Prenatal/Child Herb & Supplement Guidance
General Guidance
Many herbs are recommended to avoid during pregnancy and lactation, or throughout childbearing years of life in case of a pregnancy occurring. Many others can be safe and beneficial for pregnancy, lactation, and general preventive health.
In general if a herb is considered safe for pregnancy then it would likely be well tolerated in smaller amounts by children too. All products will tend to have some disclaimer about consulting with your physician before use if pregnant, the statement protects them from liability.
- Herbs to Avoid During Pregnancy (utep.edu) That list is brief in details and sweeping in avoidance recommendations.
- Wise Use of Herbs and Vitamins During Pregnancy, by Linda B. White, M.D. (pdf in my Dropbox)
Note that Dandelion is not on the avoid list. All parts of the dandelion plant are beneficial against neuroinflammation and act as anti-microbials. Sweet Wormwood is on the avoid list, (utep.edu), and is to be avoided during childbearing years. Another of the wormwood family, Artemisia afra, is used by women of childbearing age in some malaria areas of Africa. All of the mugwort family are strong anti-microbials - helpful against parasites like malaria, viral or bacterial infections, and helpful in cancer and autoimmune conditions, or as iron chelators for chronic inflammation and fatigue of LongCovid or ME/CFS type conditions.
- Wormwood = Artemisia absenthium and has thujone which can cause seizures in excess. Sweet Wormwood = Artemisia annua **Neither is recommended for pregnancy/lactating years, Artemisia afra is considered safe and may be helpful as a preventive herbal tea.
When trying anything new it is best to only try one new thing for a week or so and then if new symptoms arise it will be less confusing. Stop the new thing and see if the symptoms stop - if so, don’t start using it again. An elimination diet is the reverse - stop the old things, reach a baseline health. Slowly add things back to see if negative symptoms return - if so, continue to eliminate that food. It was inflammatory.
Rough guidance for supplement dosing for children -
- 1/4 serving for toddlers/preschoolers.
- 1/2 serving for grade-schoolers.
- 3/4 serving for adolescents.
- Full dose for teens unless petite.
- Petite people, adults or children, may have smaller needs while a very large build child might need a larger ratio - doses are generally based on ideal weight for height. Overweight can increase needs for some nutrients but not all nutrients equally and is a different topic than general health guidance.
Chewable supplements can also be cut in smaller pieces for smaller people or crushed and added to foods like applesauce for younger children. A powdered One-a-day supplement mix would likely be tolerated by children in the smaller ratios. Read the label to avoid any that also contain caffeine like stimulants.
Also see: Peace-is-happy.org
My forum site peace-is-happy.org has prenatal and early childhood topics along with sustainable small home construction, ground water resources, biodiversity and peace.
Mindfulness is a frequent theme on the blog which also has an extensive series on the placebo/nocebo effect. As parents we need to realize that we can hand our children an internal voice that is empowering or fill them with self doubt and criticism - they learn what they hear from us!
Links and transcripts for my "How Are You Feeling?" podcast series is also located on the site. Learning how our moods can be affected by what we ate, or didn't eat enough of is something we need to learn and to teach our children.
The Basic Stack - good for everyone, change the dose.
Rough guidance is still the Basic Stack - just adjust the doses for smaller people.
General guidance - I always read the inert ingredients and avoid all products that use 'gelatin capsules' as it may contain glyphosate residue - and glyphosate is a health risk. Vegan or vegetarian would be labels suggesting no animal gelatin. Non-GMO ingredients may not be enough information because 'cattle' are not considered GMO animals even if they are fed GMO crops. The glyphosate seems to be incorporated into the protein structure of plants or animals exposed to it.
Avoid titanium dioxide due to nanoparticle risk. It is a trace mineral used as a whitening agent but it contains naonparticles of the metal and may be a health risk. It is difficult for the body to remove nanoparticles. Pomegranate peel can help by clumping nanoparticles into larger clusters that the body is able to identify as a negative and remove. *There are likely other ingredients to avoid but those two are frequent issues to avoid.
- Zinc, 25-50* mg, *50 mg for older adults, 60-65 and older.
- Zinc ionophore: quercetin 500 mg or 1 teaspoon citrus peel; EGCG 200 mg - 2-3 cups green tea, 1/4 tsp inner pomegranate peel; Black seed oil, 1 tsp. Or others.
- Vit. D3, 1000-2000 IU & sunshine
- Vit. C, 100 mg - 1000 mg buffered
- Vit. K2, 200 mcg - 45 mg
- Magnesium glycinate or other chelated forms, 400 mg elemental magnesium, or Mg sulfate - Epsom salt soaks, 1 cup ~ 20-40 minute soak 1-2/wk. Mg chloride spray may be preferred by some. The chloride can cause an itchy effect and I prefer the Epsom salt.
- Copper, 2 mg / Trace Mineral mixed supplement / Methyl B complex or one-a-day.
The Basic Stack from my Protocol Collation & Therapy Goals (document) (pdf) is based on The Zelenko Protocol (Z-Stack) and other protocols but it has a few additions for better nutrient balance and inflammation support.
The Basic Stack is similar to other recommendations for CoV preventive care or early treatment by the FLCCC (covid19criticalcare.com/treatment protocols); and World Council for Health:
- Covid-19 and Pregnancy: Guidance for Moms and Babies, (worldcouncilforhealth.org)
- Spike Protein Detox Guide (worldcouncilforhealth.org).
