Why You Might Consider Taking Prenatal Vitamins Even If You're Not Pregnant

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Prenatal Vitamins DoBenefits If Not PregnantPotential Side EffectsAlternativesPrenatals vs. Multivitamins

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Prenatal Vitamins Do

Benefits If Not Pregnant

Potential Side Effects

Alternatives

Prenatals vs. Multivitamins

Prenatal vitamins deliver beneficial nutrients to people, whether pregnant or not. They may improve your health if you are deficient in certain vitamins or minerals. One popular reason for taking prenatal vitamins is for healthy hair, skin, and nails, though the evidence of how effective they are for this purpose is unconfirmed.

If you’re considering taking prenatal vitamins and are not pregnant or trying to get pregnant, be aware that the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in them can vary from brand to brand. Also, getting moreessential micronutrientsthan recommended can be harmful.

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.

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.

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:

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:

The recommended amount of folic acid for adults is 400 micrograms (mcg), and the tolerable upper limit is 1,000 mcg daily.

Iron

Too much iron in the blood due to excessive intake (secondary hemochromatosis) can cause:

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 PrenatalsIf 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.

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.

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.

Are There Better Alternatives If You’re Not Trying to Conceive?

The consensus among many experts is that it isbetter to get nutrients through foodrather than supplements if you are not pregnant ortrying 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:

Foods Containing Nutrients Found in PrenatalsLook 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.Good sources of iron are meat, eggs, seafood, spinach, beans, and tofu,Food sources of biotin include egg yolks, salmon, organ meats, sweet potatoes, avocado, and legumes.DHA is found in salmon, sardines, and foods fortified with DHA.Good sources of calcium are yogurt, dairy products such as cheese and milk, and veggies, including spinach and collard greens.

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.Good sources of iron are meat, eggs, seafood, spinach, beans, and tofu,Food sources of biotin include egg yolks, salmon, organ meats, sweet potatoes, avocado, and legumes.DHA is found in salmon, sardines, and foods fortified with DHA.Good sources of calcium are yogurt, dairy products such as cheese and milk, and veggies, including spinach and collard greens.

Look for essential micronutrients in these foods:

Deciding Between Prenatals and Multivitamins

Prenatal vitamins offer larger amounts of the additional nutrients that a fetus and pregnant person need during gestation.Multivitaminstypically 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.

Summary

Prenatal vitamins contain important nutrients, especially for people who are pregnant. If you are not pregnant, they may be beneficial if you have low levels of these nutrients. The popular idea that they boost the health of hair, skin, and nails is not confirmed. If certain nutrient levels become too high, they could potentially be harmful to your health.

22 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Yelich A, Jenkins H, Holt S, Miller R.Biotin for hair loss: teasing out the evidence.The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. 2024;17(8):56.Dignity Health.The importance of prenatal vitamins.The Ohio State University.What to know about prenatal vitamins.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Biotin.MedlinePlus.Calcium and bones.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Iron.Richard C, Monk JM.Docosahexaenoic acid.Adv Nutr. 2024;15(1):100161. doi:10.1016/j.advnut.2023.100161National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Iodine.Selhub J, Miller JW, Troen AM, Mason JB, Jacques PF.Perspective: the high-folate–low-vitamin b-12 interaction is a novel cause of vitamin b-12 depletion with a specific etiology—a hypothesis.Advances in Nutrition. 2021;13(1):16. doi:10.1093/advances/nmab106National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Folate.Beacon Health System.Prenatal vitamins: OK for women who aren’t pregnant?National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of hemochromatosis.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Iron.Penn Health.Vitamins postpartum: 5 things to think about.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Maternal diet and breastfeeding.American Heart Association.Dietary supplements: hype or help for good health.Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.Food vs. supplements: what’s the verdict?Unity Point Health.18 foods filled with folate every woman should know.American Red Cross.Iron-rich foods.Geisinger.Eat these 8 foods to get more biotin.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Omega-3 fatty acids.U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dietary Guidelines for Americans.Food sources of calcium.

