Posted by Hugh on December 12, 2017, at 12:50:46
In reply to Pregnant women should take phosphatidylcholine, posted by Hugh on November 26, 2017, at 15:08:55
Some prenatal vitamins have too much folate (which can increase the risk of autism) and none of them have enough choline. Dr. Tod Cooperman recommends taking no more than 400 mcg of folate during pregnancy, and some prenatal vitamins contain 800 mcg.
It's also important for pregnant women to supplement with iodine. Even though salt in the US has been iodized since 1924, Americans' iodine levels have fallen dramatically because fast foods and processed foods are made with salt that isn't iodized, and kosher salt isn't iodized, and sea salt usually isn't iodized. So 80% of the salt Americans consume is not iodized. Dr. Cooperman recommends 150 mcg of iodine per day from a supplement, plus more from your diet.
He recommends 27 mg of iron per day during pregnancy. B-vitamins are also important during pregnancy.
Dr. Cooperman can't recommend any brand of prenatal vitamins, because all of them are so far behind the science. So pregnant women might be better off taking a regular multivitamin that contains B-vitamins, 150 mcg of iodine, 27 mg of iron, and no more than 400 mcg of folate, and then taking a separate choline supplement (phosphatidylcholine is best).
Here is Dr. Cooperman's talk on prenatal vitamins:
poster:Hugh
thread:1096073
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20160521/msgs/1096323.html