- Early Covid-19 Treatment Guidelines: A Practical Approach to Home-based Care for Healthy Families updated Jan 16, 2023 (worldcouncilforhealth.org)
Stephen Harrod Buhner passed away last year but left many brilliant protocols including one for Prenatal guidance for Covid19. (pdf in my Dropbox) His website with more pdfs available on varied health topics: (StephenHarrodBuhner.com - Articles).
Z-Stack: Dr. Zelenko is a CoV health hero who showed how early treatment works. The once a day preventive and early treatment Z-Stack by Dr. Zelenko puts the four nutrients he used for treatment into one bottle (two capsules/day) and is available in adult and children versions. Dr. Zelenko added a DTox and Flu product before passing away in 2022 from a long term cancer.
The Z-Stack contains 30 mg zinc, 500 mg quercetin, 5000 IU vit D3 and 800 mg vit C - in 2 capsules. The directions say take two at one meal once a day, however taking one at breakfast and dinner would provide more vitamin C availability throughout the 24 hours. One a day as prevention and add a second at the first sign of a cold might be another way to use them.
- The site is Zstacklife.com - and you could use Coupon Code JENNYRD for a five percent discount on Dr. Zelenko’s products. I am an authorized affiliate marketer for the Z-Stack TM and Z-Detox TM products. Children’s Zstack chewable gummies are now available for preorder. Z-Flu is a gummie product. ( Z-Stack®, Z-DTox™, Z-Flu™, and Kids Z-Stack™ )
- The ZStack includes more vitamin D3 than I recommend because there can be a risk of hypercalcemia for some people. Taking vitamin K2 and magnesium along with vitamin D3 or other forms helps keep the calcium in the bone matrix where we want it, instead of being released by vitamin D receptor signaling from activated hormone 1, 25-dihydroxy D if it becomes excessive. Adequate protein and magnesium are needed to have stores of vitamin D in the inactive D3 / 25- hydroxy D. Avoiding glyphosate would likely help vitamin D metabolism and heath.
These products are not inexpensive, and you could likely save money by looking for the individual supplements - but that adds up in money too, and also in the number of capsules to swallow. Whatever works and Food Counts too! Food sources for the Basic Stack are included later on this webpage and more information is on other pages of the site; See Nutrients and Cofactors for list formats of most of the essential nutrients and important cofactors. Quercetin and other herbals are on page Phytonutrients.
If one particular zinc ionophore is not available or not tolerated, many others are known within the phytonutrient world. See the next section.
Zinc Ionophores are also Iron chelators
And are generally broad spectrum antimicrobials. Eat zinc too!
Zinc Ionophores / Iron Chelators / Anti-parasitic / Anti-microbial.
- Quercetin - onions, pear & other fruit peels, figs, greens. 500 mg once or more a day, a produce rich diet with extra herbs and spices may provide that.
- EGCG - 2-3 cups green tea, 200 mg, pomegranate peel, 1/4 teaspoon inner peel dried, once or more a day.
- Artemisinin - 200 mg 1 -2 x day, Sweet Wormwood tea (Artemesia annua), teaspoon in one mug of water, steep for a few minutes. Artemesia afra may be safe for use in childbearing years but Sweet Wormwood and Artemisinin extract is to be avoided during pregnancy or when there may be a possibility of pregnancy. Wormwood (Artemesia absenthium) is a source of thujone which can cause seizures in excess but is an effective anti-malarial.
- Berberine - Goldenseal root and other herbs.
- Black Walnut Extract or Dandelion - may prevent protein misfolding/prion risk.
- Black Seed Oil, Olive Leaf Extract, Oregano Oil
- Resveratrol - grape skins, red wine (2-6 oz/day may be beneficial)
- N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or sweet whey powder (1/2 tsp ~ 600 mg equiv), a diet with adequate protein provides enough cysteine for normal needs, excess supplementation is not beneficial and only needed for an illness situation. 600 mg is the prevention guidance, increase frequency if ill to a few times a day. Sweet Whey Powder is also a source of glutamate so is not ideal for larger servings as a protein boost. Regular milk powder or garbanzo bean flour can provide a protein additive for use in varied ways.
- also: Garlic, Nicotine, Caffeine, Others...
Iron chelators in the spice cupboard - oregano - it could be made into tea with citrus peel or pomegranate peel and thyme is also tasty and beneficial.
Of that list, quercetin, EGCG, black seed oil, garlic, NAC, and resveratrol are safe for use in pregnancy. The risk of olive leaf extract during pregnancy is unknown. Avoid Black Walnut Extract and Goldenseal products, and artemisinin or Sweet Wormwood during pregnancy. Whether berberine extract is safe in pregnancy I am not sure - Goldenseal specifically is a risk. Oregano or basil essential oil is recommended to avoid. Oregano oil may induce uterine contractions and avoidance during pregnancy is recommended.
- Herbs to Avoid During Pregnancy (utep.edu) That list is brief in details and sweeping in avoidance recommendations.
- This article takes a moderate use approach and shares the many benefits of oregano. Oregano During Pregnancy: Benefits & Side Effects (stylesatlife.com) The essential oil is very strong and would be what might reach symptomatic doses and should not be used medicinally (very strong anti-microbial).
