MultiAvail Mama

B Vitamins: required for an array of critical biochemical reactions that support healthy overall metabolism and energy production

Folate: required for DNA synthesis, healthy cellular growth and repair, and for proper development of the fetal neural tube, a structure that becomes the brain and spinal cord. The folate in MultiAvail Mama is a form of methylated folate proven to raise plasma folate levels and bypass some of the obstacles associated with synthetic folic acid, such as a genetic issues that can impair the conversion of folic acid to active folate.

Iodine & Selenium: support healthy thyroid function and synthesis of thyroid hormones. Proper thyroid hormone levels in an expectant mother help support healthy brain and neurological development in her baby.

Choline: a vitamin-like nutrient essential for proper brain development and the structure of all cell membranes

Vitamin E isomers: provided as the tocotrienol fractions of the vitamin E complex, which are more potent than the commonly used tocopherols and have different biological effects. Tocopherols are more easily obtained from a typical diet than are tocotrienols; the tocotrienols in Prenatal Pro™ augment the more readily available dietary tocopherols.

Vitamin C: provided at a level higher than the current US RDA, as the RDA was not intended to support optimum health, but rather, to prevent overt deficiency. The modern diet is generally low in vitamin C, an important antioxidant nutrient that’s also essential for a healthy immune system, collagen synthesis, and dietary iron absorption.

Chelated Minerals: The zinc, copper, manganese, molybdenum, chromium and iron in this product are provided as highly bioavailable chelates. Chelated minerals are easily absorbed and highly bioavailable because they bypass common obstacles to effective absorption, such as low stomach acid or compromised digestive function. The iron in this product will not result in constipation or GI upset, as is experienced with many conventional iron supplements.

Chromium: a trace mineral that supports proper regulation of mom’s blood sugar and insulin levels, critical for a healthy pregnancy

I've read the recommended amount of vitamin a for pregnant women 19 years or older is 770 mcg RAE.  I understand that toxicity is caused from preformed vitamin A, such as the palmitate.  I know too that you can not get toxicity from taking too much of the carotenoids, which is why I would like to know the percentage of each in your product please, because your product has 1500 mcg RAE.  

MultiAvail Mama has a 50/50 blend of preformed palmitate so 750mcg which is within that range of RAE with then the remaining 750mcg from mixed carotenoids.

Why use mineral chelates?

The minerals chosen for MultiAvail Mama as they offer superior absorption compared to minerals typically found in prenatal multivitamins. Zinc, manganese, molybdenum, and chromium are provided as highly bioavailable chelates. Mineral chelates do not depend on stomach acid for liberation and may be more effective for those with hypochlorhydria or other conditions that impair mineral absorption. Chelated minerals are designed to bypass obstacles to absorption and assimilation, such as food phytates, oxalates, fiber, ionic minerals or even medications that interfere with mineral absorption. Chelates are better tolerated and absorbed and are less likely to cause loose stools or other gastrointestinal discomfort. (35)

Some of the nutrients look below the necessary amounts such as magnesium, calcium, B12, and iron?

These are included at levels below the RDA because this formula is designed based on average intakes of the respective nutrients and to allow for more flexible and individualized regimens. The RDA for calcium is 1000 mg for pregnant women, while average calcium intake in women of reproductive age is 859 mg/day (35), thus the difference of 140 mg is provided by MultiAvail Mama.

If you are not consuming dairy during your pregnancy, consider adding OsteoFactors to your supplement plan. 

The same rationale was applied to magnesium: the RDA is 360 mg but average dietary intake is estimated to be 281mg. (35) The 80 mg of magnesium provided by MultiAvail Mama makes up for this shortfall. 

If you deal with muscle cramps, hypertension, headaches, or constipation, you may benefit from adding Relax and Regulate to your supplement plan. 

Chelated Iron: (as Ferrochel® ferrous bisglycinate chelate) was chosen due to its high bioavailability and tolerability. The chelated form will not result in the constipation commonly induced by iron supplementation.

Average intake of iron by women of reproductive age in the US is 14 mg/day with a range of 7.3–22.3 mg/day. (35) The value of 13 mg of iron chosen for this formula was derived as the difference between the RDA (27 mg) and this estimated average intake. It also ensures that the upper range of iron intake plus the amount in MultiAvail Mama falls within a safe margin of 45 mg (the upper tolerable level of iron intake).

Well-balanced diets, such as my Anti-Anxiety Diet or whole food keto approach provides iron in the range of 17–22 mg/day. One study found that supplementation with iron bisglycinate chelate resulted in double the absorption compared to ferrous sulfate when taken with breakfast. This form of iron partially prevented the inhibitory effect of phytates, had low interactions with food, and showed high solubility in aqueous solutions even at a pH 6.36

Many clients including myself benefit from an additional b-complex which can support energy and mood stability throughout pregnancy especially for those under high stress levels. Consider adding B-complex and/or B-12 Boost. 

Iodine is a trace element essential for synthesis of the thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine and thyroxine. These hormones play a vital role in the early growth and development stages of most organs, especially the brain.
During pregnancy sufficient quantities of iodine are required to prevent the appearance of hypothyroidism, trophoblastic and embryonic or fetal disorders, neonatal and maternal hypothyroidism, and permanent sequelae in infants. Thyroid hormone receptors and iodothyronine deiodinases are present in placenta and central nervous tissue of the fetus.

Faustino R. Pérez-lópez (2007) Iodine and thyroid hormones during pregnancy and postpartum, Gynecological Endocrinology, 23:7, 414-428, DOI: 10.1080/09513590701464092

Folate: provided as Quatrefolic®, a glucosamine salt 5-MTHF form of folate proven to dissociate reliably before absorption and raise plasma folate levels. (14) This form of 5-MTHF is likely more bioavailable than naturally occurring folates because those are covalently bonded to polyglutamate chains. The Quatrefolic® form of folate was shown to be 1.12 times and 9.7 times more bioavailable than the calcium salt of 5-MTHF and folic acid, respectively.(15) Research showed that plasma folate levels were brought above the desired level of 50 nM more quickly with 5-MTHF than with folic acid supplementation. This effect is critical because women with low folate status may first become aware of their pregnancy when fetal cell proliferation and differentiation develop at a fast pace and may already have been negatively impacted by folate deficiency.16

Folic acid is no longer considered an adequate source of folate for the following reasons:

(a) genetic polymorphisms of folate metabolism are common and are responsible for a 35-70% reduced conversion
of folic acid to the biological active form, 5-MTHF14,17

(b) unmetabolized folic acid has been detected in umbilical cord blood at birth18 

(c) synthetic folic acid (derived from fortified foods and/or supplements) may increase the risk of various cancers, reduce natural killer (NK) cell activity, and may have other detrimental
effects (17,19)

(d) human physiology is adapted to natural folates; folic acid is not a naturally occurring molecule
and has a distinct pathway of cell entry and different metabolic transformations compared to natural folates.

These differences may be responsible for the detrimental effects associated with folic acid.(17,20) Adequate folate status was also shown to be relevant to risk of pre-eclampsia, which was reduced by supplementation with 5-MTHF.21 This may be due to improvement of nitric oxide levels, which would support healthy blood pressure. A study looked at the effect of supplementing pregnant women with 5-MTHF alone, folic acid alone, or 5-MTHF and folic acid combined, on their children’s mental abilities at age 8.5 years. Results showed that progeny of mothers supplemented with 5-MTHF had “higher activation of the midcingulate cortex, indicating that early nutrition influences the functionality of specific brain areas involved in executive functions.” (22) 

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