a synthetic compoundthis means thats the body processes folate better than folic acid. There are subtle but important differences in many supplements, even if the labels have the same claim.
There are a few things to watch out for. Be aware of fillers used by larger companies, such as artificial coloring, GMOs and even hydrogenated oils. Be mindful of all-in-one claims as well, as a supplement that has everything you need in one pill will ultimately end up sacrificing something. As far as I know, there is not a magic pill that contains all of the nutrients needed for fertility.
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Centrum Prenatal + Dha
If you find you’re vitamin D deficient, you may want to seek vitamins that include a little extra or make sure you’re getting enough from other sources like fatty fishes. These Centrum prenatal vitamins fit the bill and include 600 IU of vitamin D.
Role Of Micronutrients In Fertility
Because fertility is a complex equation, and each persons body is different, the science around micronutrients and conception is still, shall we say, in its infancy.
That said, some promising studies have begun to shed light on the role of vitamins in getting and staying pregnant.
Vitamins play important roles in female health. Theyre essential for many functions, including:
- menstruation and ovulation
- immune function
- oocyte quality and maturation
So, adequate vitamin and mineral intake is critical when trying to create the right environment for a healthy pregnancy. Some nutrients may even reduce symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome , a common underlying cause of infertility.
In men, studies have shown certain supplements may increase sperm count and motility, helping the little swimmers reach their target.
Its important to remember, though, that more research is needed.
While promising, the majority of these studies were small and did not have rigorous methodology, says Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, chief medical adviser for MegaFood supplements.
Weve broken down some of the most popular supplements for fertility, with the deets on their use, effectiveness, and dosage.
Who its for: Men and women
Claimed fertility benefit: Helps sperm motility contains antioxidants that promote healthy female reproductive system
When you think vitamins, acetyl L-carnitine may not be the first to spring to mind. But that doesnt mean it shouldnt be on your radar.
- PCOS
- amenorrhea
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Eu Natural Conception Fertility Prenatal Vitamins
Inconsistent cycles are the major cause of infertility in women. To make it worse, when your periods come, they are very painful. Eu Naturals OTC fertility pills can solve that and improve the quality of your ovulation to increase your chances of conceiving.
The 100% natural supplement formula contains vital fertility boosting ingredients, including Myo-Inositol, Vitex Chaste Tree Berry, and Folate Folic Acid, etc.
While fertility pills and drugs can help you conceive even twins easily, you should be cautious about taking them, especially if you are on other medications such as those of PCOS.
You should also consult your doctor before taking these even though they are non-prescription drugs to prevent severe side effects.
Mama Bird Prenatal Vitamin
These vitamins contain “methylated folate,” a buzzy word in this area. Folate is one of the most important vitamins in prenatal pills, but some women have a genetic condition that makes it hard for their bodies to convert the folic acid in most prenatals to the active form the body can use, Wright explains.
But there’s a catch: You won’t know if you have the condition unless you have genetic testing done. So, if you want to be super safe and cover all your bases, then a methylated version of folate might be worth the money. Still, she emphasizes that for the majority of women, the regular variety is just fine.
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What Are Prenatal Vitamins Exactly And Why Do They Matter
Prenatal vitamins are a multivitamin specifically formulated for someone who is pregnant or trying to have a baby, explains Katharine O’Connell White, MD, an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Boston University and the author of Your Guide to Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss. They have specific amounts of nutrients and minerals that are safe for pregnant people. For example, certain ones need to be taken in lower doses when pregnant because consuming too much can harm the developing fetus, Dr. White explains.
On the other hand, sometimes prenatals will have more of certain nutrients, such as folic acid, which prevents some birth defects, or iron, which prevents anemia, a common symptom during pregnancy.
Culturelle Prenatal Wellness Probiotic
Why its great: This 12 billion CFUs supplement consists of 5 proven probiotic strains that target feminine health, from yeast infections to bacterial vaginosis. On top of the vaginal health benefits, this probiotic also aids with digestion and promotes overall gut health.
It can be taken before, during, and after pregnancy, which is especially important if you are breastfeeding. If swallowing pills is posing as impossible during pregnancy, these may be a good choice for you because they are a mixed fruit-flavored chewable.
Keep in mind: These have a lower CFU count than others on the list, but many mommas still find them effective.
Good for: Mommas who cant swallow pills and prefer chewables.
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