The Risks of Taking Prenatal Vitamins if You're Not Pregnant

It’s become fashionable for women who aren’t pregnant to take prenatal vitamins. Many women are convinced it gives them thicker hair and healthier looking skin, so they take a prenatal vitamins in lieu of a regular multi-vitamin – without being pregnant. Is it okay to take prenatal vitamins if you’re not pregnant? 

Taking a prenatal vitamin if you’re not pregnant sounds safe enough. After all, it’s only vitamins, right? Well, yes and no. Prenatal vitamins are “only vitamins”, but they’re in quantities formulated to meet the needs of women who are pregnant. 

Taking Prenatal Vitamins: They Contain More Folate Than Multivitamins

Pregnant women need additional folate to reduce the risk of birth defects. Most non-prescription prenatal vitamins contain 500 to 800 micrograms of folate and prescription ones may have up to 1,000 micrograms. A non-pregnant woman only needs 400 micrograms of folate - and taking too much may be risky.  

The problem with taking higher doses of folate is it can mask the symptoms of B12 deficiency by covering up the anemia that occurs when there’s too little B12 in the body. This can cause a B12 deficiency to go undiagnosed and untreated, which can cause permanent damage to the nervous system.

Some studies also suggest that supplemental folate fuels the growth of some types of cancer, although a folate deficiency also increases cancer risk according to research. Such is the complexity of folate. It’s best not to get above the recommended daily requirement of folate through supplements unless you’re pregnant. 

The Iron Issue

The other problem with taking prenatal vitamins if you’re not pregnant is they contain too much iron. Most prenatal vitamins have between 30 and 60 milligrams of iron and most women only need 18 milligrams of iron per day. 

Excess iron is stored in the liver and can cause inflammation and cell damage, which increases the risk of health problems like liver disease and, possibly, heart disease and cancer.

Iron also causes constipation and nausea even in amounts found in prenatal vitamins. Iron isn’t a mineral you should take in supplemental form unless you’re deficient. 

Should You Take Prenatal Vitamins if You’re Not Pregnant?

It’s not a good idea to take prenatal vitamins if you’re not pregnant, and there’s no evidence that prenatal vitamins improve skin texture or hair thickness. Ask your doctor about a multivitamin that’s appropriate for your age if you’re not getting enough nutrients through your diet. 

Giving a Baby Solid Foods Too Soon Can Contribute to Obesity

If you bottle-feed your baby, don’t be too quick to introduce solid foods no matter how hungry they look for “real food”. According to a new study, feeding babies solid food too early increases their risk for obesity later on.

Feeding Babies Solid Food Early: A Risk for Obesity?

Childhood obesity is a growing problem in this country, and the roots of childhood obesity go way back - as far back as the womb. In rats, mama rats that are obese before getting pregnant are more likely to give birth to offspring that have weight problems, while those who lost weight before conceiving deliver baby rats with less body fat.

Feeding babies solid food prematurely is another example of how early behaviors influences a child’s risk of obesity later. According to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics, feeding baby solid foods before 4 months of age boosts their risk of weight problems even before they’re old enough for kindergarten.

How much does it raise the risk? Based on this study of 847 children, introducing solid foods before 4 months increases a child’s risk of obesity by 6 times by the time they turn the age of 3. This was only true for bottle-fed babies. The timing for feeding babies solid food didn’t affect the risk of obesity for breast-fed babies.

When Should You Feed a Baby Solid Foods?

If this study holds true, not introducing solid foods early is a simple step parents could take to lower a baby’s risk of being overweight or obese during childhood. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against feeding a baby solid food before 4 months of age. They recommend that babies get their first solids between 4 and 6 months of age.

Irrespective of the risk of childhood obesity, there are other reasons not to introduce solid foods too early. Babies younger than 4 months still have immature intestines, and they’re more susceptible to choking when you put solid foods in their mouth, at least until their swallowing mechanism has matured. Babies under 4 months also don’t have teeth to chew solid food. In addition, a baby needs to be able to sit up and support itself without help before eating solid foods.

Feeding Babies Solid Food: The Bottom Line?

What’s the rush? Don’t be too eager to give your child solid foods. Wait until your child has passed the 4 month mark and is able to sit up and support himself easily. Always introduce solid foods slowly while gauging a baby’s ability to swallow without choking. If the food comes back out of his mouth and your baby grimaces, he may not be ready.

References:

Medical News Today. “Solid Foods before 4 Months Can Raise Obesity Risk for Bottle-Fed Babies”

Consumer Affairs website. “Does Childhood Obesity Start Before Mom Gets Pregnant?”

Is It Safe to Wear a Tampon Overnight?

Many women prefer the convenience of wearing a tampon during “that time of the month”, instead of wearing pads. Some choose to wear them all the time, even at night, while others wear them only during the day - to reduce the risk of toxic shock syndrome. Is it safe to wear a tampon overnight?

Is It Safe to Wear a Tampon Overnight?

The danger of wearing a tampon overnight stems from the small risk of getting a condition called toxic shock syndrome. Toxic shock syndrome is a serious bacterial infection associated with wearing tampons, particularly high-absorbency tampons. Not every woman who gets toxic shock syndrome is a tampon user, but over half are.

Most experts don’t recommend wearing a tampon for more than eight hours max. If you wear them at night and sleep longer than eight hours, you may be putting yourself at risk for toxic shock syndrome, a condition that can be fatal. It’s also a good idea to take a break from tampons if you’re wearing them during the day by switching over to a pad at night, to further lower the risk of toxic shock syndrome.

