Future Kind’s vegan prenatal addresses market gap for plant-based pregnancy multivitamin
16 Jan 2023 --- US-based wellness brand Future Kind has rolled out one of the first vegan prenatal vitamin supplements to market. It contains vitamin B12, vitamin D3, methylfolate, iron, choline, DHA from algae and other ingredients tailored to mothers-to-be on a plant-based diet.
The launch expands on Future Kind’s current portfolio of exclusively vegan supplements, which includes animal-free collagen, omega 3s and protein.
Few players on the market
Inspiration for the product came after Shaun Cunningham, co-founder and CEO of Future Kind, identified a noticeable gap in the market:
“After my wife became pregnant, we were in a hurry to find the right prenatal product for someone on a plant-based diet. We went into stores, researched online and quickly discovered that the product wasn’t available.”
Addressing the “quite shocking” absence of plant-based prenatal products, Future Kind developed its own formula to provide the nutrients needed during preconception, pregnancy and lactation.
Bespoke ingredients
The multivitamin includes 150 mcg of B12, which is in line with the recommended amount for vegans and those on plant-based diets by independent nutrition expert Dr. Michael Greger, notes the company.
Future Kind uses methylated folate, which is similar to the type of folic acid that naturally occurs in food, such as leafy greens.Future Kind also uses methylated folate, the active form of folic acid, which ensures about 40% of women with the MTHFR gene variation can absorb it.
Gnosis by Lesaffre flags that using folate in its active form is crucial due to this genetic polymorphism. Health authorities have not reached a consensus on whether or not these variations among child-bearing women are significant.
The UK’s Department of Health and Social Care and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for example, claim there is not enough evidence to change recommendations for pregnant women to take methylated folate over folic acid.
Personalized nutrition for plant-based eating
Consumers who don’t incorporate animal-based products into their diets may be more at-risk for specific nutrient deficiencies, such as vitamin D.
Vitamin D deficiency is already rampant in Europe, even in some of its sunniest countries. Researchers are continuing to find more connections between the “sunshine vitamin” and overall health, including lower risks of dying from cancer and immune health.
Conventionally produced vitamin D is not vegan, but more plant-based sources are coming to market. One example is Lallemand’s Lalmin vitamin D from yeast, which was recently given EFSA's stamp of approval. Meanwhile, PLT Health’s Earthlight whole food vitamin D from mushrooms was approved by Brazilian health authorities last year.
When formulating with vitamin D, it’s important to understand what form it’s in. A collaborative UK study by the Universities of Surrey and Brighton revealed that vitamin D2 might interfere with vitamin D3 in the body.
Balancing meaningful ingredients
Future Kind’s vegan prenatal also includes choline (60 mg) and DHA (45 mg) from vegan sources, which have proven benefits for pregnant women, albeit at higher doses.
One study at Cornell University in the US found that pregnant women who consumed 930 mg of choline per day in their third trimester had children who had better sustained attention at age seven than those whose mothers consumed half the amount of choline daily.
As for omega 3s, the American Pregnancy Association currently recommends 300 mg of DHA daily, whereas the Australian government recommends more than twice that amount. This recommendation of 800 mg of DHA and 100 mg of EPA per day for pregnant women came following studies that the higher dosage helps to prevent preterm births.
Prenatal vitamins represent just one aspect of women’s health, a market that is expected to continue robust growth.
Helping customers tap into the plant-based supplementation market, SternVitamin provides premixes formulated with vegan consumers in mind. The formulations target strong bones, mental health and immunity.
By Missy Green
