Beta-carotene While Pregnant

Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A, which means that your body is able to use it to synthesize retinol if your liver has storage space for it. If your body contains enough vitamin A as retinol, beta-carotene is not converted. Women require more vitamin A during pregnancy and much more while lactating, but supplementing with retinol can be toxic in large doses. Beta-carotene provides antioxidant benefits and is safe to consume while pregnant because it is nontoxic. Consult with your doctor about adequate amounts of vitamins while pregnant.

Beta-Carotene

Beta-carotene is an orange-red pigment commonly found in fruits and vegetables, most notably carrots. It is the most common carotenoid found in plants and displays strong antioxidant properties. Beta-carotene is a precursor or inactive form of retinol, which is commonly called vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential in your body for healthy eyesight, especially night vision, and the maintenance and repair of mucous membranes.

Conversion to Retinol

Beta-carotene can be converted to vitamin A, but the amounts required are not equivalent. At least six times as much natural beta-carotene is needed to convert to active vitamin A compared with retinol. For example, it takes about 6 mcg of beta-carotene to make 1 mcg of retinol, whereas retinol can be consumed directly from the diet and requires no conversion. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, the vitamin A activity of beta-carotene from supplements is much higher than that of beta-carotene from foods. As such, it takes only 2 mcg of supplemental beta-carotene to provide 1 mcg of retinol, which is the active form of vitamin A. The beta-carotene content of supplements often is listed in international units rather than micrograms.

Recommendations While Pregnant

According to the National Institutes of Health, pregnant girls up to age 18 require 750 mcg of vitamin A daily, whereas pregnant women 19 years and older need 770 mcg. Lactating women need considerably more, about 1,300 mcg daily. As such, multiple those numbers by six if you want to derive your vitamin A from natural beta-carotene sources, or by two if supplementing with beta-carotene.

Safety of Beta-Carotene

Supplementing with retinol directly or consuming a high proportion of foods rich in vitamin A, such as liver, can lead to hypervitaminosis A and toxicity symptoms. According to the book “Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism,” the adverse effects of hypervitaminosis A include liver dysfunction, neurological disorders, reduced bone mineral density and birth defects. Beta-carotene generally is considered safe during pregnancy because it is not associated with specific adverse health effects. Its conversion to vitamin A decreases when your body stores are full, so excess beta-carotene cannot become toxic; however, high intake can temporarily turn your skin yellow, which is a benign condition called carotenosis. In general, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables are rich sources.