Pregnancy is a natural process that every woman turning into a mother experiences. Although it is a period of jubilation for the family, it is also super painful for the mother-to-be.
During this pregnancy period, women often catch viral illnesses that are very painful and problematic. This is where a vitamin C supplement like Emergen-C come in. These heavy-duty dietary supplement help in keeping away flu, cold, and any other illness that can be fatal.
What Are Dietary Supplements
A dietary supplement is a term used to describe a range of different types of products, including herbs, minerals, enzymes, botanicals, and vitamins. It can even be seen in various forms, such as gummies and pills.
The goal of taking the supplement is to support a diet. It provides nutrients that are extracted from foods or even synthetic to amplify the food quality.
What is Vitamin?
Vitamins are substances that are organically found in food around us, usually in citrus fruits and other foods. It is present in minute amounts and is extremely important in a human diet. Anyone who is deficient in this might face serious health problems.
Vitamin C
Today we will talk about Vitamin C. It is water-soluble and a powerful antioxidant usually found in fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C gets delivered to the body’s tissues but isn’t stored well, so you need to either consume it through food or dietary supplements throughout the day. During the cold and flu season, this is extremely helpful for treating illnesses.
What Are Vitamin C Supplements
While it is found naturally in food, it can also be consumed as a supplement. Vitamin C supplements can be made from both synthetic nutrients and natural, whole-food nutrients.
These multivitamin supplements are consumed because the average diet that people today consume is not as rich in quality ingredients as it should be.
If you are looking for a vitamin supplement, you can go for multivitamins which are amazing for improving your health.
Prenatal Vitamin – What Is It?
These vitamins are dedicated to pregnant women and are amongst many supplements to help them give their bodies the right vitamins and essential minerals that are needed in this critical period.
While it is essential to have a full of nutrition diet, sometimes it becomes necessary to take prenatal vitamins to fill in the gaps. They contain various types of substances, including Vitamin D, zinc, iron, Vitamin C, iodine, and folic acid.
All About Emergen-C
Now that we have explained various important things related to supplements, vitamin C, and prenatal vitamin, we move to today’s topic of discussion. We all need vitamins in our lives. This makes multivitamin supplements like Emergen-C very important for us.
Emergen-C, a brand owned by Alacer Corp, is a powdered mix that can be used for vitamin C. The first product was released in 1978. The main ingredient in this product is vitamin C, along with other vitamins like vitamin D as well.
Emergen-C is widely used by thousands of people. Due to its amazing flavors, along with the nutritional benefits it possesses, such as boosting energy levels, people of all age groups love to consume Emergen-C.
What Is In Emergen-C
As it is marketed, the major component of this drink is vitamin C itself. All the products have more than 1000 mg of vitamin C except gummies. There are so many mg of vitamin C in Emergen-C that the manufacturer calls it equivalent to an orange.
Emergen-C contains various other ingredients, too, such as vitamin b, vitamin d, sodium, zinc, and various electrolytes. Along with these, other supplements include plant vitamins, probiotics, sleeping aids, and other nutrients.
Types of Emergen-C
Since Emergen-C has been in the game for such a long time, it has various products available. Emergen-C is available in a wide variety of categories and subcategories. Initially, there are four products of Emergen-C. They are as follows:
- Everyday Immune Support
- Enhanced Immune Support Formula
- Botanicals
- KIDZ
Further within them, you can find categories too. These are the different forms in which you can get your intake.
- Ready-to-drink mix
- Gummies
- Chewable tablets
Risks of Taking Emergen-C
Just like it is the case with every other kind of supplement or medicine, there are various risks, and side effects associated with Emergen-C.
By taking Emergen-C, you might experience constipation, diarrhea, or stomach discomfort as well. However, these effects tend to last for a short span and are not much of a worry.
Why Vitamin C is Important for Pregnant Women
For pregnant women, vitamin C is highly valuable to their bodies, as well as the baby’s health. It benefits moms to be not only physically but helps strengthen a weakened immune system as well. As we all know, it helps in tissue building and wound repairing; both of these things happen during pregnancy. So, they need enough vitamin C to cope with it.
