Anti-Inflammatory Dietary Supplements in Pregnancy: A Scoping Review

Purpose: This scoping review aimed to map the available evidence on the safety and efficacy of anti-inflammatory dietary supplements used during pregnancy, assessing maternal and fetal outcomes. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (January 2016–June 2026), following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The protocol was prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework (10.17605/osf.io/4kmv9). Eligible studies included human clinical trials and observational studies evaluating anti-inflammatory dietary supplements in pregnant women. Results: Eighty unique studies (96 publications) from 28 countries were included, of which 63 (78.8%) were randomized clinical trials. Thirteen supplement categories were identified. Vitamin D (n = 23) and omega-3 fatty acids (n = 17) accounted for nearly half of all studies; probiotics (n = 11) formed the third-largest category. For these three supplements, most studies reported changes in inflammatory and glycemic markers, primarily in gestational diabetes mellitus and high-risk populations, but adverse events were collected in a minority of studies, so tolerability is documented rather than established. Evidence for zinc, magnesium, and alpha-lipoic acid was limited. Curcumin, chlorella, vitamin E, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), resveratrol, and ginger were each supported by only one or two studies. Supplementation was initiated in the first trimester in 19 studies (23.8%), and neonatal safety outcomes were reported infrequently. Conclusions: Evidence on anti-inflammatory dietary supplements in pregnancy is concentrated in a few compounds, in a small number of countries, and in biochemical outcomes measured in selected populations. Tolerability was evaluated in only a small number of studies, which limits its use as an indicator of safety. The map highlights the scarcity of controlled studies with prespecified harm outcomes, of first-trimester initiation, and of infant follow-up beyond the first months of life.