NT mamas, & all mamas... cod liver oil in pregnancy? - Page 8

[HerthElde]

Originally Posted by yitlan

yes, you can get it unflavored!

Thanks! For whatever reason, the local hfs only has the flavoured stuff - and according to my sil (who works there) that's all they can order through their catalogue. So now that I know it exists, I'll have to see where I can get it (I was taking a shot a day of the Carlson's stuff a while ago, just long enough to clear up my rosacea, but it's coming back so I need to find more . . . )

[klg47]

Originally Posted by HerthElde

So now that I know it exists, I'll have to see where I can get it

Radiant Life sells it unflavored: http://www.radiantlifecatalog.com/pr.../ct/1/pid/1034

This is a high-vitamin brand, so one dose is 1/2 teaspoon instead of a full teaspoon (or more!) of other brands.

[Pilgrim]

I'm just now subbing, and I have only read thru the first 2 pages of this. I need quick help though! My chiropractor (functions as an ND) put me on Standard Process Catalyn while I was ttc (6 per day) and he wanted me on the Standard Process Folic Acid at the same time. He also wanted me taking 2 tsp of the high-vitamin CLO per day!!!

Now that I am pg, I take 8 Catalyn, and I have way backed down on the CLO. At my last visit with him 2 weeks ago, I realized that he has no clue the difference between high-vitamin and regular CLO, and I was taking such high doses of the high-vitamin stuff. OK, now I'm rambling because what's done is done, and that part is probably OK, and that's not really my question.

My question is about the Catalyn. Standard Process is supposed to be one of the very best whole-food supplements available, and I've always been happy to take this as my prenatal. But I just checked the bottle, and it has "vitamin A palimate" in the ingredients. Three tablets has 1,200 IU, and I've been taking 8 per day. So, this is really the synthetic, dangerous stuff???!!!! In Standard Process????!!!!

The reason I'm looking for quick help is because I'm leaving soon for another appointment with him, and I'd like to be armed with info. (He's a 1.5 hour drive away, and I only see him every 3 weeks.) Thanks very much!!!

[cobluegirl]

I have no idea but don't like the sounds of that. you might pm gale force directly and see if she has any info.

[steph117]

I haven't read all these responses yet, but seahorsie, I posted a question about this a while back: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=728963

Having only skimmed so far, I can tell you that since I was concerned about the synthetic stuff, especially if I was taking high-vitamin CLO, I opted NOT to take a prenatal in favor of the CLO. I take occasional supplements as needed but I don't take a multi with synthetic A&D. (The multi I DO occasionally take is Dr Ron's, which uses non-synthetic vitamins.)

I'll read this all later with great interest. I know that I have been taking it - I'm now 14 weeks - and I feel GREAT, and haven't had any morning sickness or yucky pregnancy symptoms!

[steph117]

Oh, & I take Dr Ron's (it's bottled by Green Pastures) CLO. I take 1 tsp per day, even though I know that Weston Price & some people take 2 tsp or more during pregnancy.

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

I'm just now subbing, and I have only read thru the first 2 pages of this. I need quick help though! My chiropractor (functions as an ND) put me on Standard Process Catalyn while I was ttc (6 per day) and he wanted me on the Standard Process Folic Acid at the same time. He also wanted me taking 2 tsp of the high-vitamin CLO per day!!!

My question is about the Catalyn. Standard Process is supposed to be one of the very best whole-food supplements available, and I've always been happy to take this as my prenatal. But I just checked the bottle, and it has "vitamin A palimate" in the ingredients. Three tablets has 1,200 IU, and I've been taking 8 per day. So, this is really the synthetic, dangerous stuff???!!!! In Standard Process????!!!!

The reason I'm looking for quick help is because I'm leaving soon for another appointment with him, and I'd like to be armed with info. (He's a 1.5 hour drive away, and I only see him every 3 weeks.) Thanks very much!!!

