may be enough along with a clean anti- inflammatory diet and perhaps taking a probiotic supplementation. However, for others, exploring gut further with testing for gut infections and inflammation may be necessary to ensure the best gut environ- ment for overall body balance including optimal sex hormonal health.
2. Appropriate Supplementation: For both men and women, taking a multivita- min is recommended simply because most of us are not getting what we need from what we eat. Keep in mind that we want to be fully fortified BEFORE getting pregnant. The quality of egg and sperm depend on good nutrient support, and after fertiliza- tion, the earliest development of the fetus requires the optimal environment to send the proper signals for healthy development.
There is a bit of a myth about taking a “prenatal vitamin” as providing all that a woman needs before, during, and after pregnancy. From my experience as an obstetrician, many commercially-available prenatal vitamins sold actively to obstetri- cians do not actually provide good nutrient support or do not have the recommended forms of supplementation. A good prenatal vitamin is a good multivitamin. So, what basics should both men and women con- sider when preparing their bodies to have a baby?
• Vitamin A (important for baby’s developing vision and immune function): look for no more than 2,500 of “preformed” Vitamin A (palmitate, acetate, retinol palmi- tate). Foods sources of vitamin A are “provitamins” or carotenoids such as beta-carotene. Provitamins are safer because they are only converted to formed Vitamin A when needed. Vitamin A toxicity can affect brain and organ development. So, we need to be mindful of how we are supple- menting with Vitamin A.
• Vitamin D (important for baby’s developing nervous system and cog- nition, possible prevention of autism; lowers the risk of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia): the recommen- dation for supplementation should be based on testing of a 25-hydroxy Vitamin D level. An optimal level should be between 50 and 80 ng/mL. This may mean taking higher dose Vitamin D3 for a short period of time to boost levels (5,000 to 10,000 IU daily) based on laboratory testing.
• Folate (essential for proper neural tube development, as well as overall development and growth): take an active form, either folinic acid or methyl-folate, 800 micrograms. Folic acid is the synthetic version of folate and is not easily converted to folate. Moreover, up to 60% of people may have a genetic variation in an enzyme called methylenetetrahydro- folate reductase (MTHFR) which may further reduce their ability to convert folic acid. So, taking folate or folinic acid is a better choice than folic acid.
• Iodine (key for thyroid function, breast and hormone health): 150 mcg needed/day. Food sources in- clude egg yolks, sea vegetables such as seaweed and kelp, saltwater fish.
• Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA important for baby’s brain and visual develop- ment) at least 300-400 mg DHA/500- 600 mg EPA.
3. Detoxification: Along with nourishing
your body properly, removing the toxins that are present is key for overall wellness and functioning, as well as preventing the pass- ing along of those toxins to babies during pregnancy and breastfeeding. This is another area where we exert leverage over prevent- ing illness in our children. In 2005, the Environmental Working Group published a
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