.png)
The Supplement Myth
Points of vigilance when taking supplements, especially in particular situations (PCOS, history, etc.)
In episode 7, Laura tells us about the dangerous substances in certain dietary supplements and the precautions to be taken (even more so at the preconception stage)
Watch the sequel
- 🎬 Accès à 100% des vidéos
- 🔬 Recommandations scientifiques
- ✅ Conseils conrets et actionnables
- 💌 Communauté d'entraide
- 🎓 Pro de santé experte et diplômée
- 📆 Sans engagement
.png)
Summary
🔊 This program is an information program by a trained professional. This is generic advice and is not a personalized diagnosis. In all cases, we recommend that you be followed by a gynecologist and/or a midwife for individualized follow-up.
What you will learn in this episode
Points of vigilance on supplements in preconception
- Why some nanoparticles are a problem in perinatality
- Medical situations where supplements require even more caution
- How do I spot a supplement that's not right for me
- What you need to know about vitamin A during pregnancy
- Why supplement marketing can be deceptive
Nanoparticles: a real subject in perinatal care
Laura explains that nanoparticles are particles so small that they can cross many barriers in the body, including the hematoplacental barrier between mother and fetus.
Some studies have shown that titanium dioxide (E171) nanoparticles can accumulate in the placenta and reach the fetus, which has contributed to their questioning and their prohibition in food in Europe, in particular because of the potential risks of genotoxicity and developmental toxicity.
- Risk signals exist for several nanoparticles used as additives or dyes (titanium dioxide, certain forms of silica, silver, iron oxides) with potential effects on DNA or the nervous system;
- Manufacturers are not always required to mention the presence of “nano” if the nanoparticle fraction is below a certain threshold, which makes it difficult to read labels;
- Out of caution, especially in preconception and pregnancy, Laura recommends avoiding ingredients marked “nano” or in square brackets, when it identifies them in the list of excipients.
💡 Key figures
Of recent work show that titanium dioxide (E171) nanoparticles can cross the placenta and be found in the meconium of newborns, a sign of exposure in utero, which contributed to the decisions to ban this additive in food in Europe.
THE HANDLES has identified several ingredients that may contain nanoparticles (proven or suspected presence), such as titanium dioxide (E171), certain amorphous silicas (E551), iron oxides and hydroxides (E172), tricalcium phosphates (E172), tricalcium phosphates (E341) or calcium carbonate (E170).
Medical history, treatments, and self-observation
Beyond nanoparticles, Laura recalls that supplements should always be chosen according to the person's medical situation.
The same product can be trivial for one and unsuitable for the other
- I am especially careful if I have:
- Medical history (PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid pathology, chronic diseases);
- Ongoing treatments (possible interactions with certain plants or nutrients);
- A known MTHFR gene mutation.
- Herbal supplements may interact with medications, This requires medical or pharmaceutical advice before taking them for a long time.
A few key rules from Laura:
- When I start a supplement, I really observe myself:
- Do I feel “out of whack” without a clear explanation?
- does I have new digestive problems (diarrhea, pain, nausea...), unusual headaches or other symptoms that appeared after starting the supplement?
- If I notice a clear change, I stop taking the supplement and consult a health professional.
👉 Laura also insists on marketing speech: a slogan like “this supplement will make you get pregnant” is a big red flag.
No supplement guarantees pregnancy, even if it can sometimes support certain mechanisms when a deficiency is objectified.
When pregnancy starts: watch out for vitamin A
Once the pregnancy has started, Laura recommends checking the dosages of supplements already taken, rather than continuing “automatically.”
Vitamin A is a typical example:
- Preformed vitamin A (retinol and derivatives) Very high doses are known to be teratogenic, i.e. to increase the risk of malformations in the fetus. European agencies maintain a tolerable maximum intake level of around 3,000 mcg retinol equivalent (ER) per day for adults, including women of reproductive age.
In practice, many doctors in France prefer to recommend the absence of preformed vitamin A supplementation during pregnancy, out of caution, even if the really teratogenic doses are higher than most of the usual intakes.
For all that, Laura recalls that vitamin A remains important:
- The beta-carotene form (precursor) is found in orange or red vegetables and fruits (carrot, sweet potato, squash, apricot...) and in some green vegetables; it does not pose a known teratogenicity problem at dietary doses;
- “Active” vitamin A (retinol) is found in meat, fish, fish, eggs, offal, and some fish liver oils;
- Vitamin A is involved in the proper functioning of the liver, the metabolization of vitamin D and the needs increase even more if you plan to breast-feed, because vitamin A passes into breast milk.
👉 Operational advice from Laura:
- Je Can discuss a vitamin A blood test with my/my doctor, especially if you plan to breastfeed or eat a very restrictive diet;
- In the meantime, I prefer varied dietary intakes rather than isolated vitamin A supplements preformed by self-medication.
🔎 Useful definitions
Genotoxicity : ability of a substance to damage the genetic material (DNA) of cells, which can lead to mutations and, potentially, promote the appearance of cancers or developmental abnormalities.
___
Teratogenic : refers to a substance or factor capable of causing birth defects or developmental abnormalities in the embryo or fetus when exposed during pregnancy.
