If you're not pregnant, you have few legitimate reasons to take prenatal vitamins. If you've recently given birth or are trying to conceive, prenatal vitamins may benefit you. Otherwise, despite many common myths to the contrary, prenatal vitamins won't do you any good if you're not pregnant.
Prenatal Vitamins
Prenatal vitamins are specially formulated dietary supplements for women who are pregnant or breast-feeding. Although they're similar in many ways to regular multivitamin supplements, prenatal vitamins have larger quantities of some key nutrients---folic acid and iron in particular. Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz, authors of "You: Having A Baby," explain that folic acid is critical to an embryo's formation of brain and spinal tissue, whereas iron helps increase blood volume.
Myths
You may have heard some myths about prenatal vitamin use in nonpregnant women. For instance, you may have heard that they will help your hair and nails grow faster and stronger. Alternately, you might believe that they give you energy or help you lose weight. In truth, none of these claims has any scientific backing---prenatal vitamins simply don't do anything for a nonpregnant woman that regular multivitamins can't do.
Safety
Even though you have no reason to take prenatal vitamins if you're not pregnant, you aren't likely to experience health consequences if you do take them, explains Katherine Zeratsky, a dietician for MayoClinic.com. Otherwise healthy women aren't likely to be harmed by prenatal vitamins, even though they contain large amounts of iron, which can be toxic if you overdose. You should keep prenatal vitamins away from children, in whom overdose is very serious.
Exceptions
Even if you're not pregnant, you may benefit from prenatal vitamins under certain circumstances. If you've recently given birth or are breast-feeding, your body benefits from the extra nutrient supplements that the vitamins provide. Additionally, if you're trying to conceive, prenatal vitamins may be appropriate for you because they build up your stores of vitamins and minerals before conception. Adequate intake of folic acid in particular is critical in the early days of pregnancy, explains Dr. Miriam Stoppard in her book "Conception, Pregnancy and Birth."
References
- "You: Having A Baby"; Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.; 2009
- Mayo Clinic: Prenatals
- "Conception, Pregnancy and Birth"; Miriam Stoppard, M.D.; 2008
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