Note that Dandelion is not on the list. Sweet Wormwood is, (utep.edu), and is to be avoided in childbearing years. Another of the wormwood family, Artemisia afra, is used by women of childbearing age in some malaria areas of Africa - other sources say don't use any Artemisia species during pregnancy. Fertility may be negatively effected.
- *Wormwood = Artemisia absenthium and has thujone which can cause seizures in excess. Sweet Wormwood = Artemisia annua **Neither is recommended for pregnancy/lactating years,
- More Information about safe use of herbs prenatally: Wise Use of Herbs and Vitamins During Pregnancy, by Linda B. White, M.D. (White, pdf in my Dropbox)
"Raspberry leaf, nettles, alfalfa, and dandelion" are traditionally used in pregnancy and eating them as a vegetable is encouraged rather than as an isolate extract with a few phytonutrients emphasized. (White, pdf in my Dropbox) Spring dandelion greens make a delicious salad. The medicinal benefits are increased when the leaves are dried and used in tea. Dandelion root is quite potent and I only use about a half inch length in a pot of tea (chopped up before drying, it becomes tough). I picked raspberry leaves when pregnant and used it in a long-steep tea - which is stronger than a cup of herbal tea made with a teabag.
Limiting caffeine and avoiding nicotine is generally recommended in pregnancy, however, the chimeric spike may make nicotine lozenges a Health Aid during our Special Times :-). The modified sequence for the jab version is a worse nAChR blocker and that would increase miscarriage risk by causing failure of the zygote to implant. You are not likely to hear that information from a physician.
- Health Aids for Special Times - the earliest version of my protocol for the many varied problems caused by the chimeric spike protein.
A mixed product by Dr. Jen VanDeWater for LongCovid type recovery includes dandelion, nattokinase, black seed oil, and black salvia and green tea extracts, and Irish Sea Moss. All would be helpful. Pomegranate peel would be a green tea extract substitute and resistant starches that promote butyrate species would be an Irish Sea Moss substitute. Black seed oil is strong enough, yet safe for pregnancy, to be considered an Ivermectin substitute on the FLCCC early treatment protocol. this product only contains 500 mg of black seed oil. I use a teaspoon which is approximately 5 grams and I use it twice a day when feeling an autoimmune flair up. And I use it topically on shingles and it is soothing and healing fairly quickly. Mixed products are convenient but can be a very expensive way to get not much of the aid. I pick dandelions in season and dry pom peel and have LOTS of both at this point.
- More information about the VanDeWater product is in this article by Dr. Paul Alexander: SPIKE Protein Detoxifier: COVID gene injection (mRNA) SPIKE Recovery may: help manage amount of spike protein in your body, inhibit spike effects & blood vessel blockage, & support T-cell activity (substack.com)
Reference
(Gargouri, et al., 2017) Gargouri, M., Magné, C., Saad, H., Ben Amara, I., El Feki, A., (2017). Dandelion-enriched diet of mothers alleviates lead-induced damages in liver of newborn rats. Cellular and molecular biology. 63. 67-75. 10.14715/cmb/2017.63.2.10.
Eat zinc too! (link to page Zinc)
Vitamin C - Critically Important
Water soluble vitamin C - more frequent use, means more frequent availability for the body.
Vit C general guidance:
Take once a day as maintenance and if ill - increase to every 12-8-6 hours depending on severity of symptoms. It will seem soothing if needed.
- Morning and evening, or if congested every 6 hours around the clock would be 6am, noon, 6pm, and midnight.
- Every eight hours might be 7 am, 3 pm and 11 pm.
As a water-soluble nutrient, the more frequently we get some vitamin C, the more frequently we will still have some. Vitamin C may help with cytokine storm during an infection or after strenuous exercise or immune challenge from a vaccine. Take prior to receiving traditional vaccines and the immune response may be improved and risk of excess cytokines reduced.Vitamin C also helps detox heavy metals like aluminum and mercury.
For a sensitive gut, Buffered Vitamin C may be better tolerated than standard vitamin C. Buffered vitamin C is gentler on a sensitive gut, less acidic and slower release. The Buffered Vitamin C example would provide 500 mg each which also might be more tolerable than a typical 1000 mg supplement. It provides some calcium and magnesium as the buffering agents. Liposomal vitamin C would be well tolerated. The children’s chewable vitamin C in 300 mg might be better tolerated also. A large acid load can trigger GI discomfort in IBS or colitis.
Chewable supplements can also be cut in smaller pieces for upset bellies or smaller people; or be crushed and added to foods like applesauce for younger children.
