Do Prenatal Vitamins Deliver Benefits, Even When Not Pregnant? An RD Explains

Many people turn to multivitamins to help ensure they're getting enough essential nutrients on a daily basis. Vitamin and mineral supplements formulated specifically to meet the needs of pregnant women are called prenatal vitamins (sometimes shortened to prenatals).

More and more people are looking into taking a prenatal vitamin when they aren't pregnant (possibly for their purported beauty benefits)—but should this be the supplement you reach for? In short, prenatal vitamins are likely safe for adult women of childbearing age, they just might not be the best option compared to a multivitamin.

Prenatal vitamins were first created in the 1990s to deliver adequate amounts of key nutrients correlated with suboptimal pregnancy outcomes in order to support healthy fetal development. Healthcare professionals encourage women who are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant to start taking one of these supplements.

They often are a comprehensive source of nutrients essential for supporting a healthy pregnancy like folate, iron, calcium, choline, omega-3s and more.*

Iron is an essential mineral necessary to create new blood cells in the body.* Per prenatal nutrition specialist Amy Burkholder, CNS, LDN, "Women's blood volume increases about 50% during pregnancy, so [women's iron] needs also increase 50%." 

Having adequate intake and stores of iron is critical for a healthy mother and baby throughout pregnancy. Iron comes from both animal and plant-based foods in the diet, but iron found in animal sources (heme iron) is more readily absorbed in the human body.

According to Burkholder, "Prenatal multivitamins have higher amounts of iron (pregnant women need 27 milligrams daily, while nonpregnant, premenopausal women need 18 milligrams), and excess iron can warrant toxicity concerns [to some people]."

Burkholder adds, "Postpartum women whose menses have not yet resumed need even less—about 9 milligrams per day." That lower daily iron need is similar in magnitude to what postmenopausal (non-menstruating) and adult men require (i.e., 8 milligrams daily).

Folate, aka vitamin B9, is an essential vitamin that's critical for fetal development (particularly, the central nervous system)—especially during the first few weeks of pregnancy.* 

"Paying attention to daily folate needs is important for everyone, including pregnant women, but in fact, some of the most folate-critical stages of pregnancy are when many women don't know they're pregnant yet, which obviously underscores the importance of being nutritionally ready and replete each and every day," warns Ferira.

According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology1, people with a uterus who plan to conceive or are already pregnant should consume at least 600 micrograms of folate (naturally occurring) or folic acid (synthetic) from dietary intake or supplements, starting at least one month prior to conception. 

Burkholder also notes that synthetic folic acid "isn't [always] well metabolized once it's in the blood, especially for anyone with an MTHFR gene variant" and recommends looking to whole-food sources of folate (such as leafy greens) or supplemental methylfolate (i.e., 5-MTHF, the fully bioactive form of this B vitamin)—which can be more easily metabolized in the body.*

Some individuals may need higher levels or different versions of folate (for example, the bioactive methylfolate mentioned above, over regular folic acid), so it's always best to consult a care provider that knows your full health history and goals. 

Prenatal vitamins and multivitamins alike will often deliver 400 to 1,000 micrograms of dietary folate equivalents (DFE), but others will have even greater amounts and the supplements should be used under the care of a health care provider.

This critical macromineral aids fetal development by helping build bones and teeth, and also helps maintain maternal bone density.* Calcium is also important for nerve conduction, muscle movement, normal circulation, and hormone circulation.*

"Calcium is a massively important mineral that's regularly underconsumed in America, and guess where a developing fetus sources its calcium from if the pregnant mom is not taking in enough calcium daily? Baby gets it from mom's bones. While it's thrifty, it's not a good thing obviously," warns Ferira.

In other words, daily calcium intake should be top priority from diet and supplement sources during pregnancy.

While you won't find high amounts of calcium (like 500 milligrams plus) in prenatal vitamins typically. This is less because of its potential to compete with iron absorption (again, at very high calcium levels2) and more because "calcium is a genuinely bulky mineral that requires a lot of 'real estate' in the prenatal," explains Ferira. "You would be looking at a whole lot of capsules or tablets if the prenatal formula includes 300 milligrams or more of calcium, along with all the other prenatal essentials."

