Supplements for Pregnancy?

[Cheeky Monkey]

Hi Guys,

I've noticed that there are not many supplements recommended for pregnant women but often it's because those there have been no studies done on pregnant women thus there is no conclusive evidence to show if it helps or hurts them. Yet doctors err on the side of caution and recommend pregnant women not to take any supplement. And I'm talking about stuff like Maca, Na-R-ALA, creatine, digestive enzymes, green tea etc (nothing hardcore).

Why are pregnant women such a neglected demographic in the supplement industry?

 

[Anabaholic]

They're neglected mainly because of risk. Companies don't have studies to prove it's safe, if somehow a pregnant woman had an issue, it would be a lawsuit and manufacturers don't want to pay for studies because they're insanely expensive and with doctors recommending against everything, the products would probably not sell well enough to recoup costs.

 

[cheftepesh1]

Hi Guys,

I've noticed that there are not many supplements recommended for pregnant women but often it's because those there have been no studies done on pregnant women thus there is no conclusive evidence to show if it helps or hurts them. Yet doctors err on the side of caution and recommend pregnant women not to take any supplement. And I'm talking about stuff like Maca, Na-R-ALA, creatine, digestive enzymes, green tea etc (nothing hardcore).

Why are pregnant women such a neglected demographic in the supplement industry?

I know there are a few things like folic acid and boron that are supposed to be good. Fish oil as well.

 

[faipdeooiad]

Women here in the UK/Europe are advised to take 400mg Folic acid whilst trying to get pregnant and then for a minimum of 3 months after getting pregnant. Most are advised to supplement D3 too.

I wouldn’t be happy with my wife taking anything else that wasn’t recommended by her dr

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

But can't they test supps on pregnant rats or any other animal? Pretty much every other supplement efficacies are often based on animal studies results.

 

[Anabaholic]

They can test on animals, but pregnancy can be complicated, and it's safer for the company to just say they don't recommend their product for pregnant women. A lot of supplements would probably be totally fine for a pregnant woman to take, but any one user having a bad reaction would probably turn into media hysteria; think about energy drinks, they're generally safe when used in moderation, but every once in a while someone drinks a case in one sitting and has a heart attack, next thing you know, senators are rushing to ban sales to minors or regulate what can be in an energy drink and the unlucky company whose product 'caused' the episode is in for a long and expensive law suit, and to an uneducated judge/jury, a pregnant woman is even more sympathetic than someone who can't be responsible with caffeine.

 

[D3x]

So this isn't a thread about supplements to help you get pregnant?... Cause that's what the title sounds like.. lolol

 

[LeanEngineer]

My guess is supp companies don't want to take any chances and preg women are not their target audience for supps so they don't really worry about it.

 

[ELROCK]

Multivitamin, fish oil (DHA specifically), folic acid (use the active form) and vitamin D3. That is about it. Not saying the other things would harm the fetus/baby/mother, but it’s just not worth the risk because of the unknowns.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

I know, it sounds weird but I'm honestly asking for pregnant women in general. My wife had a miscarriage in the past year and she's pregnant again and I guess I'm wondering if there is anything she can take to prevent another miscarriage from happening. I guess I'm just looking for ways to ensure extra security and health for her. I never realized but miscarriages are very common among women.

 

[Anabaholic]

I'm really sorry to hear about you and your wife's loss. Yes, miscarriage much more common than most people think, it's really enlightening if you ask around, it's very common but many people don't talk about it. I hope things go better for you two in the future. Best wishes.