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"  Lately, we&amp;#039;ve heard friends (and even some of you) talk about the perks of taking prenatal vitamins even when they&amp;#039;re not pregnant or trying to get pregnant. People swear these pills make your hair shinier and your nails stronger. But is it really safe if you&amp;#039;re not prego?  Nope, says Cosmo Radio women&amp;#039;s health expert Jennifer Wider, MD: &amp;quot;Most experts would not recommend prenatal vitamins for women who are not trying to conceive or who are not pregnant.&amp;quot;  Here&amp;#039;s the gist: A fetus takes a lot of vital nutrients from your body when you&amp;#039;re pregnant, which is why you need certain vitamins during those nine months to keep you and the baby healthy. Doctors recommend that women who are trying to get pregnant also take these vitamins to make sure they have all the nutrients they need to make sure the fetus is healthy from the get-go. These vitamins are specially designed to target the needs of mommies-to-be, so if you&amp;#039;re not pregnant or trying to get pregnant, you could be missing out on nutrients you need or taking too much of ones you don&amp;#039;t need that could make you sick. For example, prenatal vitamins have much more iron than normal women need. Taking too much of it can lead to constipation, vomiting, and nausea, says Dr. Wider. Some also don&amp;#039;t have enough calcium for the average woman, so relying just on prenatal vitamins could be detrimental to your health. Plus, prenatal vitamins are high in folic acid (it helps brain development in fetuses), but having too much folic acid can mask the symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency, which can lead to rapid heart rate, easy bruising, tingling feelings in your toes, and memory loss.  Side effects aside, do you really want to risk giving your guy a heart attack when he sees your vitamin bottle? And, according to Dr. Wider, the claims about better nails and skin haven&amp;#039;t been proven (although eating eggs and calcium-packed foods like cottage cheese can help). Bottom line: You should opt for a multivitamin that meets your needs. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/news/a10226/prenatal-vitamins/?src=global_footer>