Example supplements:
Children: Chewable Vitamin C
Little DaVinci, 90 Chewables, 1 unit ($22.99) each - 300 mg vitamin C, 30 mg citrus bioflavonoids, 5 mg each pectin and rosehips. Contains natural cranberry flavor, which may be a histamine trigger. (davincilabs.com)
Adults: Vitamin C w/Quercetin
Integrative Therapeutics, 180 capsules $40.99 $32.79; 2 vegetable cellulose capsules provide:
- Vitamin C ... 450mg (ascorbic acid) [*the standard form]
- Quercetin Dihydrate ... 250mg
- Citrus Bioflavonoids Complex ... 125mg
Adults: Buffered Vitamin C Capsules,
Allergy Research Group, 120 capsules, $18.99 Serving Size: 2 capsules (500 mg vitamin C, 95 mg calcium 52 mg magnesium in each vegetarian capsule) (~ Breakfast and dinner, or one a day for maintenance and increase if ill.) (allergyresearchgroup.com)
Liposomal Vitamin C with R-Lipoic Acid
Quicksilver Scientific, 1.7 Ounces, 1 unit ($33.99) each. Serving 2 ml (4 pumps) providing:
- Quali™-C Vitamin C ... 500mg (from European Sodium Ascorbate)
Sodium ... 65mg (from European Sodium Ascorbate)
Lipoic Acid ... 20mg (from Sodium R-Lipoate)
Phosphatidylcholine ... 134mg (from purified soybean lecithin) (quicksilverscientific.com)
Liposomal Vitamin C would be well tolerated and better absorbed than standard vitamin C. Take 1-3 times a day, especially if acutely inflamed, or fighting an infection, take throughout the day, 1 serving, during the night also, if sleep is disrupted anyway. Lipoic acid is a gentle antioxidant needed for mitochondrial support and phosphatidylcholine is helpful for membrane health and choline needs are increased in pregnancy. The product would likely be safe during pregnancy. All products will tend to have some disclaimer about consulting with your physician before use - that removes their liability.
These products are all available through Fullscript.com - a supplement dispensary site with a catalog of 20,000+ products from many companies, where I am also an affiliate practitioner. People who sign up under my account can order from my protcols, or browse and order from the entire catalog and get a 20% discount, and I make a 15% commission. I can email individuals but need to include a product recommendation - you don't have to buy it. How to reply or ask questions of me is less clear, unfortunately. On the site I have protocols for PCOS, Leptin Resistance, Adaptogens for General Well-being or Brain Fog, Iodine/Thyroid and Sleep, and Health Aids for Special Times which includes these vitamin C products.
The Basic Stack is helpful prevention, but if recovery is slow or relapses and unusual new symptoms are occurring, more support is needed - either to reduce hyperinflammation effects or to combat specific issues that the chimeric spike may be causing. Autoimmune conditions may also have been generated. Vitamin D adequacy is needed prior to an immune challenge to help the body not create autoimmune antibodies against self proteins.
Reference
(Davidson and Winey, 2021) Davidson, Robert & Winey, Timothy. (2021). Vitamin C Mitigating and Rescuing from Synergistic Toxicity: Sodium Fluoride, Silicofluorides, Aluminum Salts, Electromagnetic Pollution, and SARS-CoV-2. International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research. 1. 10.56098/ijvtpr.v1i2.12.
Vitamin D is needed in advance.
Vitamin D helps prevent autoimmune reactions and allergies.
Good food sources of vitamin D3 include:
- cod liver oil, fatty fish - salmon, tuna, mackeral; beef liver, small amount in egg yolk, and mushrooms.
- 15-30 minutes of midday sunshine during non-winter months of the year, unless nearer the Equator where sun is direct enough year around.
We make vitamin D with sunshine or UV containing light - unless glyphosate residue is interfering from within protein structures that were intended to be enzymes for vitamin D metabolism.
Fortified dairy sources and one-a-day supplements use vitamin D2. The problem: it would not be as bioactive as a vitamin D3 supplement or food, if there is a glyphosate effect causing malfunctioning enzymes.
Bonus: Sunshine helps immune function by helping us make water soluble forms of vitamin D & A; and helps circadian cycle function - anti-aging & anti-inflammatory. It may also help keep vitamin D and A in balance when Retinoid toxicity is a problem by using up stores of vitamin A in the bright light and producing extra vitamin D.
For more about the role of vitamin D in preventing autoimmune disease in pregnancy and at other times, see page Autoimmune & Vitamin D on (effectivecare.info).
Extra Aids for 'Long Illness' - slow recovery and relapses.
Dr. Zelenko's company new product release:
"Dr. Zelenko worked tirelessly to develop new formulas and products to protect you and your loved ones right up until the end of his life. A major area of interest for Zev was how your immune system can heal and defend itself against viruses. His revolutionary Z-Stack® product, which was based on his Nobel Prize-nominated Zelenko Protocol, looked at boosting the immune system against active viruses. But Dr. Zelenko was also searching for a way to address dormant viruses as well.
Today, we have taken his answer to the question of how to address dormant viruses and brought his vision to life in the form of Z-Shield™.
While the immune system gets rid of most viruses, some linger inside us for prolonged periods, hiding quietly without causing any symptoms. These dormant viruses include Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), herpes viruses (e.g., shingles, chickenpox), and cytomegalovirus (CMV). Z- Shield™ helps ensure that you and your family are not vulnerable to new viruses or reactivation of the dormant ones they already carry.
Z-Shield™ contains the following important ingredients to help keep you safe:
- St. John's Wort - Strong antiviral activity that may also promote healing and repair of wounds.
- Lemon Balm - Effective against bacterial and fungal infections in humans and studies also show antiviral activity.
- Turmeric - Promotes reduction in inflammation; inflammation in our bodies can trigger dormant viruses.
