What is the Best Plant-Based Prenatal Vitamin Supplement? Top Vegan Prenatal Vitamins for 2019
When women become pregnant, it’s essential that they pay attention to what they eat and ensure that they fill any deficiencies in their diet, so the baby can grow strong and healthy. Women should take care of their bodies while they’re pregnant, and as they do so, it’s important to understand that even if you consume a nutritious and balanced diet, it can be hard to get all the nutrients you need. While eating a diet that includes whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits is excellent, there still may be some key nutrients that both you–and your growing baby–are missing out on.
To help with this, prenatal vitamins are often recommended by doctors, and are well known to aid in health both while women are pregnant and while they’re breastfeeding afterward. To some people, prenatal vitamins are essential to pregnancy and pre-pregnancy nutrition. The supplements can benefit any woman, but they especially help those who have diseases or have dietary sensitivities or restrictions. This makes prenatal vitamins perfect for women who are vegan, since they should be taking care to support their nutrition while on this type of diet anyway.
While it’s always best to get the nutrients and vitamins you need from the food you consume, many women struggle with nausea, heartburn, and other types of distress while they’re pregnant. Their diet becomes limited in ways they wouldn’t have imagined. In this case, it’s especially important to make sure you’re getting enough nutrients to support a healthy baby, even though you may have difficulty in keeping down normal food. Prenatal vitamins are a great way to cover nutrient gaps that may occur during pregnancy.
Top 5 Vegan Prenatal Vitamins
What Are the Benefits to Taking Prenatal Vitamins?
Taking prenatal vitamins not only can support a healthy baby and an easy pregnancy, but they may also help you for the long term. One of the most well known benefits of these vitamins is that they can help to reduce the risk of any birth defects. For example, many prenatal vitamins have folic acid which can decrease neural tube defects, if it’s taken before conception.
If you’d like to conceive, taking prenatal vitamins can actually boost the chance you’ll be able to get pregnant. Studies have shown that these vitamins can help increase fertility chances, and keep the fetus healthy once you have conceived. Into your pregnancy, prenatal vitamins can help you have a more pleasant and easier experience, especially during the first trimester.
Most prenatal vitamins have vitamin B6, which has been shown to reduce nausea. Research has shown that women who take B6 before they conceive and during the first couple weeks of their pregnancy experience less vomiting and less morning sickness within the first trimester.
Features to Look For in a Vegan Prenatal Vitamin
On top of continuing to consume a diet that’s varied and healthy as much as possible, women who are trying to get pregnant, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding should also take prenatal vitamins that contain calcium, iodine, iron, and folate, as well as other minerals and vitamins. Folate is considered to be the most important nutrient in these vitamins, since it reduces the risk of certain birth defects.
Look for vitamins that offer at least 400mcg of folic acid per serving. Start taking the supplement as you’re attempting to conceive, since neural tube defects occur within the first month of conception, and unfortunately this timeline happens before most women realize they’re pregnant. A prenatal vitamin that will work for you will also contain at least 150mcg of iodine per serving, since iodine has an important role in the healthy functioning of your thyroid as you’re pregnant. Getting a high enough amount of iodine will help to support a healthy fetus as well as a healthy pregnancy. A deficiency in iodine can lead to stillbirth, miscarriage, deafness, mental disability, and stunted physical growth. Among all the nutrients, folic acid and iodine should be at the top of your list.
On top of these, the prenatal vitamin you choose should have 17mg of iron, 400IU of vitamin D, and about 300 mg of calcium per serving. Calcium will prevent bone loss in the mother while also encouraging bone growth in the fetus; vitamin D helps both bodies process the calcium more efficiently. Iron is also important for both the baby and the mother, since it helps to carry oxygen throughout your entire body.
If you’re vegan, it’s important to be aware that unwanted animal ingredients tend to appear in supplements. Be careful in particular with vitamin D3 and vitamin A, as A is often derived from animal liver and D3 typically comes from lanolin. If the supplement claims it’s vegan, check the sources of each and every ingredient to make sure it’s definitely suitable for your vegan lifestyle. Pick vitamins that use only plant based sources for all their ingredients, no matter how small.
