Gluten Free Prenatal Vitamins

[Q1821]

ok, I need some help. I need a good prenatal vitamin that is gluten free but I haven't found one yet. What do you all take? Thanks

[Michi8]

ok, I need some help. I need a good prenatal vitamin that is gluten free but I haven't found one yet. What do you all take? Thanks

I didn't take prenatal vitamins. They can actually contribute to pregnancy nausea for some women...and I was one of the lucky ones with nausea for the first three months. I did take folic acid supplements though...along with a healthy, vitamin rich diet.

Michelle

[Guest cassidy]

My integrative doctor said that the best vitamins to take are capsules because they have to heat tablets up so hot to get them in tablet form that you can lose some of the nutrients. I also wanted one with beta carotene for the vitamin A source because the other type of vitamin A (palmitate I think) isn't good to get too much of. If you get too much beta carotene, you will just pee it out.

So, I looked long and hard for a gluten-free, beta carotene capsule and found NOW brand. You have to take 4 a day which isn't terrible and I've done well on those.

[Guhlia]

I take OneSource Prenatal. They are marked gluten free on the label and they are MUCH smaller than the prescription ones. The daily dosage is 2 and they are very inexpensive compared to some other brands that I've looked into. I get them at Wal-mart. Also, they contain 800% DV for pregnant women of Vitamin B6. I've noticed a significant improvement in my mood since I started taking them. I know it's possible that it's the pregnancy, but I'm thinking it's more the vitamins.

[tiffjake]

ok, I need some help. I need a good prenatal vitamin that is gluten free but I haven't found one yet. What do you all take? Thanks

I take GNC prenatals. They are gluten free, soy free, dairy free, lots of other stuff free too.

[alamaz]

I'm taking Rainbow Light Prenatal One which are gluten-free, SF, CF etc. I don't have the bottle in front of me. I couldn't take the regular Rainbow Light prenatal though which is multiple vitamins a day and I don't think are gluten-free.

Amy

[celiacheather]

I have been thinking and reading about this topic a lot lately, as I plan to TTC later this year. In my college Dietetics course, we were taught that vitamins and supplements are ineffective because they are void of the other ingredients found in food that aid in absorption. So, basically you urinate out almost all of the vitamin you take in when you ingest a pill-form vitamin. Modern dietitians will tell you to get your vitamins from food sources. (Doctors really only get a brief nutrition intro while in med school, so they are definitely not the source for your nutrition info.)

I just found this article from the NY Times on the subject, which only skims the surface on how ineffective pill-vitamins really are.

Open Original Shared Link 60&sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=1

Here's a little clip from the article: "A sensibly balanced and varied diet that includes fresh vegetables and fruits and whole grains as well as dairy products and meat or meat substitutes can provide all the needed nutrients, with extra to spare, for the vast majority of people. (See menu plan in accompanying table.) Many people with special needs, such as heavy smokers, can get the extra nutrients they require by making small additions to or changes in their usual diet."

Anyway, the reason most doctors will put you on a prenatal vitamin is to get your folic acid. Of course, the easier and healthier way of getting folacin is just to eat dark green leafy vegetables like spinach. This way, not only are you ensuring absorption of the folacin, but you are also getting fiber and other vitamins!

Seriously, if we as celiacs are eating balanced diets, there is no need for us to get our vitamins from a pill.

[tiffjake]

I have been thinking and reading about this topic a lot lately, as I plan to TTC later this year. In my college Dietetics course, we were taught that vitamins and supplements are ineffective because they are void of the other ingredients found in food that aid in absorption. So, basically you urinate out almost all of the vitamin you take in when you ingest a pill-form vitamin. Modern dietitians will tell you to get your vitamins from food sources. (Doctors really only get a brief nutrition intro while in med school, so they are definitely not the source for your nutrition info.)

I just found this article from the NY Times on the subject, which only skims the surface on how ineffective pill-vitamins really are.

Open Original Shared Link 60&sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=1

Here's a little clip from the article: "A sensibly balanced and varied diet that includes fresh vegetables and fruits and whole grains as well as dairy products and meat or meat substitutes can provide all the needed nutrients, with extra to spare, for the vast majority of people. (See menu plan in accompanying table.) Many people with special needs, such as heavy smokers, can get the extra nutrients they require by making small additions to or changes in their usual diet."

Anyway, the reason most doctors will put you on a prenatal vitamin is to get your folic acid. Of course, the easier and healthier way of getting folacin is just to eat dark green leafy vegetables like spinach. This way, not only are you ensuring absorption of the folacin, but you are also getting fiber and other vitamins!

Seriously, if we as celiacs are eating balanced diets, there is no need for us to get our vitamins from a pill.

Vitamins are either fat soluble or water soluble. So, if you eat Fat or Drink Water, then your vitamins would be absorbed. I will not eat enough spinach to get the Folic Acid I need, that is just plain fact. So, I take it in pill form.

[celiacheather]

Vitamins are either fat soluble or water soluble. So, if you eat Fat or Drink Water, then your vitamins would be absorbed. I will not eat enough spinach to get the Folic Acid I need, that is just plain fact. So, I take it in pill form.

