DistantNews
Support us
🇦🇺 Australia /Health & Science

Australians Overusing Prenatal Vitamins, Experts Warn of Unnecessary Supplements

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Health experts in Australia are concerned about social media influencers promoting unnecessary prenatal vitamins and supplements to pregnant individuals.
  • While folic acid, iodine, and sometimes iron are recommended, many women take additional supplements, which can be a waste of money and potentially harmful.
  • Experts emphasize that a healthy diet in Australia usually provides sufficient nutrients, and excessive supplementation is not beneficial.

Australian health experts are raising alarms over the proliferation of prenatal vitamin and supplement recommendations on social media, warning that expectant parents are being misled into taking unnecessary products. Influencers are actively promoting multivitamins and other supplements, creating a "minefield of misinformation" for those navigating pregnancy.

Shelley Wilkinson, a prenatal dietitian and researcher at the University of Queensland, stated that many pregnant individuals take supplements as a "top-up" or "just in case." She cautioned that this practice is not only a financial drain but also carries potential risks. "Women will take it thinking that more is always better, but that's not the case," Wilkinson said. "It's a billion-dollar industry preying on people's vulnerabilities."

Women will take it thinking that more is always better, but that's not the case. It's a billion-dollar industry preying on people's vulnerabilities.

— Shelley WilkinsonA prenatal dietitian and researcher at the University of Queensland, explaining the risks and motivations behind unnecessary supplement use during pregnancy.

Official Australian guidelines recommend specific supplements: 400–600 micrograms of folic acid daily to prevent neural tube defects, and 150 micrograms of iodine to reduce risks of stillbirth and preterm birth. Draft recommendations also suggest daily iron supplements between 60–200 micrograms, with adjustments for side effects. However, high-dose vitamin A, C, or E supplements, and vitamin D, are not routinely advised due to lack of benefit or potential harm.

Rod Pearce, chair of the Immunisation Coalition, noted an increase in unnecessary supplement use. "General advice, if you've got a good, healthy diet in Australia, you tend not to need all these extra supplements and you're just making expensive urine," he commented. A 2023 study indicated that nine in 10 pregnant women surveyed used supplements, with multivitamins being the most common choice, highlighting the widespread adoption of these potentially unnecessary products.

General advice, if you've got a good, healthy diet in Australia, you tend not to need all these extra supplements and you're just making expensive urine.

— Rod PearceA practicing GP in South Australia and chair of the Immunisation Coalition, commenting on the overuse of supplements.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog