Ultimate Guide: How to Pick a Prenatal Vitamin

This is such an important topic to break down that we’ll devote an entire section to the dangers of synthetic vitamins below; but for now, let’s keep looking at what else to look for when you’re picking a prenatal.

2) Vitamin Sourcing: Similarly, you want to find a prenatal vitamin where the brand discloses the exact food source of their vitamins so you can ensure it’s not synthetic.

Many prenatal vitamins, including those labeled as real food vitamins, only say that the ingredients are a “food blend”, so we really can’t be sure where those foods are coming from.

Check out NutriGold’s Prenatal Multi Gold label:

You’ll notice how clearly and transparently the label breaks down each source. If a brand doesn’t want to tell you where their ingredients are sourced from, it makes me wonder… what are they hiding?

3) Vitamin Dosage: It’s important to look at the actual quantity of each vitamin and mineral you’re getting in your prenatal multivitamin. Some brands just say they have an “herbal blend” of x, y and z, but they don’t have to disclose the actual amounts in each dose on the label. (Red flag!)

Thus, you don’t know exactly how much of each ingredient you’re getting, and usually this means that the doses are too low to be beneficial. Again, look at NutriGold’s label above where they break down the exact dose per serving of every single nutrient (for example, 600 mg folate). As a consumer, I really appreciate this commitment to transparency.

4) Vitamin Testing + Transparency: Having objective, 3rd-party testing certifications is key when it comes to prenatal vitamins. This means that the source, purity and potency label claims have all been verified by an independent lab.

Personally, I find this type of transparency and accountability super important, so I can be sure that I’m not getting duped by greenwashing or buzzword marketing that’s not regulated and know with certainty that what I’m putting in my body is top quality.

Here’s what you ideally want to look for:

• NO magnesium stearate or other chemical additives: Magnesium stearate, sometimes called “vegetable stearate” or derivatives like “steric acid” is in virtually every supplement sold on the market today. Essentially, it’s a lubricant that helps speed up the manufacturing process because it prevents ingredients from sticking to the mechanical equipment, and also makes pills easier to swallow and move down your digestive tract. However, magnesium stearate may be toxic in high doses by suppressing your T-cells (which attack pathogens), and may also lead to poor intestinal absorption (making the supplement virtually useless).³
• NO residual solvents or pesticides: Of course, you don’t want to be ingesting pesticides or chemicals. Look for organic ingredients or at least non-GMO.
• NO binders or fillers: These get added to help bulk up the supplement, but there is no long-term research on how these ingredients impact our health long-term. The biggest current concern is that they can interact with the medicinal ingredients and could render the active ingredients inactive–thus unavailable for the body to use.⁴
• NO allergens: Some supplements contain allergens or derivatives of allergens like milk, soy, eggs, fish, nuts and wheat. This is just unnecessary and important to look for if you’re allergic or sensitive to any of these ingredients, or if you’re following a specific diet like vegan or gluten-free.

I love NutriGold because they’ve got NONE of that stuff! No additives, fillers or anything unnecessary. Instead, they simply use an organic veggie capsule (pullulan) and organic rice concentrate to bind the pill together.

• Vitamin A from organic microalgae (the active form) vs. beta-carotene. Beta-carotene found in its natural form (like carrots, pumpkin and sweet potatoes) is converted into Vitamin A in the body. However, when beta-carotene is directly supplemented, some studies suggest that this may increase your risk of serious health conditions like cancer and heart disease.⁷
• Vitamin C and E from organic berries and fruits vs. Ascorbic Acid and dl-alpha tocopherol (the chemical names for Vitamin C and E). Supplementing with Ascorbic Acid may lead to diarrhea, cramps and increased kidney stone risks. Supplementing with dl-alpha tocopherol typically fails to absorb in the body.⁸
• Vitamin D from Lichen (as D3) vs. Cholecalciferol or Irradiated Ergosterol, Calciferol. We know that getting Vitamin D (usually from the sun and foods like fish) is super important for our bones, immune system and mental health. When supplementing, be sure to supplement with D3 and not D2 or generic Vitamin D, as vitamin D2 is neither as absorbable nor convertible by the body into what it needs.⁹
• Vitamin K from natto (100% as K2 (MK-7) — not mixed with K1). Vitamin K2 is needed to help with nutrient assimilation, growth and development in infants and children, brain function, and dental health. Other than getting it naturally in foods like fermented cheese and yogurts, dark meat poultry, free-range eggs and grass-fed butter and meats, Vitamin K2, when supplemented from plant-based natto (fermented soybeans), is highly bioavailable. Vitamin K2 MK‑7 is the best choice of Vitamin K as it gives the body a much stronger vitamin K boost compared to a similar amount of K1, targeting the bone‑producing proteins that integrate calcium into bones and teeth.¹⁰
• B vitamins from organic plants. The eight B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12)–called the Vitamin B Complex–play an important role in keeping our bodies running properly, converting our food into fuel and allowing us to stay energized throughout the day. Specifically, Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, is vital to your baby’s developing brain and nervous system. As with everything else, we want a real food source of Vitamin B vs. synthetic, to be sure we’re getting maximum nutrients and avoiding potentially harmful ingredients.
• B-12 as Methylcobalamin (70%) and Adenosylcobalamin (30%). Note that B-12 is the one exception for not being food-sourced, as there is currently no vegan source of an “active” form of B12. Given this, NutriGold’s B-12 is a lab-made complex providing both bioactive forms–70% methylcobalamin and 30% adenosylcobalamin. You want to get both of those forms, as they’re the only forms that are coenzymated and active in the body (meaning they require no extra conversion to be active), and because they perform different functions within the body.¹¹
  • Overall methylcobalamin supports cardiovascular function, neurological health, and emotional wellness. Adenosylcobalamin is used in the metabolic cycle to produce energy, supports optimal liver health and plays a vital role in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism.¹¹
  • Vitamin B12 is important for maintaining the health of your nervous system and supporting methylation, a process in the body that essentially allows the gears to turn and flicks biological switches on and off for a host of systems (neurotransmitter production, detoxification, fat metabolism and so much more). Thus you want to look for B12 in its active, methylated form (vs. unmethylated B12, which is its inactive form.) This is particularly important if you have the MTHFR mutation or have taken B vitamins in the past without success in raising your levels.
  • It’s also believed that when combined with folate during pregnancy, B12 supplements can help to prevent spina bifida and other spinal and central nervous system birth defects in your baby, too.¹²
• Calcium from organic algae vs. calcium carbonate. As with other synthetic vitamins, supplementing with calcium carbonate instead of real food calcium is not only weakly absorbed, it’s associated with increased cardiovascular risk, prostate cancer and higher risk for kidney stones.¹³
• Iodine from organic kelp. Iodine is essential for thyroid hormone production, and it’s way more effective to get iodine from an abundant natural seaweed like kelp than to take a synthetic supplement, often in the form of potassium iodide or sodium iodide. (source) Not only are natural food sources generally more effective, but with iodine specifically, it’s easy to get too much and the synthetic supplement can interfere with some medications.¹⁴
• Iron, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Manganese, and Chromium from organic plants. These are all important nutrients during pregnancy to support tasks like bone cartilage growth, DNA production, breaking down and storing fats, carbs, and protein, and more.