By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Freeda Vitamins recently contacted The Vegetarian Resource Group to let us know that they had changed the formulation of their Prenatal One Daily supplement so that it supplies 150 micrograms of iodine. This change in formulation was due to a letter from VRG encouraging them to add iodine to their prenatal products because of the important role that iodine plays in pregnancy. Even a mild iodine deficiency can result in neurologic and psychological deficits in infants and young children. The American Thyroid Association recommends that pregnant women (whether or not they are vegan or vegetarian), should supplement their diet with a daily oral supplement that contains 150 micrograms of iodine in the form of potassium iodide.

Readers should be aware that Freeda’s Mini-Prenatals do not contain iodine. Pregnant women choosing this product will need to use a separate supplement that provides 150 micrograms of iodine daily.

Freeda’s products are marketed to vegetarians and vegans. The addition of iodine makes Freeda’s Prenatal One Daily a better choice for pregnant women than similar supplements without iodine. According to the company, all Freeda products are Gluten Free and Kosher, and with the exception of their vitamin D3 tablets, all other Freeda products are 100% vegan. 

The contents of this article, our website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

References about iodine and pregnancy:

1. Alexander EK, Pearce EN, Brent GA, et al.  2017 guidelines of the American Thyroid Association for the diagnosis and management of thyroid disease during pregnancy and the postpartum. Thyroid. 2017;27(3):315-389.

2. Leung AM, Pearce EN, Braverman LE. Iodine nutrition in pregnancy and lactation. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2011; 40:765–777.

3. Leung AM, Lamar A, He X, Braverman LE, Pearce EN. Iodine status and thyroid function of Boston-area vegetarians and vegans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Aug;96(8):E1303-1307.
4. Lee SY, Stagnaro-Green A, MacKay D, Wong AW, Pearce EN. Iodine contents in prenatal vitamins in the United States.Thyroid. 2017 Aug;27(8):1101-1102.

Freeda’s contact info for their products is www.freedahealth.com, or call (973) 882-0002.