Do my prenatal pills have TOXIC ingredients?

Question

I bought my prenatal pills at Whole Foods.

I noticed that they put 1000mcg of Folic Acid.

Then, I noticed a lot of other ingredients that don't look like they should be in a prenatal pill such as;

Selenium

Copper

CHROMIUM

PABA

Inositol

Rutin

Silica Dioxide

L-Taurine

the list goes on and on....

Are any of these ingredients harmful? I wouldn't think they would be sold if so, but you never know.

My prenatal vitamin is Super Nutrition Simply One Prenatal

Answer 1

We all need certain minerals and amino acids, some in trace amounts.  

Of course, any of these in large doses would be toxic (as would large doses of Vitamin A or iron).

Answer 2

I can't tell you what everything is in those ingredients but I can tell you they're necessary for good health.  They are amino acids, trace minerals, bioflavonoids, etc.

L-Taurine is an amino acid.  Amino acids are the essential building blocks of protein that promote growth and maintenance of all body tissues.

Selenium is a trace mineral needed in small amounts for good health.

Inositol is a simple carbohydrate which has many functions.  Commonly found in foods like cereals.

Rutin is a bioflavonoid (very good stuff).

You could look them all up individually but I wouldn't worry.  Prenatals are among the best vitamins you can take - any time, not just when you're pregnant.

Answer 3

I checked the ingredients online and there is nothing toxic in these. It reads like a GREAT whole-foods-based supplement and is even vegetarian. BUT, as it says on the website, there isn't enough calcium and magnesium in there (they couldn't put all that in one pill) so you need to add another supplement for that. Their formula for Cal-Mag has extra C & D but you have to take 3 tablets to get what you need. You might look into a liquid Cal-Mag instead.

BTW, that is the upper limit of folic acid recommended but part of it is as folicin and that's fine.

Answer 4

Some of these ingredients are harmful if taken in excess, but in a small amount (micrograms) are essential to good health. I would wonder about L-Taurine. Which pre-natal supplement has that?