Why are you backing down on the CLO? Traditional (non pg, non deficient) people averaged 50,000 IU of vitamin A per day. What is A content of rest of your diet? Do you eat liver? I would be taking much more than 1/2 tsp for pregnancy depending on rest of diet. I think his recs for 2 tsp of high vitamin CLO are very reasonable and might not even be enough for you (again depending on diet).

Toxic effects of vitamin A are *only* proven in chemical forms such as retinyl palmitate or huge (hundreds of IU's) of natural retinol. The scare that modern OBs have given us on natural vitamin A is only to our babies detriment.

It would seem that the Catalyn does have some chemical vitamins added:
http://www.standardprocess.com/displ...alog.spi?ID=34

That is really too bad. But the liver and carrot ingredients (even though not retinol, it would be beta carotene form of A in carrot) may make up most of the A content?? Why they would need to supplement though is beyond me.

[yitlan]

Originally Posted by JaneS

Why are you backing down on the CLO? Traditional (non pg, non deficient) people averaged 50,000 IU of vitamin A per day. What is A content of rest of your diet? Do you eat liver? I would be taking much more than 1/2 tsp for pregnancy depending on rest of diet. I think his recs for 2 tsp of high vitamin CLO are very reasonable and might not even be enough for you (again depending on diet).

ITA

[Pilgrim]

Hello again,

Well, I am backing down from that much CLO because it's just really hard to make a decision *for certain* about what's right to do. Yes, I know the WAPF research well, and I usually follow that advice. I also have an "online friend" who did the CLO during pregnancy with 2 babies, and had 2 babies who needed heart surgery. Of course, nobody can say what exactly happened there, but she in her heart believes it was the CLO.

But my ND, who is an avid WAPF fan, also is cautious on the vit A. And my chiro (very familiar with WAPF), who does lots of energy testing, said my body was testing too high in A. He went from advising 2 tsp per day to NONE of the CLO. So what's a preggo girl to do? : What I *am* doing is taking NN brand of CLO most days, and still taking a bit of the Blue Ice mixed in some days.

I also take dessicated liver, and I have no idea how much A is in there, just lots. Plus there's the Catalyn (currently switched to New Chapter Perfect Prenatal, but may switch back) plus lots of ghee. If anything, I probably need more D in the mix!

As for the Catalyn, my doc says that the Vitamin A palimate in there is natural! He says that it has to do with the right-handedness or left-handedness of the vitamin, and that there is natural *and* synthetic Vitamin A palimate out there. Y'all buy that?

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

As for the Catalyn, my doc says that the Vitamin A palimate in there is natural! He says that it has to do with the right-handedness or left-handedness of the vitamin, and that there is natural *and* synthetic Vitamin A palimate out there. Y'all buy that?

Whaaaa? No I don't. Natural vitamin A is called retinol.

The entire argument for the superiority of whole foods providing your vitamins is that they contain BOTH the right and the left hand ... and synthetic only has ONE.

I think he is a wee bit fuddled.

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

I also have an "online friend" who did the CLO during pregnancy with 2 babies, and had 2 babies who needed heart surgery. Of course, nobody can say what exactly happened there, but she in her heart believes it was the CLO.

Oops, was filled with surprise about your doctor's explanation that I forgot to comment on this too...

What kind did she take and how much? Does she get lots of sun? The interesting thing about vitamins A and D is that an increase in one demands more of the other.

Hope her little bunnies are doing well!

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by JaneS

Whaaaa? No I don't. Natural vitamin A is called retinol.

The entire argument for the superiority of whole foods providing your vitamins is that they contain BOTH the right and the left hand ... and synthetic only has ONE.

I think he is a wee bit fuddled.

I think you might be right!! I actually spoke with my ND (a different person) about this just last night. He said that some time ago, he actually called SP to get clarification on this. He said that yes, they do add a "miniscule amount" of the synthetic A, and it has to do with some labeling thing. In order for them to be able to label it as a "vitamin," it had to have it in there - something to that effect.

And I actually did try switching to New Chapter's Perfect Prenatal just because of it, and I felt pretty bad during the week that I took it, so I switched back to the Catalyn and decided not to worry about it.