restorative-yoga-poses-prenatal-synergybyjasmineIt is common for pregnant women to be advised by their doctor to take synthetic prenatal vitamins. Even though there are many doctors and midwives that think these synthetic supplements are a good idea, the research actually doesn’t support using vitamins this way. In fact, certain research studies show that large doses of vitamins may actually be harmful to the body, so taking syntheic prenatal vitamins  may be dangerous instead of healthy!

The truth is that these synthetic vitamins are produced from cheap ingredients in order to keep profit margins high, and these vitamin sources often do not come from natural sources. Vitamins should be absorbed slowly during the process while our bodies digest food, which means that these synthetic vitamins often aren’t easily absorbed into the bloodstream. Some of the vitamins may even be eliminated quickly from our bodies, because the body views the unnatural elements as toxic substances!

Vitamin Enriched Foods During Pregnancy

The surprising thing is that sometimes the high doses of synthetic vitamins doesn’t even come from supplements, but it actually comes from synthetic vitamins that are added to our foods. Certain types of foods such as breakfast cereals and processed milk commonly include synthetic vitamins, as well as many other processed foods. In order to maintain the best health during pregnancy, it is best to avoid these foods, and focus on getting vitamins and minerals in their natural form by eating fresh, wholesome, unprocessed ingredients.

Alternatives to Synthetic Prenatal Vitamins

Taking a daily dose of synthetic prenatal vitamins is a bad substitute for a healthy pregnancy diet. In fact, there is no good substitute for a healthy diet during pregnancy! Because nutrition is critical to the well-being of you and your baby, it is important that you choose nutrient dense foods that contain essential nutrients needed throughout your pregnancy You simply can’t eat junk food and then rely on vitamins to be a quick fix for your poor eating habits that results in habitual vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

To be sure you are getting all the nutrition that your body needs during pregnancy, you should read Healing Our Children. This book is full of information on pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and post-pregnancy nutrition for women and their partners. In this book, you will learn exactly how how to get plenty of calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, as well as other nutrients and essential vitamins by making healthy, wholesome food choices and sticking to the best pregnancy diet.

When you follow the diet outlined in Healing Our Children, there will be no need to worry about vitamin deficiencies during any part of your pregnancy. The book talks about a few ways to increase vitamins intake in your diet using all natural supplements, including cod liver oil, red raspberry leaf tea, as well as whole foods supplements. Even though it is a bad idea to base your entire diet on natural supplements like these, you can definitely lower your risk of vitamin deficiency by focusing on healthy pregnancy diet choices and by using quality supplements that your body can easily absorb!

Photo Credit: Synergy by Jasmine from Flickr