Key vitamins

Vitamins are essential for healthy nutrition. The following table shows daily vitamin requirements and the benefits each vitamin provides:

Vitamins
Purpose and benefits	Average daily requirement for pregnant women	Sources
Folic acid
Essential for normal cell division Protects against certain types of birth defects, like the neural tube defect, spina bifida	600 micrograms (assuming you will continue to consume 400 micrograms from supplements or fortified food)	Orange juice, deep-green leafy vegetables, liver, whole grains, and cereals (Unfortunately, vitamin content may be destroyed in cooking or storing these foods: that's why taking a prenatal multivitamin like CitraNatal^® is so important.)
Calcium
Helps build and maintain bones May help prevent preeclampsia (pregnancy-induced high blood pressure) Available as calcium citrate, which is not associated with gas or bloating	1,000 milligrams	Single, 300 mg servings include: 8 ounces skim or low-fat milk 1-1/2 cups low-fat cottage cheese 6-8 ounces low-fat plain yogurt 1-1/2 ounces American or Cheddar cheese 6 ounces calcium-added orange juice
Iron
Essential mineral component of red blood cells Helps prevent iron deficiency anemia Helps your baby develop and gain weight Might also help prevent premature delivery	27 milligrams (nearly double the requirement for non-pregnant women)	Extra-lean meat, fish, poultry, cooked dried beans and peas, dried apricots, dark-green leafy vegetables, raisins, and whole grains
Vitamin D
Helps build strong bones Helps your body absorb calcium	200 IU	Fortified milk and cereals, salmon, sardines, and egg yolks
Vitamin A
Helps maintain the immune system Aids in bone, tooth, cell, and tissue growth	770 micrograms (approximately 2,600 IU)	Carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, collards, apricots, mangoes, cantaloupe, peaches, and fortified milk
Vitamin E
Helps protect tissues from free-radical damage, which can weaken your immune system	15 IU	Wheat germ, safflower oil, nuts, and spinach
Vitamins B₁, B₂, & B₃
Convert food into energy Help aid in digestion Essential for the normal growth of your baby's body and brain	B₁: 0.4 milligrams B₂: 1.4 milligrams B₃: .18 milligrams	Whole grains, wheat germ, peanuts, green peas, dark-green leafy vegetables, lean pork, cooked dried beans and peas, extra-lean meats, and nonfat milk products
Vitamin B₆
Aids in the production of neurotransmitters and protein for new cells Helps reduce nausea in pregnant women	1.9 milligrams	Chicken, fish, extra-lean meat, avocado, potatoes, bananas, whole grains, wheat germ, nuts, seeds, and cooked dried beans and peas
Vitamin C
Heals your body from injury Protects you from disease	85 milligrams	Single servings include: 1/4 cup cantaloupe 1/2 grapefruit 1/2 cup orange or grapefruit juice 1/2 medium mango 1/2 cup strawberries 2/3 cup cooked broccoli 1 small orange 1 cup tomato juice 1 cup raw spinach
Magnesium
Needed for energy metabolism, blood sugar regulation, normal muscle contraction, nerve transmission, uterine relaxation during pregnancy, and contraction during labor	350 milligrams	Nonfat or low-fat milk, peanuts, bananas, wheat germ, whole grains, cooked dried beans and peas, and dark-green leafy vegetables
Copper
Essential for energy metabolism and the formation of connective tissue and red blood cells	1.0 milligrams (1,000 micrograms)	Chicken, fish, extra-lean meat, organ meats, whole grains, nuts and seeds, soybeans, and dark-green leafy vegetables
Zinc
Reduces the risk of spontaneous abortion and premature delivery Helps prevent birth defects Aids in normal growth	11 milligrams	Extra-lean meat, turkey, cooked dried beans and peas, wheat germ, and whole grains
Iodine
Essential mineral for proper thyroid function Helps prevent a maternal deficiency, which can cause problems with fetal growth and brain development	220 micrograms	Seafoods such as fish, shrimp, and clams

Important Safety Information

WARNING: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. KEEP THIS PRODUCT OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

Warnings

Ingestion of more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day has been shown to have potential antithrombotic effects, including an increased bleeding time and INR. Administration of omega-3 fatty acids should be avoided in patients on anticoagulants and in those known to have an inherited or acquired bleeding diathesis.

Folic acid alone is improper therapy in the treatment of pernicious anemia and other megaloblastic anemias where vitamin B₁₂ is deficient.

Precautions

Folic acid in doses above 0.1 mg daily may obscure pernicious anemia in that hematologic remission can occur while neurological manifestations progress.

This material is intended to provide basic information. Patients should discuss all medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment with their healthcare provider.

Please see full Prescribing Information

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