Multivitamins: Everything You Need To Know About Them

multivitamins

One of the most commonly used supplements around the world that have been gaining popularity over the past few years are multivitamins. However, not many people clearly understand the effective role they play.

Supplements that contain a variety of different minerals and vitamins with other ingredients are known as multivitamins.

Multivitamins: What are They?

There is no set standard for the composition of multivitamins as they vary by the product and the brand. Multis, multimineral or just vitamins are some other names for multivitamins. They come in many different forms like powders, gummies, capsules or tablets, and even liquids. Taking the appropriate amount of multivitamins is very important.

Multivitamins are available almost everywhere from supermarkets to pharmacies.

What Do They Contain?

There are about sixteen minerals and 13 vitamins that are vital to your body. Quite a lot of them help enzyme reactions in your body or they may function as structural elements or as molecules for signaling.

Multivitamins claim to offer many of these vital minerals in different forms. They also tend to contain different amino acids, herbs, and fatty acids.

As the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate dietary supplements, sometimes the supplements may contain a different percentage of ingredients from what is mentioned on the label of the product. In certain cases, some of the nutrients mentioned on the label may not be included in the composition. Therefore, it is always advisable to buy supplements from a trusted manufacturer. Multivitamins are either derived from real food or made synthetically in laboratories.

Who Should Take It?

Honestly, multivitamins are not everyone. They help some and may harm others. Multivitamins should be taken with precautions. Nevertheless, here are a few people who may benefit from multivitamins.

1. Vegetarians and Vegans

There are some minerals that are only found in animals, such as vitamin B12, following a vegan or a vegetarian diet may put you at risk and to compensate for that, people following this diet can benefit from multivitamins.

2. Pregnant Women

There are some multivitamins that may prove to be useful for pregnant women or for women who are breast-feeding but before taking any kind of supplement, always consult your medical care provider as some multivitamins or supplements may be harmful.

3. Older Adults

Multivitamins are good for aged people as during old age the B 12 absorption capacity decreases in your body.

What are the Pros and Cons of Multivitamins?

Like every coin has two sides, the same way multivitamins have their own set of advantages and disadvantages.

The Advantages

Prevention of Deficiencies

This, of course, is a no brainer. Because the multivitamins provide nutrients that one may be lacking. This prevents deficiencies of nutrients or minerals.

Helps In Boosting Concentration and Energy

As we all know that vitamin Bs (B6, Folic acid, B 12, Niacin, and Thiamine) are responsible for boosting the energy of our brain and helping us concentrate better. Multivitamins provide these minerals and vitamins.

Aids People During Certain Circumstances

This means that multivitamins help in regaining lost strength after a good workout or for pregnant women who tend to exert a little more pressure on their bodies.

The Disadvantages

Way Too Many Vitamins

People tend to forget that, you can overdose on multivitamins as well. Sometimes, too much of something may not be good at all. These overdoses can be ranged from mild to severe. Listed below are some of the symptoms one may incur if they are consuming a lot of multivitamins.

  • Vomiting
  • Nausea
  • Fatigue
  • Insomnia
  • Diarrhea
  • Sweating
  • Kidney failure
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Breathing difficulty

Multivitamins May Not Work With Everyone

There are some multivitamins that work better than others. Like liquids and chewable are known to work better than the rest. In fact, it was found out that solid pills pass through the body without being absorbed, they exit the body in almost the same form as they entered in.

They May Not Be Safe

Since the FDA does not fully regulate the sale of supplements and it is entirely possible for someone to tamper with that percentage of ingredients, some may even contain dangerous additives and chemicals.

What to Consider Before Choosing Multivitamins?

There are certain things that you must keep in mind before you buy multivitamins and listed below are certain things to keep in mind before you buy multivitamins

Avoiding Multivitamins That Contain a Combination of Iron and Calcium

The reason for this is that calcium interferes with the absorption of iron and it is best if taken separately. Unless you are taking it for a specific health-related reason.

Activated Form Of Nutrients

Look out for multivitamins that have activated nutrients. This is where the nutrients have already been converted to their activated forms. By taking active nutrients, you skip a step in order for the nutrient to take effect.

Multivitamins with Vitamin E complex

Always check the label of the product to ensure that you are getting vitamin E as mixed tocopherols. It means, that you’re not just taking one type of vitamin E but taking a vitamin E complex and vitamin E typically includes gamma, alpha, and beta delta. Most of the over the counter multivitamins contain only one type of vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol. There are enough studies to show that various other forms of vitamin E are vital to our health.

Keep an Eye Out for Fillers and Addictives

Always ensure that your multivitamins do not have any kind of added synthetic fillers, colors, and other ingredients that you do not understand. Manufacturers add compounds like these to extend a product’s life, to make it seem more appealing (for example, visually) or to make it less expensive to manufacture. It is always advisable to buy natural products, clean, especially the multivitamins that are prepared from whole food sources.

Best Multivitamins In The Game

There are a lot of options one can go for but for you to truly benefit from it, you should consult a medical care provider and then make your decision. You can even check for reviews online on google, you can just type “top rated multivitamins for women” or “top-rated multivitamins for men” and you will get a clear idea of which brands can be trusted. Regardless, you are responsible for making the decision, so be wise in choosing your supplement.

Here is a list of some of the best multivitamins in the game:

  • Pure Encapsulations – Nutrient 950 – Hypoallergenic Multivitamin/Mineral Formula
  • Pure Encapsulations – O.N.E. Multivitamin
  • Nature Made Multivitamin Complete Softgels with Vitamin D3 and Iron
  • Nature Made Multivitamin + Omega-3 Gummies
  • Ritual Essential for Women
  • One A Day Men’s 50+ Healthy Advantage Multivitamin

Overview

Supplements may be good, but only for some people and during certain circumstances. Always try to get nutrients by eating natural food, but in case of deficiencies be sure to consult a health care provider before taking any multivitamins and remember sometimes multivitamins may have minerals that you do not require. The most important thing to remember is never to take supplements without following a proper diet. Following a good is always a must regardless of you taking supplements or not.

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