- NAC - NAC bonds with glutamine and glycine to form glutathione, a powerful antioxidant. Glutathione performs many functions throughout your body, such as helping to maintain your immune system. NAC supplements can help to fill the gaps in your natural cysteine levels, ensuring that you have what you need.
- EGCG - Exerts a protective effect on the innate immune response to viral infection.
Removing harmful elements from our body is the NEXT step to being and feeling healthy and having a better quality of life."
- (zstacklife.com/products/z-shield) use Coupon Code: JENNYRD, for 5% off.
This is a good mix. I take St. John's Wort for serotonin support. Lemon Balm is helpful agains radiation sickness which hyperinflammation is similar too. Turmeric is a Vitamin D Receptor activator and a TRP channel activator - people with Irritable Bowel or colitis symptoms may find it to be an irritant. I take NAC and my use of pomegranate peel provides some EGCG and other similar polyphenols.
Phytonutrients are particularly good for autoimmune like lingering illness as they modulate which genes will be transcribed and can reduce the inflammatory production and help switch our cells to making more anti-inflammatory proteins. Nrf2 promoting phytonutrients help increase glutathione production and both turmeric and EGCG are Nf2 promoters.
Reference
(Choi, et al., 2020) Choi BR, Cho IJ, Jung SJ, Kim JK, Park SM, Lee DG, Ku SK, Park KM. Lemon balm and dandelion leaf extract synergistically alleviate ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity by enhancing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. J Food Biochem. 2020 Aug;44(8):e13232. doi: 10.1111/jfbc.13232. Epub 2020 Jun 4. PMID: 32497278.
Methyl One-a-day? or avoid a One-a-day?
Why a methyl One-A-Day?
Methyl B complex or one-a-day provides the active forms of folate and B12 which we need for energy, growth and nerve signaling. Mitochondrial support needs a range of nutrients, essential for us too - making a good one-a-day complex helpful. Methyl forms of folate and B12 can save the body time for anyone or would be the active form for people who are ill in part because of methylation difficulties from genetic differences or reduced function of the body during aging or illness.
Switch the mindset that overweight is excess food and think of overweight as excess inflammation and lack of key nutrients. Anytime we are inflamed we need extra vitamin C, antioxidants, magnesium, and all the B vitamins. Niacin and butyrate in particular help the body to remove excess inflammation. Oxidative stress adds to leptin resistance or excess issues that can occur with overweight and flavonoids can help or other antioxidants by reducing the oxidative chemicals. B vitamins are needed in increased amounts during pregnancy and for overweight or inflamed individuals.
Regarding Weight Gain in Pregnancy: During pregnancy it is important to not lose weight for the baby's future body weight. Epigenetic changes can occur if a mother is malnourished during pregnancy that cause the baby to have gene changes that conserve energy - helpful in a famine, but a risk for obesity when calories are plentiful. Women who begin pregnancy overweight should gain slower with a reduced total gain but ~ 10-15 pound weight gain is still recommended compared to 25-28 for a woman who begins the pregnancy near ideal body weight range. Prior to conception is the time to work on weight loss and detox. Weight loss may also occur fairly easily during breast feeding.
Who shouldn't take a one-a-day supplement?
- Some people may need to avoid vitamin A and carotenoids due to Retinoid Toxicity (ME/CFS potentially, vaccine injured, and LongCovid possibly) ask me for more information especially if skin rash is a symptom <Retinoid Toxicity page planned>.
- Some people may need to avoid vitamin D - conditions such as sarcoidosis, cancer of the parathyroid gland and certain infections can cause the body to have over-conversion of the inactive vitamin D into the active hormone form, 1, 25-dihydroxy D.
- People with hyperthyroidism have to avoid iodine.
Caution - Do The Math!
How much is the sum amount of all mixed supplements being used?
Do not add too many mixed supplements to a routine along with a one-a-day without checking the math for the grand total as some trace minerals can also reach toxicity quickly (zinc, manganese, copper, and boron are examples of minerals that can reach toxicity within a fairly narrow range).
One-a-day substitute: Using a Trace Mineral mix with a Methyl B complex and a vitamin D3 provides most of a one-a-day without the vitamin A which I can't have as an example person who does better without a one-a-day supplement.
Examples of Methyl B mixed supplements:
- MethylCare - Metagenics,
$44.99$35.99 (120 vegetable capsules) does not provide many or much of the other Bs but is a high dose of methyl folate and B12 and provides other methylation cycle nutrients. - or, a basic Methyl B complex - Orthomolecular Products.
$20.99$16.79 (60 vegetable capsules) Take one a day.
CoQ10 is an important mitochondrial support nutrient that would also be helpful if not using a one-a-day. Better mixed supplements include it. Dose of 100-200 mg per day might be used. It is a pricier supplement. Example of a chewable version; which is uncommon:
Citrus-Q10 100 (100mg), Douglas Labs, 60 tablets $63.99 $51.19 -chewables, vegan/vegetarian. (douglaslabs.com) *The prices are Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price minus 20% discount as a Fullscript client of mine. This product example is in my Health Aids for Special Times protocol.
Iodine: Trace Mineral mixes may or may not have iodine, read the label. Extra iodine above the RDA (~150 mcg) is likely helpful for both mom and baby during pre-conception, pregnancy, and breast feeding. At least 250 mcg iodine should be used. See: Iodine in Pregnancy and Lactation. (Substack)
Caution: People with hyperthyroidism need to restrict iodine intake and rich food sources of iodine. Continue taking selenium as it helps breakdown excess thyroid hormone.