When it comes to the baby, vitamin C is extremely important for the growth and development of the baby’s bones and teeth. Lastly, taking vitamin C helps in the production of collagen within the body, boosting the immune system and increasing your potential to absorb iron.
Risks of Consuming Emergen-C During Pregnancy
The number one selling point of Emergen-C is the fact that it is simple and easy. You get a high amount of added vitamin C during pregnancy dosage from just a packet of ready-to-drink mix or a gummy. Who wants to peel an orange? This is super convenient. But we advise you to consult your doctors first.
The reason behind it is that it is not advisable for doctors to consume any type of supplement while pregnant. All they allow is a prenatal vitamin, and that’s about it.
There has been researched done by WHO (World Health Organization) which concluded that vitamin C while pregnant does have an impact on the outcome. The alarming part is the results have been mixed. Some have benefited, while others haven’t.
To sum up, the research, WHO does not recommend you take widespread supplementation of extra vitamin C products such as Emergen-C.
Is Emergen-C During Pregnancy Safe
To answer whether that is Emergen-C safe or not, it is important to consider how much a pregnant woman is consuming.
As per the Drugs and Lactation Database, as a safe bet, pregnant women should only be allowed to take around 1000mgs of vitamin C, which is exactly what these Emergen-C products contain.
This is likely to not have any bad effects on pregnant women or their unborn baby.
However, if there is an intake of additional vitamin C in the body, then it could increase the supply of milk in breastfeeding women. For breastfeeding women already experiencing oversupply, this might be something to ponder upon.
Top 4 Reasons Why Pregnant Women Shouldn’t Take Emergen-C
The real question is can you take Emergen-C while pregnant? When it comes to Emergen-C, just like is the case with most supplements, it is not regulated by the FDA.
This is not mean that it is outright dangerous but instead suggests that there hasn’t been much research and studies to prove or disprove anything.
Here are 4 reasons why pregnant women should not take Emergen-C or other dietary supplements.
You Get The Preferred Dosage of Vitamin C Via Prenatal Vitamins
Prenatal vitamins, which are essential and recommended by a healthcare provider for pregnant women, contain all the necessary vitamin C you need for you and your baby.
When looked at Emergen-C has a high-potency of dietary supplement, which should be used if you have a super weak immune system from flu or cold.
At this point, consuming Emergen-C is just giving additional and unnecessary doses of vitamin C to your body. This is too much vitamin C which might even lead to stomach pain and other adverse effects. This excessive vitamin C supplement is not good for you.
Unnecessary Vitamin B
The amount of Vitamin B in Emergen-C is simply unbelievable. This is why doctors highly suggest not consuming this supplement. This alone has 7 times the suggested daily intake of vitamin B6.
If you are pregnant, it might lead to skin problems, heartburn, damage to nerves, and even nausea.
No Support From Evidence
Whenever deciding what to put in your body, always look at the studies and research that have been carried out on medication or supplements.
When it comes to Emergen-C, it is not reliable to consume since there haven’t been enough clinical trials or studies on it to conclude whether it is good to be consumed alongside other supplements or not. There is not enough evidence to say that its benefits outweigh the risks.
Iron Overload
Another reason why Emergen-C, while pregnant, is a no-go area is because it contains simply too much iron. If an individual is to consume the amount of iron present in Emergen-C, it is highly likely to cause issues such as kidney stones and excess iron absorption.
Wrapping it Up
To sum it all up, Emergen-C products are supplements that carry essential nutrients that are extremely useful for a human. They are tasty and offer an attractive range of products. However, when it comes to pregnant women, it is not recommended to consume it. You are also suggested to keep a food and nutrition board to track diet.
Although vitamin C helps repair tissue damage as well as build a healthy immune system, the simple reason behind it because of the fact that it is just too unnecessary.
The recommended dosage of vitamin C for a pregnant woman is being fulfilled by prenatal vitamins. So to answer the question, can you take Emergen-C while pregnant and refrain from it to improve the chances of a healthy pregnancy?
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- 40 Weeks Pregnant: A Guide for Mom-To-Be
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- What Should a 24 Weeks Pregnant Women Expect
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