Vitamin B3 Helps Prevent Miscarriages & Birth Defects

B vitamins have always been very important in pregnancy, such as B6 for morning sickness, and folic acid to prevent spina bifida in babies.

Now scientists at the Victor Chang Institute in Sydney have found that a deficiency of a molecule known as NAD is a major cause of women having multiple miscarriages, or babies being born with heart, kidney and spinal defects. This vital molecule is important for normal development of organs, and you can get it by taking B3.

The scientists gave pregnant mice with the NAD gene knocked out a regular dose of B3, and they found it prevented miscarriages and birth defects, over-riding the genetic block. The head of the Victor Chang Institute, Professor Bob Graham, said the discovery could potentially help millions of women around the world.

Studies from the United States have shown up to a third of women have low levels of NAD in their blood and aren’t getting enough B3 vitamin in their pregnancy supplements.

For more information, visit this ABC News Article on the research.

However, please note that

• Miscarriages and birth defects can be caused by other factors apart from lack of Vitamin B3
• B3 comes in several forms, which act slightly differently in the body
• Higher levels are required during pregnancy
• However, excess B3 can have side effects
• It is important to take the right combination of B vitamins, as taking one on it’s own can cause deficiencies of other B vitamins

If you are considering starting a family, we recommend seeing one of our Brisbane naturopaths to check you are getting the right levels of B3 and other essential pregnancy nutrients (such as folic acid, iodine, zinc, etc.) in your diet or in your supplements.