dailynewsnblog
Key Takeaways
- Prenatal vitamins contain important micronutrients in the amounts needed during pregnancy, which may be more than for a non-pregnant person.
- If you are not pregnant, the popular idea that prenatal vitamins improve the health of hair, skin, and nails has not been confirmed.
- It’s best to get nutrition from foods rather than supplements, as excessive supplementation of some micronutrients can harm your health.
Prenatal vitamins provide beneficial nutrients to people, whether pregnant or not. While some people take them for healthy hair, skin, and nails, they deliver more micronutrients than needed outside of pregnancy, which might cause side effects.
What Do Prenatal Vitamins Do?
When pregnant, the body needs greater amounts of certain micronutrients to support the health of both the pregnant person and the fetus. These nutrients reduce the risk of certain conditions present at birth, help fetal development, and prevent deficiencies that can affect the pregnant person.
They are needed by all people, pregnant or not—only the amount varies. Some of the most important vitamins and minerals found in most prenatal supplements are:
- Folic acid (vitamin B9) helps prevent spina bifida, a serious condition present at birth.
- Iron is needed to produce hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body.
- Calcium promotes healthy bones.
- B vitamins (eight types, including folic acid) are important for energy and neurological health. One of them, biotin, may be linked to skin, hair, and eye health.
- Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a type of omega-3 fatty acid that promotes healthy fetal development and is good for heart and brain health.
Not all prenatal vitamins contain the same ingredients, so check the labels. For example, prenatal vitamins in gummy form often don’t contain calcium or iron.
Benefits of Taking Prenatals If You’re Not Pregnant
Prenatal vitamins are one way of supplementing important nutrients even if you’re not pregnant. If you have a vitamin or mineral deficiency, prenatal vitamins may be one way to improve it. Otherwise they may be of little use.
Prenatal vitamins may support:
- Healthy hair, nails, and skin: Prenatal vitamins contain biotin, which is often found in products that claim to promote healthy hair, nails, and skin. There is insufficient evidence to confirm the benefit, which may help only those with low biotin levels, which is uncommon.
- Strong bones: If you are low in calcium (necessary for strong bones) prenatal vitamins could help build bone strength.
- Preventing iron deficiency anemia: If you are low in iron, prenatal vitamins that contain iron (not all do) can support healthy red blood cell production.
- Cardiovascular health: DHA, naturally found in coldwater fatty fish like salmon and tuna, can support cardiovascular health.
- Thyroid hormone production: The body needs iodine to make hormones that regulate many bodily functions. It may be in some prenatal vitamins, but not all.
What Are the Potential Side Effects?
It is possible to overdo it with prenatal vitamins, especially if you take them in amounts greater than recommended on the label or in combination with other vitamin or mineral supplements. Though formulations vary, most are particularly high in folic acid and iron, which can cause side effects if you take them in excess.
Folic Acid
If your folic acid level becomes too high, it may hide or lead to a vitamin B12 deficiency. Low levels of vitamin B12 can affect how your red blood cells function and can cause:
- Cognitive and behavioral changes, including depression, confusion, memory loss, impaired judgment
- Fatigue and low energy
- Increased risk of colorectal cancer
- Muscle weakness
- Pins and needles sensation (paraesthesia)
- Red and sore tongue or mouth ulcers
- Vision changes
The recommended amount of folic acid for adults is 400 micrograms (mcg), and the tolerable upper limit is 1,000 mcg daily.
Iron
Most prenatal vitamins contain iron in amounts higher than needed by nonpregnant people. People who are pregnant require more iron as their bodies produce additional blood to support the growth and development of the fetus.
Too much iron in the blood due to excessive intake (secondary hemochromatosis) can cause:
- Abdominal pain
- Changes in skin color
- Fatigue and weakness
- Joint pain, especially in the hands and knees
- Low libido (desire for sex) or erectile dysfunction
- Nausea, diarrhea, or constipation
The recommended daily intake of iron for adult nonpregnant women is 18 milligrams (mg), and for men, it is 8 mg, with a UL of 45 mg for people of any sex.
When to Stop Taking Prenatals
If you are not pregnant and have symptoms of excessive iron or folate levels, stop taking prenatal vitamins and contact your healthcare provider. If you have given birth, your provider can advise you when to stop taking them, as it may vary from person to person.
A general recommendation is to continue them for three months after giving birth or as long as you are lactating. However, in some people, prenatals can lead to excess folate or iron.
Food Is a Better Source If You’re Not Pregnant
The consensus among many experts is that it is better to get nutrients through food rather than supplements if you are not pregnant or trying to get pregnant.
Though prenatal vitamins are unlikely to harm you when taken as recommended on the label, food is preferable for several reasons, including:
- Variations in manufacturing processes can affect the amount of nutrients in supplements.
- Nutrients from supplements vs. foods may not be fully absorbed.
- Food is more easily digested than supplements and can be easier on the stomach.
- Supplements do not deliver all the bioactive compounds found in food. These can include fiber, phytochemicals, and antioxidants that could prevent cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, among other serious diseases.
Foods Containing Nutrients Found in Prenatals
Look for essential micronutrients in these foods:
- Folic acid can be found in leafy green vegetables (e.g., kale, spinach, collard greens), broccoli, asparagus, lentils, oranges, avocado, and liver.
- Iron sources include meat, eggs, seafood, spinach, beans, and tofu,
- Biotin sources include egg yolks, salmon, organ meats, sweet potatoes, avocado, and legumes.
- DHA is found in salmon, sardines, and foods fortified with DHA.
- Calcium sources include yogurt, dairy products such as cheese and milk, and veggies, including spinach and collard greens.
Deciding Between Prenatals and Multivitamins
Prenatal vitamins offer larger amounts of the additional nutrients that a fetus and pregnant person need during gestation. Multivitamins typically contain lower amounts of the key nutrients in prenatal vitamins, including folate and iron, because people who are not pregnant don’t need such large amounts.
It is unlikely that prenatal vitamins will harm you if taken as recommended on the label and not combined with other supplements containing vitamins or minerals. However, they are an expense and can have gastrointestinal side effects. Consider your options carefully when deciding on supplements in general, including prenatal supplements.
Supplement Safety
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate dietary supplements the way it regulates prescription medications. As a result, some supplement products may not contain the ingredients listed on the label.
When choosing a supplement, look for products independently tested or certified by organizations such as the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), United States Pharmacopeia (USP), or ConsumerLab. For personalized guidance, consult your healthcare provider, registered dietitian nutritionist (RD or RDN), or pharmacist.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/87B33A1C-F41C-41FC-9F53-4CFA86CF9EB5_1_201_a-0517adfca478423d8cc6c399550ceab8.jpeg)
