Thorne has announced that its Basic Prenatal supplement has received NSF Certified for Sport certification, which the company says makes it the first prenatal containing a bioactive form of folate to achieve the designation.
The certification expands Thorne’s portfolio of sports-certified supplements into prenatal nutrition, with the company positioning Basic Prenatal for women who are trying to conceive, pregnant or breastfeeding while maintaining an active lifestyle.
"Performance doesn't stop when life changes," said Dr Amanda Frick, ND, LAc – Senior Vice President of Medical, Clinical and Scientific Affairs at Thorne.
"Women deserve the same rigorous standards for their prenatal nutrition that elite athletes expect from every supplement they take."
By bringing NSF Certified for Sport certification to Basic Prenatal, we're extending the trusted standard athletes have relied on from Thorne for years to one of the most important supplements they'll ever take – reinforcing our commitment to uncompromising quality, rigorous testing and confidence at every stage of life.
NSF Certified for Sport is designed to help reduce the risk of supplements containing substances prohibited by major sporting organisations.
The programme involves product testing for banned substances, formulation and label reviews, facility and supplier inspections and ongoing monitoring.
NSF says its testing covers more than 290 banned substances, including stimulants, steroids, narcotics, diuretics and masking agents.
Thorne said in its statement that Basic Prenatal’s formulation had not changed as a result of the certification.
The product contains 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), which the company describes as the metabolically active form of folate, alongside nutrients including choline, iron, vitamins B6 and B12 and vitamin D.
The focus on folate reflects its established importance during early pregnancy. UK NHS guidance recommends 400 µg of folic acid daily before conception and through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects.
However, the distinction between folic acid and newer folate forms remains relevant for formulators.
While 5-MTHF is widely marketed as a bioactive or methylated folate, the US CDC notes that folic acid remains the only form of folate proven to help prevent neural tube defects.
NSF’s certification database now lists Thorne Basic Prenatal as a certified product, demonstrating the growing application of sports-supplement quality and anti-doping standards beyond conventional performance nutrition.