Trace Minerals Complex, Seeking Health, 30 capsules $15.99 $12.79 - this mix does have 250 mcg of iodine.
Optimox® Iodoral® 12.5mg, Optimox, (90 tablets) $38.99 $31.19 - this is high dose iodine providing an equivalent amount to the traditional seaweed rich Japanese diet. The tablets are scored so they can be broken in half for a smaller 'high dose'. Selenium should be taken at the same time. Prior to pregnancy would be the ideal time to work on improving iodine levels as bromide and fluoride are flushed out of the body once adequate iodine is available.
Selenium, Thorne, (60 methylcellulose capsules) $10.00 $8.00 (200 mcg) take one a day.
Methyl Donor B vitamins and Betaine (TMG).
Food Sources of Folate, the bioactive natural form, include:
- beans, black eyed peas, green peas,
- peanuts and other nuts and seeds,
- whole grains,
- asparagus, most dark green vegetables,
- orange juice (pulpy has more), citrus fruits.
- Fortified cereal and rice are good sources of folic acid, the supplemental form.
- See: Folate is essential and Folic Acid is commonly available, (transcendingsquare.com).
Food Sources of Vitamin B12 include:
- shellfish, fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, dairy products, Nutritional or Brewer’s yeast. Vegetarians who don’t eat dairy, eggs, fish or other meat products may need a supplement or nutritional yeast, a vegan food source of vitamin B12. (nutritional yeast/pubmed/11146329)
- See: Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause long term nerve degeneration, (transcendingsquare.com)
Food Sources of Choline include:
- Egg yolk, soy beans, beef, poultry, seafood, green leafy vegetables and cauliflower. Vegans likely need to supplement and choline needs are increased for fetal development. Not being vegan during pregnancy is safer for the fetus.
- See: Lily Nichols RDN, CDE called Real Food for Pregnancy: The Science and Wisdom of Optimal Prenatal Nutrition, (2018)
- More information about Lily Nichols' book is on page G5. Preeclampsia and TRP Channels, effectivecare.info, along with other prenatal exercise and diet resources.
Food Sources of Betaine (Trimethylglycine) include:
- Quinoa, shellfish, spinach, broccoli and beets.
- Glycine is also an amino acid used in the production of glutathione in addition to cysteine and glutamate. Getting too much glutamate is more of a concern in the modern diet, though glutamine, a precursor form of glutamate is beneficial for gut health.
BPA is a chemical that is a methyl 'robber' and it should be avoided - the slick surface of register receipts and the plasticized lining of tin cans are sources. See: Methyl Donors & BPA, (transcendingsquare.com)
Other B Vitamins
Food Sources of Thiamin, (vitamin B1):
- fortified flour or rice, whole grains;
- lean pork, fish, eggs;
- nutritional yeast;
- cantaloupe; acorn squash, asparagus, green vegetables;
- beans, green peas; nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seed kernels & other edible seeds including flax, sesame & chia.
- See: Thiamin: people with anorexia or alcoholism are more at risk for vitamin B1 deficiency, (transcendingsquare.com)
More recently - infection and immune challenge causes a greatly increased need for thiamin and supplementation would be needed to achieve therapeutic goals. See: Operation Thiamine – Reducing the Need for Hospitalization of Patients with COVID-19.
Food Sources of Riboflavin, (vitamin B2):
- Fortified flour & cereal, whole grains,
- meats, fish, milk, eggs,
- beans, nuts, and edible seeds,
- nutritional yeast flakes,
- asparagus, broccoli, yellow summer squash, spinach.
- See: Riboflavin - vitamin B2, (transcendingsquare.com)
Riboflavin is the yellow B vitamin that turns your pee the color of a yellow highlighter marker. It has antiviral benefits in higher doses.
Food Sources of Niacin (vitamin B3):
- meats, salmon and tuna;
- nutritional yeast;
- beans, green peas;
- peanuts, almonds, nuts, sesame and other seeds;
- avocado, mushrooms, green leafy vegetables;
- grains, nixtamal flour, & fortified cereals;
- milk, coffee and tea.
- See: Niacin, (transcendingsquare.com)
Niacin in higher amounts can help fight infection and remove inflammation as warmth - a half hour or so of 'niacin flush' is obvious and gets minor as health improves. It would not be recommended during pregnancy but might help during pre-conception detox and would likely be safe with moderate use during lactation. Gradual increase and gradual withdrawal is critical, months, not weeks or days.
See: COVID19, summary of nutrients that might help prevent, treat, recover. (transcendingsquare.com)
*There is no B4. . . . only after, haha.
B Vitamins - they are a team - I think of the B vitamins as our Baseball team.
We need all the players for good health. Deficiency of one can cause deficiency of others. Trace minerals can also affect each other - excess of one leading to deficiency of others. Zinc and copper need to be in balance. Magnesium deficiency can cause a low level of calcium and potassium. Low potassium worsens the risks of excess sodium.
The B vitamins were an unidentified group of chemicals that were all given numbers. Some were found to be essential vitamins and others weren't found to be essential, leaving a gap in the numbering system.