🎯 Actions concrètes
- If I suspect a deficiency (persistent fatigue, hair loss, very heavy periods, etc.), I start by asking for a blood test or appropriate examinations before multiplying the supplements;
- I keep in mind that food remains the priority: I first try to cover my needs through the plate, then I only supplement if a need is identified with a health professional;
- I avoid supplements or medications that mention “nano” in the list of ingredients or excipients, especially during preconception and during pregnancy;
- If I have a medical history (PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid pathology, chronic disease) or ongoing treatments, I do not take “powerful” supplements or plants without specialized advice (doctor, pharmacist, micronutritionist);
- I stay alert to overly promising marketing messages (“guaranteed”, “miracle”, “certain to get pregnant”), and I prefer products that are transparent in terms of their doses, their forms and their excipients.
.png)
Summary
🔊 This program is an information program by a trained professional. This is generic advice and is not a personalized diagnosis. In all cases, we recommend that you be followed by a gynecologist and/or a midwife for individualized follow-up.
What you will learn in this episode
Points of vigilance on supplements in preconception
- Why some nanoparticles are a problem in perinatality
- Medical situations where supplements require even more caution
- How do I spot a supplement that's not right for me
- What you need to know about vitamin A during pregnancy
- Why supplement marketing can be deceptive
Nanoparticles: a real subject in perinatal care
Laura explains that nanoparticles are particles so small that they can cross many barriers in the body, including the hematoplacental barrier between mother and fetus.
Some studies have shown that titanium dioxide (E171) nanoparticles can accumulate in the placenta and reach the fetus, which has contributed to their questioning and their prohibition in food in Europe, in particular because of the potential risks of genotoxicity and developmental toxicity.
- Risk signals exist for several nanoparticles used as additives or dyes (titanium dioxide, certain forms of silica, silver, iron oxides) with potential effects on DNA or the nervous system;
- Manufacturers are not always required to mention the presence of “nano” if the nanoparticle fraction is below a certain threshold, which makes it difficult to read labels;
- Out of caution, especially in preconception and pregnancy, Laura recommends avoiding ingredients marked “nano” or in square brackets, when it identifies them in the list of excipients.
💡 Key figures
Of recent work show that titanium dioxide (E171) nanoparticles can cross the placenta and be found in the meconium of newborns, a sign of exposure in utero, which contributed to the decisions to ban this additive in food in Europe.
THE HANDLES has identified several ingredients that may contain nanoparticles (proven or suspected presence), such as titanium dioxide (E171), certain amorphous silicas (E551), iron oxides and hydroxides (E172), tricalcium phosphates (E172), tricalcium phosphates (E341) or calcium carbonate (E170).
Medical history, treatments, and self-observation
Beyond nanoparticles, Laura recalls that supplements should always be chosen according to the person's medical situation.
The same product can be trivial for one and unsuitable for the other
- I am especially careful if I have:
- Medical history (PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid pathology, chronic diseases);
- Ongoing treatments (possible interactions with certain plants or nutrients);
- A known MTHFR gene mutation.
- Herbal supplements may interact with medications, This requires medical or pharmaceutical advice before taking them for a long time.
A few key rules from Laura:
- When I start a supplement, I really observe myself:
- Do I feel “out of whack” without a clear explanation?
- does I have new digestive problems (diarrhea, pain, nausea...), unusual headaches or other symptoms that appeared after starting the supplement?
- If I notice a clear change, I stop taking the supplement and consult a health professional.
👉 Laura also insists on marketing speech: a slogan like “this supplement will make you get pregnant” is a big red flag.
No supplement guarantees pregnancy, even if it can sometimes support certain mechanisms when a deficiency is objectified.
When pregnancy starts: watch out for vitamin A
Once the pregnancy has started, Laura recommends checking the dosages of supplements already taken, rather than continuing “automatically.”
Vitamin A is a typical example:
- Preformed vitamin A (retinol and derivatives) Very high doses are known to be teratogenic, i.e. to increase the risk of malformations in the fetus. European agencies maintain a tolerable maximum intake level of around 3,000 mcg retinol equivalent (ER) per day for adults, including women of reproductive age.
In practice, many doctors in France prefer to recommend the absence of preformed vitamin A supplementation during pregnancy, out of caution, even if the really teratogenic doses are higher than most of the usual intakes.
For all that, Laura recalls that vitamin A remains important:
- The beta-carotene form (precursor) is found in orange or red vegetables and fruits (carrot, sweet potato, squash, apricot...) and in some green vegetables; it does not pose a known teratogenicity problem at dietary doses;
- “Active” vitamin A (retinol) is found in meat, fish, fish, eggs, offal, and some fish liver oils;
- Vitamin A is involved in the proper functioning of the liver, the metabolization of vitamin D and the needs increase even more if you plan to breast-feed, because vitamin A passes into breast milk.
👉 Operational advice from Laura:
- Je Can discuss a vitamin A blood test with my/my doctor, especially if you plan to breastfeed or eat a very restrictive diet;
- In the meantime, I prefer varied dietary intakes rather than isolated vitamin A supplements preformed by self-medication.
🎯 Concrete actions
- If I suspect a deficiency (persistent fatigue, hair loss, very heavy periods, etc.), I start by asking for a blood test or appropriate examinations before multiplying the supplements;
- I keep in mind that food remains the priority: I first try to cover my needs through the plate, then I only supplement if a need is identified with a health professional;
- I avoid supplements or medications that mention “nano” in the list of ingredients or excipients, especially during preconception and during pregnancy;
- If I have a medical history (PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid pathology, chronic disease) or ongoing treatments, I do not take “powerful” supplements or plants without specialized advice (doctor, pharmacist, micronutritionist);
- I stay alert to overly promising marketing messages (“guaranteed”, “miracle”, “certain to get pregnant”), and I prefer products that are transparent in terms of their doses, their forms and their excipients.
.png)
