We depend on nutritional supplements to ensure proper nutrition. These might include weight loss supplements, anti-aging supplements, multivitamin supplements and many more. A healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet and getting enough of the right vitamins and minerals, is the key to living a happy life. It mainly appears essential when you are pregnant or trying to conceive. 

However, choosing which vitamins, minerals, oils, and herbs would benefit your body the most during conception might not be very clear.

• Essential oils like rosemary or clary sage can also act as uterine stimulants and should be avoided.
• High doses of iodine supplements can disrupt thyroid function in both mother and fetus.
• Supplements containing caffeine or guarana can amplify risks of miscarriage or low birth weight.
• Spirulina and other algae-based supplements may contain harmful toxins like microcystins, unsafe for pregnancy.
• Pregnant women should avoid detox or cleansing supplements as they may deplete essential nutrients.
• The safety of many “natural” supplements during pregnancy is unregulated and unverified by scientific studies.

Our goal is to provide clear and concise information on which dietary supplements are safe to use during pregnancy. And which ones should you avoid?

Intake of some supplements can harm the mother and the baby. So, ensure to have any supplement only after a health care professional recommends it. A few supplements that should be avoided during pregnancy include:

It’s a component of many drinks like tonic water and is known for its bitter taste. Its consumption is not safe, particularly during conception. A research study has shown that one woman who drank over 1 liter of tonic water daily gave birth to a child with severe withdrawal symptoms.

The baby had a nervous problem that appeared within a day of his delivery and disappeared two months later. 

The Federal Institute of Risk Assessment has prohibited using quinine drinks during pregnancy. No matter how little it is, it should not be considered for consumption to ensure a healthy pregnancy.

This supplement has more than 20 constituents, and all are the point of concern, particularly for pregnant women. Researchers worked on the effect of these components on fetal development in rats. They found that embryonic development was affected by this supplement. Its intake was found to be directly related to growth abnormalities. 

The higher the level of supplement, the higher the chances of abnormalities. 

They expanded their research on rat embryos after that. They found that ‘Ginsenoside’ was the principal constituent of ginseng. It was mainly the causing agent of these abnormalities. They translated their observations and effects on humans later on. 

The researchers declared that ginseng intake should be avoided during the whole pregnancy and, if not, in the first trimester.

It is another supplement enlisted among those which should be avoided during pregnancy. Researchers found a constituent of ginkgo in the placenta of a woman who had taken this supplement. They called this component alkaloid ‘colchicine’. 

This is dangerous in high doses. Some others found that its intake harms the developing fetus. 

The major problem behind colchicine intake is its excessive accumulation in the womb. It’s just like caffeine when it is taken more than the recommended quantity. So, they did not advise using ginkgo biloba based on colchicine accumulation in the womb.

Vitamin A is one of the most important prenatal vitamins. Adequate intake of vitamin A is essential for the proper vision of the infant and the immune system. But its excessive intake appears harmful. 

Being a fat-soluble vitamin, it is stored in the liver and leads to liver damage. Its toxicity also causes birth defects. 

Its excessive intake during pregnancy is associated with congenital abnormalities. It’s the most important prenatal vitamin, no doubt. 

However, its adequate consumption should be managed from food rather than from outside supplementation.

Like vitamin A, this vitamin is fat-soluble and involved in gene expression and proper immune functioning. It’s essential for good health but not recommended in supplementation. Extra vitamin E in supplementation form appears good neither for the mother nor the baby. 

However, excessive vitamin E intake increases the chances of abdominal pain and premature rupture of the amniotic sac.

It’s a herb that belongs to the buttercup family. It performs various functions and mainly gives ease to menstrual cramps. It is not advised to use this supplement specifically during pregnancy. Because it induces uterine contractions, and these contractions ultimately give rise to preterm labor. 

Its supplementation causes liver damage in some people.

It’s a dietary supplement used to treat respiratory infections and diarrhea in infants. There is minimal research available on its efficacy and safety. It is not advised to be consumed during pregnancy, as it contains a substance called berberine, which causes jaundice in infants. Its intake during conception leads to a condition called kernicterus. 

This is severe brain damage that can be fatal. So, its consumption should be prohibited during pregnancy.

This root has been used for over 1000 years in traditional Chinese medicine. It has both practical and ineffective outcomes. It’s an effective therapy to treat everything from menstrual cramps to high blood pressure. 

However, evidence of its efficacy is lacking. It is not advised to take during pregnancy because it induces uterine contractions. And ultimately results in miscarriage.

It is a supplement manufactured from the bark of a tree native to Africa. It has a wide variety of uses. It is used to treat symptoms of erectile dysfunction and obesity. However, its consumption is not advised during pregnancy, resulting in seizures, heart attacks, and high blood pressure.

If you are pregnant, use extreme caution while using any medications or supplements. Drugs come in various forms, such as suppositories, pills, tablets, oils, inhalants, and ointments. The placenta is an open conduit via which everything you ingest may reach your unborn child. 

Medicines might cause congenital malformations, often known as congenital disabilities. They may affect the growth of the infant. There is some evidence that certain medications have an adverse effect on labor as well.

Consult your medical professional before using complementary or alternative therapies like massage oil, aromatherapy, or any supplement.