If you've been told to increase your calcium intake, it's best to take a food-first approach, then take the appropriate amount of supplementation for your unique nutritional needs, to "mind those gaps," as Ferira puts it. Supplemental calcium is best taken with food and away from other supplements to avoid stomach upset and promote proper absorption.

Ferira recommends spacing any stand-alone calcium supplements away from your prenatal multi (or any multivitamin, for that matter) to optimize its absorption. She also shares that "morning time can be rough during pregnancy, but minerals can be tough on the tummy in the a.m. for nonpregnant folks, too, so listen to your gut (literally) and personalize your supplement timing approach."

While adolescents between the ages of 9 and 18 need 1,300 milligrams of calcium per day, adult women and men ages 19 to 50 require 1,000 milligrams per day from diet and supplements combined, regardless of whether they are pregnant, lactating, or neither. 

To put this daily need into perspective so you can plan accordingly, "one serving of dairy, like a serving of plain Greek yogurt3 or a cup of milk4, delivers about 200 to 300 milligrams of calcium, respectively," notes Ferira.

According to a 2019 scientific review from BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, choline is a "brain-building" nutrient important for neurotransmitter synthesis, methylation reactions, and normal metabolism.*

The importance of this nutrient has only recently become realized, and while a quality prenatal vitamin should ideally deliver some choline, you'll want to leverage your diet to achieve the high daily needs required by this nutrient.

"This expectation for completeness [getting all of and enough of these nutrients] you should have in a prenatal multi is one of the reasons a prenatal gummy is a genuinely bad idea," explains Ferira.

Prenatal vitamins are likely safe to take when you're not pregnant, but they may not be the best option for you.

Prenatal vitamins can be a great way to prepare and nutritionally support the body to safely grow another human. For women hoping to conceive, adequate dietary and/or supplemental folate can help promote a healthy pregnancy—especially in the first few weeks of a fetal development, as the need for this essential B vitamin is most critical soon after implantation.* 

Armed with this knowledge, it's absolutely a good idea to take a prenatal vitamin when you're not pregnant if your goal is to conceive.

It's hard to imagine a prenatal vitamin without some iron. For women already consuming 27 milligrams of iron from their diet, they may already have very healthy iron levels and do not require extra iron.

Depending on the form of the iron, supplemental iron can cause gastrointestinal issues in some and unnecessary iron stores in others. It's always best to partner with a health care provider and have iron levels tested to determine if iron support is needed.

Recently, taking prenatal vitamins to support healthy hair, skin and nails has become popular. In my professional opinion, taking prenatal vitamins for hair growth and strong nails is not the optimal choice.

That said, knowing which ingredients to look for can make finding an alternative easier.

Feria adds that "oftentimes the purported beauty benefits of a prenatal multi are actually driven by the fact that the person needed daily nutrition support for key vitamins and minerals, and therefore, the prenatal filled some gaps. A non-prenatal multi could achieve the same goal."

In addition to a well-rounded diet with adequate protein and healthy fat intake, supplementing with extra biotin (vitamin B7),silica, and vitamins in the antioxidant family (think vitamins A, C, K, and B2—aka riboflavin) are good places to start if you're looking for holistic beauty benefits.*

A high-quality collagen peptide powder is another great addition to your daily routine to support skin elasticity and moisturization, alongside the added benefit of promoting healthy intestinal lining integrity and function.*

These powders mix in great with liquids (like coffee and smoothies), as well as oatmeal and baked goods. Ferira adds that, "collagen is your body's most abundant protein. It's simply that whole-body essential."

Ultimately, deciding which supplements are right for you is a nuanced and personalized approach, between you and your health care providers. Prenatal vitamins are an excellent insurance policy for the right person during specific stages of life, but there are other alternatives out there that may be better utilized (with fewer side effects and possibly greater benefits).

If you're not pregnant or planning to conceive in the next few months but you're looking for a comprehensive multi that covers essential micronutrient needs and also delivers hair, skin, and nail health benefits, mbg's multi is a great solution!*