Anemia and hair loss
“While prenatal vitamins tend to get a lot of credit for a woman’s thick pregnancy mane, the hair growth spurt during pregnancy is actually due to hormonal differences that cause hair and nails to grow faster because of cycling longer in their growth phase and are shedding less hair on a daily basis,” says Dr. Allen. This is due to the “extra circulating estrogen and progesterone” during pregnancy. So, reaching for prenatal supplements as a quick fix to boost hair growth “may not have the results you imagine.”
Though uncommon, getting too much folic acid or iron, can mask certain serious conditions. According to our expert, “getting too much folic acid by taking prenatal supplements can mask the symptoms of vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia.” Anemia is a “common cause of hair loss in women” and vitamin B-12 deficiency can lead to serious harmful effects like anemia, alopecia but also fatigue, breathlessness, numbness, poor balance, and memory trouble. “A delay diagnosis and treatment of this deficiency over time can cause permanent neurological damage.”
Liver damage
Meanwhile, “it’s important to be mindful of any issues with your liver, since iron in very large doses can be toxic to the liver and cause liver damage,” she added.
Osteoporosis
“One harm could be that there is a false sense of security of a person thinking that they are obtaining all of their nutrients from prenatal vitamins,” says Dr. Allen. For example, “prenatal vitamins do not have enough vitamin D or calcium to meet our daily requirements.” Say you rely on them to meet your daily needs but aren’t getting enough? In turn, you’re “raising your risk of osteoporosis and other health problems.”
“On the other hand, prenatal vitamins may contain more vitamin A than the average woman needs on a daily basis as supplementation. Excess amounts of nutrients like vitamin A taken from synthetic vitamins could be toxic to a person’s liver,” in addition to increasing the risk of cancer, Dr. Allen explained.
The Big Takeaway
“If you’re considering taking prenatal vitamins and aren’t pregnant, evaluate your diet first,” suggests Dr. Allen.
“Most people who eat a balanced diet, can get all the nutrients they require from food and do not need to take a multivitamin. A balanced diet includes lean proteins, low-fat dairy sources, whole grains, and plenty of fruits and veggies,” she explained. “For these reasons, most non-pregnant women should skip prenatal vitamins unless their doctors tell them otherwise.”