vitamins

[molly]

I am a vegan hoping to conceive this year, still in the planning stages & cleaning up my diet.... I understand excessive vitamin D is harmful to a fetus, but I have yet to find a prenatal multivitamin supplement with less than 100% RDA of vitamin D. This means that I will overdo it if I consume ANY D whatsoever in my food/drink/calcium supplements (I'm told to take calcium WITH D several times a day for best absorption). Any suggestions? Thanks!

[Erin Pavlina]

Instead of taking a prenatal vitamin, some vegan nutritionists recommend simply taking supplements for those nutrients where you aren't sure you're getting the proper amount. For example, B12, iron, calcium, folic acid, etc.

What I did when I was in the first trimester was I asked the doc for a blood test to measure my B12 and folic acid because those were the two areas where I wasn't sure I was getting 100% from diet. The test revealed I was low in folic acid, but B12 was fine. So I concentrated on eating foods very high in folic acid. We redid the test a month later and I was in the normal range.

So my recommendation is to go get a baseline reading, and then start improving your diet in areas where you might be lacking. If you need a supplement, get one for that nutrient.

As for Vit. D... if you can out in the sunlight everyday for at least 20 minutes, your body will make enough. Is that an option for you where you live?

[sophie]

Like Erin, I took vitamins for what I thought I was lacking, ie B12, and I also took folic acid as it's recommended to every pregnant woman (from 3 months before conception if possible, though I started taking it when I found out I was pregnant). I am also taking organic iron now, as my 28 week bloods revealed my iron stores had plummeted from 54 to just 6. I have never taken Vitamin D supplements, instead relying on the sunlight. This is my third pregnancy. A really good supplement to take is Spirulina, it contains nearly everything and is gentle on the system.

[Janine]

Are you sure that it's vitamin D that harms the fetus? I'm pretty sure you're talking about vitamin A. I know that that one is harmful in larger amounts. I am taking a prenatal vitamin myself even though bloodwork has shown in the past that my iron and B12 are good. The first trimester, though, you most likely will have morning sickness and will not be able to force yourself to eat many foods without gagging. I couldn't eat any green veggies and lots of other stuff, so I felt better having the full prenatal vitamin to fall back on.
Janine

[molly]

Thanks, everyone, for your advice! I would love to rely on sunlight, but even when I have the time outside during daylight I have to be careful with the sun because my skin is unusually sensitive (even 10 minutes can be too much). Thanks for mentioning Vitamin A-- I did know it too can be toxic (both A & D are fat-soluble vitamins & toxic in "magadoses"), but the prenatal multis I've looked at tend to have about 50% RDI of A, so you get a boost but not too much. One of my books says excessive D during pregnancy is associated with physical & mental retardation in infants. Of course "associated with" may indicate that further research is necessary, but there have been plenty of cases of D toxicity in adults. The problem is one source says 5 micrograms is the RDI for women of all ages, pregnant or not, & even a little too much can be harmful. Another says 10 micrograms is recommended for pregnant/lactating women & that 5 times the recommendation would be required for toxic effects. I guess I'll get some blood work done & decide from there what I need to take.

[Rob Weber]

Molly, my wife, who is a pregnant vegan, and I are having the same questions about vitamin D. Some books say take the supplement with the 100 percent RDA, others say consult your doctor. We asked our doctor about it and she said take the supplement. But she also wasn't aware excess vitamin D was toxic, so I'm a little leary of her advice. I'm still stumped, but I think the most reliable sources I've found have recommended the supplement. So my wife may go to that, or maybe we'll just eat lots of fortified food. I don't know. I'd love feedback from anyone.

[Beate]

...if it's just the vitamin D that preoccupies you - please see my reply to Rob above.