The Best Vegan Prenatal Vitamins List
① Naturelo Prenatal Multivitamin
This vitamin from Naturelo provides you with calcium, DHA, folate, and natural iron–all the nutrients you need. It’s safe for both vegetarians and vegans, and with one purchase you’ll get a two-month supply of gluten free, whole food, and non-GMO capsules that absorb fast and are free from any coloring, flavoring, or binders. The capsules also contain zero gelatin and feature real nutrition. You’ll get essential minerals like selenium and choline, magnesium, and zinc, as well as a natural vitamins A, B, C, D3, E, and K2 from nutrients that are pure and real. The vitamin C comes from organic cherries, the vitamin E from organic rice bran, calcium from algae, iodine from kelp, and B12 from methylcobalamin. For both lactating mothers and pregnant women, this is a best selling multivitamin and one of the few that feature a food-based, premium formula that supports healthy pregnancy. It also can be used to support breastfeeding after birth, nourishes the baby’s brain, and aids your general wellness and health. Just take three capsules per day with a full glass of water.
Pros
- Free of common allergens, including caffeine
- Features a premium, food-based formula
- Produced in the USA in a GMP compliant facility with third party testing
Cons
- Users believed the capsules had an odd smell to them
- Contains a high amount of folate
② Best Nest Wellness Mama Bird AM/PM Prenatal Multivitamin
Best Nest Wellness’ prenatal multivitamin features a whole food, organic, natural herbal blend that’s perfect for vegans. It contains only methylated vitamins, such as methylfolate (which is natural folic acid) and methylcobalamin (natural B12). Two servings a day helps mothers maintain their energy levels, become soothed, achieve optimal neurological development, and reduce nausea. On top of this, the unique formula contains digestive enzymes and probiotics, so the supplement will be easy on your digestive system and it’ll help ease your morning sickness as an added bonus. Overall, the vitamin is a good investment in both the mother’s health and the baby’s health, and it enhances your ability to absorb and maximize critical nutrients. It’s free of any dairy, GMOs, nuts, artificial colors or flavors, preservatives, sugar, shellfish, soy, or yeast. All of Best Nest Wellness’ products are pure and natural, made in the USA, and undergo extensive third party testing. The company also offers a money back guarantee. Just take two tablets a day, with or without food.
Pros
- Contains only methylated vitamins
- Includes probiotics and digestive enzymes to reduce nausea and enhance the digestive system
- Comes with money back guarantee
Cons
- May cause migraines
- Price recently increased greatly, to the disappointment of many users
③ Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal Multivitamin
This prenatal vitamin from Garden of Life is completely vegetarian and raw. As a whole food, non-GMO, gluten and dairy free supplement, it offers the iron and folate you need, with added benefits of ginger and probiotics to soothe your stomach and aid your digestive system. You want the best for yourself and your baby–and so does Garden of Life. Their multivitamin is made from raw, nutritious whole foods and is specially formulated to benefit both the mom and the baby, during pregnancy and lactation afterward. These prenatal benefits include zinc, vitamin D, ginger, and probiotics, as well as iron, folate, and vitamins C, E, and B complex. All of this comes together to support your digestive system, heart health, blood health, and healthy development of neural tubes. You get great nutrition without any fillers, binders, dairy, or gluten. The raw prenatal has a whole food formula from 23 blended vegetables and fruits, and provides nothing but the nourishment needed to support both the developing baby and the mom. Just take three capsules each day with juice or water, with or without food.
Pros
- Contains ginger and probiotics to soothe your digestive system
- Made from raw, nutritious whole foods including 23 fruits and vegetables
- Supports heart health, blood health, and neural tube development
Cons
- Contains vitex, which can interfere with women’s natural period flow
- Can cause stomach cramps, nausea, and bloating
④ Rainbow Light Prenatal One Multivitamin for Vegans
Rainbow Light’s prenatal multivitamin provides all the nutrition both mom and baby need with daily vitamins and minerals such as folate and iron, in easy to take tablets that are gluten free and vegetarian. It delivers ingredients that have been scientifically researched, in potencies that have been carefully laid out to meet daily values for prenatal care; one tablet per day supports nursing and pregnant moms with the exact recommended amount of iron, choline, calcium, and folate. You’ll also get support for whole body health with vitamins D, C, and A. All of this comes together to promote energy and the health of your cells, immune system, skin, blood, and bones, throughout the entire day. The supplement also offers a digestive support blend and enzymes that are plant based to soothe your stomach. All ingredients have been tested to ensure purity and quality, and there are no artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors, or gluten, shellfish, peanuts, milk, or wheat. A purchase gets you a four month’s supply, and the pills are easy to take.
