Multivitamin also for women who are breastfeeding?

 Question:
I’ve just ordered a jar of Natural Multi. I stand behind the product and its composition, but my wife breastfeeds, can she also take this multivitamin or do you advise against this?

Answer:
I am very hesitant when it comes to the use of supplements in the period of pregnancy and lactation. With horror I see multivitamins for pregnant and lactating woman that are full of synthetics. Our Natural Multi has only natural substances, but I still remain hesitant when it come to the pregnancy period and lactation.

Preferably a woman who’s pregnant or breastfeeds only eats wholesome food that contains a lot of nutrition: dairy, (organ) meat, eggs, fish, root vegetables, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Iodized salt is added to bread. Iodine is very important during pregnancy.

In reality, most people almost never eat such wholefoods. The chance of a deficiency of one or more nutrients is very possible.

Pregnant women are now advised several supplements. It’s estimated that a woman daily needs: 225 micro grams of iodine, 200 milligrams of DHA (fish oil), 400 micro grams of vitamin D, 400 micro grams of folic acid and about 400 milligrams of choline. During breast-feeding supplementation with folic acid is no longer necessary, but it may still be advantageous to supplement the other nutrients. Choline preferably necessary from the food.

Our multivitamin provides iodine (150 micrograms), vitamin D (1000 micrograms) and a reasonable amount of folic acid (100 micrograms). For supplementing these substances our multivitamin may be used during breastfeeding.

For choline, liver and yolk are the best foods. It is better not to use it in supplement form. An egg yolk contains about 100 mg of choline. Chicken liver contains about 300 mg per 100 grams.

A fatty fish can be eaten to obtain the fatty acid DHA. Unlike an oily fish, however, a fish oil supplement contains no heavy metal contamination such as PCBs and dioxins. A good fish oil supplement is our Marinoil fish oil. I have especially selected this fish oil supplement following the pregnancy of my wife. I had little faith in the fish oil supplements that were on the market at that time.