22 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Yelich A, Jenkins H, Holt S, Miller R.Biotin for hair loss: teasing out the evidence.The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. 2024;17(8):56.Dignity Health.The importance of prenatal vitamins.The Ohio State University.What to know about prenatal vitamins.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Biotin.MedlinePlus.Calcium and bones.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Iron.Richard C, Monk JM.Docosahexaenoic acid.Adv Nutr. 2024;15(1):100161. doi:10.1016/j.advnut.2023.100161National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Iodine.Selhub J, Miller JW, Troen AM, Mason JB, Jacques PF.Perspective: the high-folate–low-vitamin b-12 interaction is a novel cause of vitamin b-12 depletion with a specific etiology—a hypothesis.Advances in Nutrition. 2021;13(1):16. doi:10.1093/advances/nmab106National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Folate.Beacon Health System.Prenatal vitamins: OK for women who aren’t pregnant?National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of hemochromatosis.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Iron.Penn Health.Vitamins postpartum: 5 things to think about.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Maternal diet and breastfeeding.American Heart Association.Dietary supplements: hype or help for good health.Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.Food vs. supplements: what’s the verdict?Unity Point Health.18 foods filled with folate every woman should know.American Red Cross.Iron-rich foods.Geisinger.Eat these 8 foods to get more biotin.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Omega-3 fatty acids.U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dietary Guidelines for Americans.Food sources of calcium.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Yelich A, Jenkins H, Holt S, Miller R.Biotin for hair loss: teasing out the evidence.The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. 2024;17(8):56.Dignity Health.The importance of prenatal vitamins.The Ohio State University.What to know about prenatal vitamins.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Biotin.MedlinePlus.Calcium and bones.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Iron.Richard C, Monk JM.Docosahexaenoic acid.Adv Nutr. 2024;15(1):100161. doi:10.1016/j.advnut.2023.100161National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Iodine.Selhub J, Miller JW, Troen AM, Mason JB, Jacques PF.Perspective: the high-folate–low-vitamin b-12 interaction is a novel cause of vitamin b-12 depletion with a specific etiology—a hypothesis.Advances in Nutrition. 2021;13(1):16. doi:10.1093/advances/nmab106National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Folate.Beacon Health System.Prenatal vitamins: OK for women who aren’t pregnant?National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of hemochromatosis.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Iron.Penn Health.Vitamins postpartum: 5 things to think about.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Maternal diet and breastfeeding.American Heart Association.Dietary supplements: hype or help for good health.Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.Food vs. supplements: what’s the verdict?Unity Point Health.18 foods filled with folate every woman should know.American Red Cross.Iron-rich foods.Geisinger.Eat these 8 foods to get more biotin.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Omega-3 fatty acids.U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dietary Guidelines for Americans.Food sources of calcium.

Yelich A, Jenkins H, Holt S, Miller R.Biotin for hair loss: teasing out the evidence.The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. 2024;17(8):56.

Dignity Health.The importance of prenatal vitamins.

The Ohio State University.What to know about prenatal vitamins.

National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Biotin.

MedlinePlus.Calcium and bones.

National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Iron.

Richard C, Monk JM.Docosahexaenoic acid.Adv Nutr. 2024;15(1):100161. doi:10.1016/j.advnut.2023.100161

National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Iodine.

Selhub J, Miller JW, Troen AM, Mason JB, Jacques PF.Perspective: the high-folate–low-vitamin b-12 interaction is a novel cause of vitamin b-12 depletion with a specific etiology—a hypothesis.Advances in Nutrition. 2021;13(1):16. doi:10.1093/advances/nmab106

National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Folate.

Beacon Health System.Prenatal vitamins: OK for women who aren’t pregnant?

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of hemochromatosis.

Penn Health.Vitamins postpartum: 5 things to think about.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Maternal diet and breastfeeding.

American Heart Association.Dietary supplements: hype or help for good health.

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.Food vs. supplements: what’s the verdict?

Unity Point Health.18 foods filled with folate every woman should know.

American Red Cross.Iron-rich foods.

Geisinger.Eat these 8 foods to get more biotin.

National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Omega-3 fatty acids.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dietary Guidelines for Americans.Food sources of calcium.

Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

What is your feedback?