E, D, A and K are fat soluble, so you MUST take fat with them for them to absorb. Most people take vitamins simply with water or carb-heavy breakfasts, making it highly unlikely that the vitamins will absorb. Also, there are many micronutrients like phytochemicals needed for absorption that are not present in pill-form vitamins.

This is from Forbes.com:

"Another reason to fill your plate: Scientists also are finding that taking multivitamins doesn't have the same effect on a person's health as eating well.

In the past ten years, they've begun focusing on the role of hundreds of plant chemicals known as phytochemicals, which can have a positive impact on the immune system. Along with the phytochemicals scientists have identified, such as lycopene in tomatoes and anthocyanin in blueberries, there are also likely many that haven't been discovered yet.

What's more, there is no recommended daily intake for phytochemicals, and the only way to get them right now is through whole foods."

If you can't stomach spinach (or eat enough of it), there are many other sources of folate:

asparagus, lentils, garbanzo beans, black-eye peas, kidney beans, walnuts, peanut butter, broccoli, almonds, cabbage, eggs, avocados, green beans, oily fish, dates, bananas, blackberries, potatoes

[Michi8]

The best source of vitamins and minerals will always be from our food. I think it is wise to supplement with vitamins that may be deficient in the diet, especially folic acid. There is just way too much science pointing to the necessity of folic acid for proper fetal development, plus it's recently been discovered that proper levels during pregnancy reduces the risk of developing childhood cancers.

Michelle

[pmarbach]

I take Stuart Prenatal vitamins. They are OTC, a bit expensive, but gluten free. They contain corn gluten which is safe. Their Vit A is source is 100% beta carotene and they have over 100% of all vitamins we need during pregnancy besides calcium. So far so good. I am 17 weeks pregnant and have been taking them for 5 months or so...

[TheresaM]

I am currently 20 weeks pregnant and actually just spoke with the manufacturer of my Prenatal Vitamin. Mine was prescribed by my OB/GYN who knows I'm gluten-free so I assumed it was Gluten Free, but this post made me curious. I had called the pharmacist by they didn't know, so I called the manufacturer and they said it contained Sodium Starch Glycolate from Maize and not any source of gluten that would harm someone with Celiac Disease or who is gluten-free. The brand is NataFort and the manufacturer is Warner Chilcott. (This kind is by prescription only I believe.) I also take folic acid supplements along with this to be on the safe side, as it has been said to help with miscarriage.

BTW, for those of you who are trying, this is my second child. I have a two and a half year old and conceived this one successfully last November...I did have two miscarriages before my first son though. Don't give up hope.

[tiffjake]

E, D, A and K are fat soluble, so you MUST take fat with them for them to absorb. Most people take vitamins simply with water or carb-heavy breakfasts, making it highly unlikely that the vitamins will absorb. Also, there are many micronutrients like phytochemicals needed for absorption that are not present in pill-form vitamins.

This is from Forbes.com:

"Another reason to fill your plate: Scientists also are finding that taking multivitamins doesn't have the same effect on a person's health as eating well.

In the past ten years, they've begun focusing on the role of hundreds of plant chemicals known as phytochemicals, which can have a positive impact on the immune system. Along with the phytochemicals scientists have identified, such as lycopene in tomatoes and anthocyanin in blueberries, there are also likely many that haven't been discovered yet.

What's more, there is no recommended daily intake for phytochemicals, and the only way to get them right now is through whole foods."

If you can't stomach spinach (or eat enough of it), there are many other sources of folate:

asparagus, lentils, garbanzo beans, black-eye peas, kidney beans, walnuts, peanut butter, broccoli, almonds, cabbage, eggs, avocados, green beans, oily fish, dates, bananas, blackberries, potatoes

So, agreeing with Michelle, and wanting to supplement, I will keep taking my vitamins with my breakfast. Food IS the best, but there are too many "requirements" to eat in one day. I eat fat, on purpose, so I know my vitamins will absorb. On the other hand, I do not eat most of the foods you mentioned for sources of foliate.

I do agree that it is a valid point that we need to get our vitamins from food, but the bottom line is that the average American diet does not supply all of the required vitamins (especially if someone eats out), so supplementation is the next best thing.

[newg]

I take Stuart Prenatal vitamins. They are OTC, a bit expensive, but gluten free. They contain corn gluten which is safe. Their Vit A is source is 100% beta carotene and they have over 100% of all vitamins we need during pregnancy besides calcium. So far so good. I am 17 weeks pregnant and have been taking them for 5 months or so...

I just had my first OB appointment and my doctor gave me Duet DHA by Stuart Natal. Are these the same ones you are taking? I notice that you said Stuart. Thanks!

[dionnek]

I was using BJs (the wharehouse store) brand (get them behind the pharmacy but not a prescription), but they just closed our BJs pharmacy so now I"m using Target prenatal - I confirmed they were gluten-free. They say "just like Stuarts" on the bottle but are in the aisle with the other vitamins.

[pmarbach]

I just had my first OB appointment and my doctor gave me Duet DHA by Stuart Natal. Are these the same ones you are taking? I notice that you said Stuart. Thanks!

No, the Duet Dha are made by the same company as the Stuart Prenatal. The difference is Duet Dha has dha and more folic acid than the stuart prenatal.