With the overwhelming number of vitamins and nutritional supplements available on the market, choosing the right one is no walk in the park. And, knowing that many pregnant women are still deficient in key nutrients¹, how can pregnant and breastfeeding mothers be confident that the supplement they choose will truly support their health and nourish their baby for a lifetime of wellness?

The key to cutting through the confusion is understanding the critical differences between synthetic and non-synthetic vitamins—how each is made and more importantly, how they impact your body’s ability to absorb nutrients. Read on to uncover why real, non-synthetic prenatal vitamins provide superior absorption and how Nunona’s real food-based supplements are transforming maternal nutrition for the better. 

Real non-synthetic vitamins vs. synthetic vitamins 

Real, non-synthetic nutrients come from whole foods (think: leafy greens, seeds and algae). The nutrients are in the food matrix, which also contains a synergy of other nutrients that work together in the body. Whole food supplements may be concentrated to contain higher amounts of essential nutrients in their natural, active, and bioavailable forms

Synthetic nutrients can be found in pill form and are often artificially manufactured through an industrial chemical process, in many cases involving petroleum! They are single, isolated nutrients that may not be bioidentical to the nutrients found in food, which affects absorption (more on the importance of absorption below).

Real and synthetic nutrients have different starting materials and completely different supply chains and processes to get to the consumer. For example, calcium can come from a rock or broccoli. Which do you think is better absorbed? Nutrients in nature aren’t in isolation, they’re part of a complex food matrix, which the body inherently recognizes. 

Why real non-synthetic supplements are better for mom and baby 

Real, whole food is better for absorption and bioavailability compared to synthetic nutrients. Many women assume a prenatal is a prenatal, but the truth is that synthetic pills aren’t as effective as advertised and many do not adhere to third-party testing standards. Thirty-seven percent of pregnant women feel nauseous when taking synthetic supplements2. Additionally, there are risks of side effects and poor compliance.²

Prenatal supplements vary widely in what they contain, bioavailability varies, and absorption can be poor. There isn’t a set industry standard^3,4. Comparing folic acid with natural folates is a great example. 

Folate, vitamin B9, is a critical nutrient during pregnancy and can help prevent neural tube defects⁵. Most supplements contain synthetic folic acid, a non-bioidentical form, which is poorly utilized by the body. Leafy greens, avocados, and beans contain natural folates, in their active forms which are immediately bioavailable to cells. (Note that Nunona sources folate from organic spinach.)

Let’s take magnesium as another example. Research suggests that inorganic magnesium (i.e., magnesium rock) is less bioavailable than food where magnesium is in its natural, organic form⁶. 

Nunona and the real is right movement 

While synthetic supplements have been the status quo, they no longer have to be. Thanks to Nunona’s Mama Bites, a pre+postnatal supplement, consumers now have a real food-based alternative that provides over 100% more nutrients than the market-leading synthetic prenatal. 

This delicious alternative completely replaces a synthetic prenatal pill with its 27 food-form micronutrients, including choline sourced from organic sunflower seeds, folate and iron sourced from organic spinach and Omega 3 DHA sourced from non-gmo microalgae (to name a few of its clean ingredients). 

When it comes to supporting mothers and babies during the critical 1000 days, Nunona is leading with evidence-based nutrition to provide the energy and nutrients mothers and babies need to thrive and set the stage for lifelong wellness. 

References

1.         Bailey RL, Pac SG, Fulgoni VL, Reidy KC, Catalano PM. Estimation of Total Usual Dietary Intakes of Pregnant Women in the United States. JAMA Network Open. 2019;2(6):e195967. doi:https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.5967. Published 2019 Jun 5.
2.         Data on file, 2024.
3.         Adams JB, Kirby JK, Sorensen JC, Pollard EL, Audhya T. Evidence based recommendations for an optimal prenatal supplement for women in the US: vitamins and related nutrients. Maternal Health, Neonatology and Perinatology. 2022;8(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40748-022-00139-9 Published 2022 Jul 11.
4.         Yetley EA. Multivitamin and multimineral dietary supplements: definitions, characterization, bioavailability, and drug interactions. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007;85(1):269S276S. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/85.1.269s
5.         US Preventive Services Task Force. Folic Acid Supplementation to Prevent Neural Tube Defects: US Preventive Services Task Force Reaffirmation Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2023;330(5):454-459. doi:https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.12876
6.     Pardo MR, Garicano Vilar E, San Mauro Martín I, Camina Martín MA. Bioavailability of magnesium food supplements: A systematic review. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif). 2021;89:111294. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2021.111294