Traditional “Knowledge” About Dietary Supplements

• May be right or wrong

• Often differs in different traditions and cultures

• Cannot be verified or refuted except by scientific testing

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I have no doubt that traditional knowledge about the safety of some dietary supplements in pregnancy is correct, but such “knowledge” is not always correct. Moreover, traditional “knowledge” sometimes differs among traditions and cultures. Without rigorous scientific testing and assessment, we cannot verify or refute claims about the safety of using a particular dietary supplement in a particular way in pregnancy.