For some pregnant women, the fear of seeing an extra 25 to 35 pounds on the scale is more than enough to drag them to herbal supplements that promise to counteract the not-so-glamorous rites of pregnancy. This article examines the connection between weight loss supplements and miscarriage.
Weight loss supplements can vary widely in terms of their ingredients and potential effects. Some supplements may contain substances that could potentially be harmful, especially during pregnancy. In some cases, certain herbs, stimulants, or other ingredients found in weight loss supplements might have the potential to negatively affect pregnancy or even cause miscarriage.
Vinpocetine is one of the ingredients in many such supplements. It is also referred to as periwinkle extract, Vinca Minor, or a similar variation.
Recently the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that pregnant women should avoid Vinpocetine. It warns that Vinpocetine can cause miscarriage and decreased fetal weight.
FDA also advised firms marketing dietary supplements containing Vinpocetine to evaluate their product labeling to ensure that it provides safety warning against use by pregnant women.
This raises an important question: whether herbal supplements are safe for pregnant women?
While prescription drugs have FDA regulations, supplements don’t. A lot of these supplements come as a proprietary blend, which essentially means that any amount of an ingredient might be in it.
Even for non-pregnant women proprietary blends can be dangerous. Products with this label disclose the ingredients but not the amount. This means a supplement you are taking can have 1% of the active ingredient you are looking for, or it could have five times as much. You never know exactly what you are getting. This can lead to negative side effects.
If you are still concerned about pregnancy period extra weight gain and don’t want to give up supplements please talk to your doctor. Your doctor can review the product and can recommend safe medications and alternatives.
It’s also worth noting that achieving a healthy weight through a balanced diet and regular exercise is generally recommended, but extreme or rapid weight loss methods are not advisable during pregnancy.