The Dangers of Toxic Shock Syndrome: What Are the Symptoms?

Signs and symptoms of toxic shock syndrome include a high fever, vomiting, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, a drop in blood pressure, and a red skin rash. Toxic shock is caused by bacteria that produce toxins that cause circulatory collapse and shock. Any woman experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention immediately since symptoms can progress rapidly to shock, and death. With prompt treatment, most women recover.

Wearing a Tampon Safely

To reduce the risk of toxic shock, choose low-absorbency tampons and alternate them with pads. Always wear tampons made of 100% cotton and change them at least every six to eight hours, preferably more. Wash your hands before inserting a tampon to remove any bacteria; and never force a tampon when inserting it since this can cause breaks in the skin that can harbor bacteria. Use a lubricant to make insertion easier, if necessary.

Is It Safe to Wear a Tampon Overnight?

Theoretically, you should be able to leave a low-absorbency tampon in place for eight hours without problems, but it’s better to wear a pad to give yourself a break from wearing tampons. One solution? Wear pads at night and use tampons when you’re out and about during the day.

References:

Merck Manual, Eighteenth Edition. 2006.

Emedicine website. “Toxic Shock Syndrome”

The Bosu Ball: Is It Good for Core Training?

Are you giving your core muscles a good workout? In recent years, fitness experts have emphasized the importance of training the core muscles – the muscles that wrap around the body and stabilize the spine and pelvis. Strengthening these muscles not only flattens and tones the abdominals, but provides stability for the entire body while reducing the risk of sports related injuries. Many people use core strengthening exercises to get six pack abs, but the benefits of core training extends far beyond this.

One of the newest ways to exercise this group of muscles is to use a Bosu ball for core muscle training. This is a ball that resembles an exercise ball cut in half – the flat surface is placed downwards which provides a padded dome for performing exercises. It was developed years ago to help train the U.S. ski team. The theory behind using a Bosu ball for core training is the belief that doing exercises on a domed surface adds additional instability that forces the muscles to contract harder to compensate. Whether you’re doing squats or exercises using hand weights the belief is that standing on an unstable dome makes the muscles work harder.

Using a Bosu Ball for Core Muscle Training: Is It Effective?

If you’re considering purchasing a Bosu ball, you may want to save your money. A new study performed at Eastern Illinois University showed that using a Bosu ball for core muscle training was no more effective than doing the exercises on the floor. In fact, they may even reduce the amount of muscle contraction with each repetition – making the exercises less effective. Plus, using a bozu ball for core muscle training can increase the risk of injury since it’s an unstable surface. One benefit of using a Bosu ball is that it may improve balance, but there are other ways to do that which don’t require this expensive piece of equipment.

Using a Bosu Ball for Core Muscle Training: The Bottom Line?

There’s little doubt that it’s important to train the core muscles. Having a strong core helps to reduce the risk of back injuries and makes it easier to carry out every day functional movements; but there’s really no need to invest in a Bosu ball which can cost up to $125.00. A less expensive way is to invest in a good core training DVD that you can do on an exercise mat – or better yet check one out of the library. Bosu balls may be the latest fitness trend, but they don’t necessarily give you a better core workout.

How Effective Are Abdominal Training Aids for Firming the Abs?

You see the smiling face of the girl with the beautifully toned abs smiling back at your from the glossy page of the ad touting the latest abdominal exercise gadget. The ad promises you a similar set of abs in just four weeks. Sound too good to be true? Just how do those fancy and sometimes costly abdominal training devices stack up against traditional abdominal exercises? What are the best abdominal exercises for building a set of six pack abs?

It would certainly be gratifying if an abdominal gadget could be purchased that would make abdominal training both fun and effective, but the reality is it takes hard work and focus to build toned abs and the best abdominal exercises in the world won’t work if they aren’t done regularly.

Interestingly enough, a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared a variety of abdominal training aids with the old standby, the tedious, but effective abdominal crunch to determine the best abdominal exercises for building stronger abs. The abdominal training devices they looked at included the Perfect Abs Roller, the Ab Swing, Six Second Abs, Ab Scissor, and the Torso Tuck. To get an idea how each training aid compared to the traditional abdominal crunch, they measured the muscle activity in the rectus abdominus and external oblique muscles during activity.

What were the results of this interesting study? They found the muscle activity in the abdominal muscles was higher when performing a traditional abdominal crunch than it was with any of the fancy abdominal training devices. These results are supported by previous studies that show that the traditional abdominal crunch is more effective than abdominal training aids.

So, are you wasting your money purchasing an abdominal training device? While it appears you can get comparable and even superior results doing traditional abdominal crunches, you have to be willing to do this exercise on a consistent basis to see results. If crunches are difficult for you to perform, you’re probably not going to devote the time and effort needed to mold an impressive set of abs. If an abdominal training aid makes it easier for you to stick with your ab sculpting routine, it may be worth purchasing one despite the results of this study.  

When considering the best abdominal exercises to sculpt abs, remember you also need to engage in a regular calorie burning activity to reduce body fat so you can see those freshly sculpted abdominal muscles. Even if you sculpt them, they won’t show if they’re covered by a layer of fat.

The good news is if you’re looking for sculpted abs, you don’t need fancy gadgets or abdominal training devices. The solution may be as simple as pulling out an exercise mat and doing some power crunches.