Food Sources of Pantothenic Acid (vitamin B5):
- Organ meats (liver and kidney), meats, salmon, fish and shellfish,
- Egg yolk, milk, yogurt, cheese,
- Avocado, broccoli, sweet potato, carrot, celery, mushrooms,
- Pomegranate Seeds, sesame seeds/tahini, seeds, beans, nuts, almonds, walnuts,
- Whole grains, brown rice, Enriched flour products depending on the source – Canadian guidelines require it while the U.S guidelines do not. (4, 5) “Processing and refining grains may result in a 35 to 75% loss. Freezing and canning of foods result in similar losses (16).” (1)
- See: Pantothenic Acid - Vitamin B5, (transcendingsquare.com).
Food Sources of Pyridoxine, Vitamin B6 include:
- fortified cereal, barley, buckwheat; other whole grains;
- bananas; avocados, green leafy vegetables; baked potato with the skin;
- beef, poultry, salmon;
- beans; nuts; sunflower and pumpkin seed kernels.
- See: Vitamin B6, (transcendingsquare.com)
Some people may have a genetic need for high dose vitamin B6 and zinc for life, due to increased urinary losses. The condition, pyroluria, is controversial and rarely tested for or treated, though the treatment is simple,. Take the high dose supplements everyday. It causes severe anxiety and other symptoms to be deficient in B6 and zinc.
- See: Pyroluria, anxiety, and deficiency of B6 and zinc, (transcendingsquare.com).
*The posts on transcendingsquare.com do not include my more recent work but have the basics about deficiency symptoms and reference links.
FAQ's about Iron and Constipation
Yes, it is.
Prenatal vitamins include 18 mg of iron typically and if the larger prenatal vitamin is not tolerated an 18 mg iron supplement might be prescribed instead. Yes, it can be constipating. Milder forms of iron may be available for self pay. Adequate folate and other B vitamins help produce functional red blood cells. Extra iron is needed during pregnancy and iron rich cuts of meat like liver from an organically raised cow once a month. Pumpkin seeds are rich in many important trace minerals including iron and zinc and provides phospholipids that support a good magnesium back stock. We need protein or phospholipid carriers for magnesium and other electrically active minerals or they can cause damage.
Iron overload can increase inflammation. Is 18 mg of iron really needed? Food can provide plenty and a lower dose as a supplement might be better tolerated. Anemia can involve blood loss, which means extra protein and B vitamins would be needed, or it can be due to lack of folate or B12.
Iron deficiency anemia can be a severe problem for menstruating women and growing children. Parasitic infections or helminths (worms) can be a causal factor or excess blood loss. Excessive menstrual bleeding or prenatal complications with blood loss can be a risk for severe anemia. Diets with too large a ratio of natural iron chelators in plant foods to the heme-iron content of the foods are also a common reason for iron deficiency anemia. Verna, et al., are working with bean leaves as a rich source of iron for supplement use. Algae and mushrooms are also gaining use as iron sources for supplements. (Verna, et al., 2021) Microalgal preparations were found to increase hemoglobin regeneration more than ferric citrate in a animal based study. (Gao et al., 2019)
"Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a threat in many developing countries [23]; helminths and other parasite infections may cause anemia [24,25,26,27]. IDA is often associated with unbalanced nutritional regimes, rich in natural phytochelators, with poor heme content [28], and/or excessive blood loss. Not surprisingly, IDA is frequent in women (as a consequence of menstrual bleeding) [29,30] and children [31]." (CC BY the authors Verna, et al., 2021)
Anti-microbial herbs may help protect the microbiome from becoming iron depleting. Including more vitamin C in the diet increases absorption of the plant food non-heme iron. Food sources and meal ideas are included in a section below.
Floradix is an iron and phytonutrient liquid supplement with a long history of satisfied customers. It has been available at health food stores for a long time.
Floradix® Iron + Herbs Liquid Herbal Supplement
Salus/Floradix, 8.5 Ounces $48.99 $39.19 *Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price minus 20% discount on Fullscript as a client of mine. (floradixusa.com)
- Suggested Use:
Adults (12 and over): Take 10 mL (mark on cap) twice daily. Provides 10 mg ferrous gluconate and some thiamin, riboflavin, B6 and cyanocobalamin in a small amount.
Children (4 – 11 years old): Take 10 mL (mark on cap) once daily. - *Use within one month after opening.
Cooking with an iron skillet seems like a less expensive option however this is providing a chelated form of iron bound to a molecule of glucose. So it may be better absorbed and less constipating. Ten milliliters is about two teaspoons. I would give a four year old one teaspoon rather than two, or mix half a teaspoon in food to check tolerance. This product also has B vitamins including 6.75 mcg cyanocobalamin which people with methylation dysfunction ideally should avoid but supplements of it can be 100-1000 mcg.
If high dose iron is needed, this product also provides a chelate with the beneficial amino acid glycine. It would be better absorbed and gentler on the GI tract than ionic iron.
- See: What is a chelate?, (Jostchemical.com/pdf)
Iron Chelate
Klaire Labs, 100 capsules $24.99 $19.99 - provides 30 mg of Ferrochel® chelated iron based on ferrous bisglycinate. "Non-constipating" (klaire.com)
*This is very high dose and would be a prescription type product only used for severe iron deficiency anemia. Excess iron is inflammatory - oxidative stress is called 'rust' when it happens to iron skillets. We don't want our insides to become rusty from excess free iron during an oxidative/inflamed condition.
