Risk Of Taking Prenatal Vitamins While Not Pregnant

Prenatal vitamins are nutritional supplements intended to keep a pregnant woman and her fetus adequately nourished. These multivitamins contain additional doses of vitamins and minerals such as iron, folic acid, and calcium. There is no need for a prescription so they can be purchased from over the counter by anyone.

Significance

Many women who are not pregnant and do not plan to be also take prenatal vitamins in hopes who gaining the benefit of healthier hair and nails.

Folic Acid

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the average woman get 400 mcg of folic acid per day. An excess of folic acid in your system can conceal an actual vitamin B12 deficiency.

Iron

Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D., reports that going over the recommended 18 mg of iron a day for women 19 to 50 can cause toxic buildup causing constipation, nausea, and potentially death.

Calcium

Depending solely on the calcium present in prenatal vitamins (about 250 mg) can lead to a decrease in bone mass and cause menstrual cycle irregularities. Exceeding the adequate intake of 1,000 mg of calcium per day may damage the kidneys and prevent other essential nutrient absorption, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.

Misconceptions

Taking prenatal vitamins as a nonpregnant female generally does not pose any life-threatening consequences. However, it is important not to rely on them as your only form of nutrition and to monitor your daily intake.

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