Pros
- Ingredients are scientifically researched and tested for purity
- Essential vitamins, minerals, and plant-based enzymes
- All ingredients have been carefully measured for exact potency
Cons
- Product has been updated, and users dislike the new formula
- Can cause upset stomachs and bad breath
⑤ Pink Stork Total Prenatal Plus DHA Nutrition Support
Pink Stork’s total nutritional support supplement offers all the doctor-recommended nutrients you need for after, during, and before pregnancy, including iron, zinc, and folate with extra DHA included. With vegetarian DHA derived from algae, this blend provides you with a more well-rounded, comprehensive supplement that not only supports immune and nervous systems, but also helps to enhance the health of your bones and increase your levels of energy as well. It also offers high amounts of zinc and folate, which are essential for healthy fetal development and prevent neural tube defects. These supplements in particular also come worry-free, as Pink Stork works hard to take out all the unnecessary fillers and junk so you get just the nutrients and vitamins you need. They’re gluten free, non-GMO, and come with a satisfaction guarantee. The capsules were designed to be effective and clean, as they’re free of any colors, preservatives, or sweeteners/sugars. It’s recommended to take two capsules each day as part of a comprehensive prenatal wellness routine.
Pros
- Contains DHA to enhance bone health and energy levels
- More well-rounded and comprehensive prenatal supplement
- Free of any sweeteners or colors
Cons
- Contains unusually high amounts of vitamin D that may be dangerous
- Users believed that it smells and tastes awful
⑥ Best Nest Wellness Vegan Prenatal DHA
This second prenatal vitamin from Best Nest Wellness is enhanced with DHA from algae, making it a vegan omega 3 supplement that not only provides all the traditional prenatal nutrients, but also supports brain and eye health for both the mother and the baby. Instead of fish oil, Best Nest Wellness utilizes omega 3 from seaweed and algae, so that way the supplement stays vegan. In fact, the capsules were formulated by a neurologist and each dose provides 1000mg of DHA and 350 mg of omega 3s, to achieve the essential amount to support neurodevelopment. This supplement is created from sustainable algae, made in the USA, is third party tested, and contains zero heavy metals, which some omega 3 supplements unfortunately have. It comes in the form of soft gels, which are very easy to swallow and small, and it’s also free of sugar, dairy, gluten, GMOs, artificial colors or flavors, and soy. The facility that produces these supplements is also GMP certified. Simply take two soft gels per day with food.
Pros
- Optimally dosed with formulation by a neurologist
- Includes DHA, which is essential to develop a baby’s eyes, spine, and brain
- Third party tested and produced in a GMP-certified facility
Cons
- Capsules may burst in the bottle, getting oil everywhere
- Still has a fishy smell, which made some women nauseous
⑦ Garden of Life myKind Organics Prenatal Gummy Vitamins
This prenatal vitamin from Garden of Life comes in a tasty, gummy form. The gummies are organic, vegan, kosher, and non-GMO, and come in a berry flavor. They offer a complete prenatal profile that includes multi-methyl B12, D3, and folate. There’s also nine organic whole fruits within every bottle, so you’re getting your nutrients from whole foods that you can feel good about. The vitamins are feature a clean, unprocessed technology that’s free of any ingredients you’d typically find in gummy candy, such as corn starch or pig gelatin. The ingredients are specifically targeted to support the needs of both babies and moms, with ingredients such as 800IU of vegan vitamin D3 and 600mcg of folate. Each ingredient is completely clean, as these gummies are certified USDA organic, gluten free, vegan, and non-GMO project certified. On top of this, there are no artificial colorings or flavors, and the company has undergone rigorous testing.
Pros
- Whole food chews that feature clean, tested ingredients
- Nine organic whole fruits within every bottle
- Offer a complete natal profile with vitamin D3, folate, and B12
Cons
- Have to take four gummies per day with food; some users felt this was a lot
- Many users felt that the gummies had a negative, earthy taste
Conclusion & What are the Best Vegan Prenatal Vitamins
Vegan prenatal vitamin supplements are essential before, during, and after pregnancy. Even if you’re getting a nutritional, healthy diet, chances are you’re still risking some deficiency. By taking a prenatal vitamin, you can feel rest assured that you’re filling any nutrition gaps that may be caused by your vegan diet or your nausea due to pregnancy. There are many benefits from these prenatal vitamins, and some of them are indeed vegan, so you don’t have to risk your beliefs, and you can still get all the nutrients that both you and your baby need. By choosing a vegan prenatal vitamin, you’re helping your baby grow and thrive. Be sure to check out our favorite, Naturelo Vegan Prenatal Vitamins (CHECK BEST PRICE HERE).
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