Reference List
(Gao et al., 2019) Gao F , Guo W , Zeng M , Feng Y , Feng G . Effect of microalgae as iron supplements on iron-deficiency anemia in rats. Food Funct. 2019 Feb 20;10(2):723-732. doi: 10.1039/c8fo01834k. PMID: 30664135.
(Verna, et al., 2021) Verna G, Sila A, Liso M, Mastronardi M, Chieppa M, Cena H, Campiglia P. Iron-Enriched Nutritional Supplements for the 2030 Pharmacy Shelves. Nutrients. 2021 Jan 26;13(2):378. doi: 10.3390/nu13020378. PMID: 33530485; PMCID: PMC7912282.
And Baby formula and constipation?
Iron can be a factor in constipation but dehydration and a lack of fiber in the diet or an unhealthy microbiome can also be involved. As baby learns to eat, many baby foods are very refined. Using a baby food grinder at the table and sharing soft cooked stew like foods from mom's plate can introduce baby to whole foods that include a balanced variety. Refer to food lists for recommendations on when to introduce different foods.
Proportionally, older baby might eat 2-4 tablespoons of food beginning with soft-cooked sweet potato, broccoli, carrot, parsnip, zucchini, onion, and rice and other grain cereals are introduced - these are also a source of iron if using commercial types. Later the toddler may be eating iron rich lean beef, chicken, low mercury fish, scrambled egg.
And children and breakfast cereal?
Yep, that too. Breakfast cereal can be very iron fortified and over snacking on it may cause constipation for anyone. Having low water intake and low fiber intake adds to the likelihood of bathroom difficulties.
And -- it really hurts. Little one can become scared to try. Keep bathroom time pleasant. It is just a fact of life that we all get better at but can have troubles with sometimes too.
Diapers are too comfortable and staying in them too long may leave a child too used it. Storytime in the bathroom occasionally, see if anything happened, was my route to success. Girlsa do tend to train earlier as they seem to hdevelop an awareness sooner of the urge to go. Let nature take the time that is needed with the background thought that diapers can be too comfortable. Training underpants have value.
Foods that are good sources of iron include:
Iron rich foods include:
- all meats, poultry and fish and shellfish (G.28) contain a form called heme iron which is more readily absorbed. Darker cuts of meat have more iron content - beef has more than chicken, a chicken leg has more than the breast. Organ meats are an excellent source.
- Vitamin C eaten along with whole grain or beans, nuts and seeds can help increase absorption of non-heme iron found in them all.
Examples of iron rich plant foods combined with vitamin C rich foods in typical meals:
- Tomato products with beans,
- Italian bean salad with vegetables, lemon juice and citrus zest,
- Cashew and tofu* stir-fry with mushrooms, onions and green pepper,
- Peanut, almond, cashew, or sunflower butter with fresh marmalade on bread (overheating breaks down the nutrient content) or with orange slices or asparagus on the side.
- Protein rich (vegan friendly) cole slaw with green peas and sunflower seeds, shredded cabbage, inner pith pomegranate peel, pomegranate seeds. Apple cider vvinegar or lemon juice or may style dressing of choice, sea salt.
*I do not recommend using non traditionally fermented soy products as there are anti-nutrients in the unfermented soy beans. Traditionally made soy foods include tofu, tempeh, tamari soy sauce, and miso paste. I also avoid non organic soy as the Roundup Ready soy is a glyphosate risk. Glyphosate may be interfering with vitamin D metabolism and reducing mineral availability and increasing other health risks.
Foods that are good sources of vitamin C include:
Vitamin C is plentiful in many fruits and vegetables and orange juice and other vitamin C fortified juices.
Richer sources of vitamin C include:
- green peas, green onions, Bell peppers and hot peppers, tomatoes,
- cabbage, broccoli and cruciferous vegetables, potatoes,
- citrus fruits, pineapple, cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew melon,
- kiwi, strawberries, guava, starfruit.
*Caution with fruit juice and fruit - fructose goes to the liver and fatty liver disease is increasing epidemically among young people when it had only been a disease of older adults. The increased use of high fructose corn syrup in beverages and other foods is the likely cause.
Introduce babies and children to water and teach them to recognize thirst signals, parched, irritable, dry lips or eyes. Talking about the things we feel and what they may mean is teaching skills that help us survive and thrive.
- See the podcast series How Are You Feeling? on peace-is-happy.org for more about moods and the food that may be missing or in excess.
Foods that are good sources of Fiber include:
Food Sources of Carbohydrates and Fiber:
- Fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains are all sources of fiber and carbohydrates.
- Sources that contain a greater amount of the prebiotic fiber include garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, dandelion greens, bananas, and seaweed.
- Raw forms of the vegetables contain more than cooked forms except resistant starches may be increased after the food, such as rice or tapioca starch, is cooked and then chilled. (G.19)
- Nuts and seeds also contain some carbohydrates and fiber but are more concentrated sources of fats and protein. (G.20)
For the (G.__) references and more information see the Macronutrient and Micronutrient sections of Glossary & Resources (effectivecare.info)
Health is a personal task, that we need to learn.
...and teach to our children.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes.
