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Truth Behind Multi-Vitamins [A Complete Guide]

Truth Behind Multi-Vitamins [A Complete Guide]

OVERVIEW:


Nowadays most people take multi-vitamin pills to stay healthy. Individuals believe that the consumption of multi-vitamin tablet and supplements can meet nutritional deficiencies in the body. Sometimes doctors also recommend you to take multi-vitamin pills but many individuals start taking multi-vitamin pills on their own. While doing so is wrong.

Consumption of multivitamins is correct to a certain extent, but relying on multi-vitamins to stay healthy and to meet nutritional deficiencies is not correct. Consumption of multivitamin pills is beneficial to some extent, but it may not be a healthy diet option.

WHAT ARE MULTI-VITAMINS?


Multivitamin supplements

Multivitamins are a combination of several vitamins that are commonly found in your diet and other natural sources. Multi-vitamin tablet and supplements are used when you are unable to take the vitamins needed by the body from your diet.

Multivitamins are also given in the absence of vitamins in the body due to any disease, pregnancy, malnutrition, digestive disorders and other health conditions. There’s no definite standard for making multivitamin supplements, as well as the amount of nutrition and vitamins they provide can vary depending on the organizations making the drug.

These drugs are also known by many names in the market such as multivitamins, multi-minerals or simple vitamins. Multivitamins are available in the market in many forms such as tablets, capsules, chewing pills, powders and syrups.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MULTI-VITAMINS?


Many people believe that there is no harm in taking more vitamins. They believe that more vitamins pass through the urine. But this is not completely true. It’s because there are two types of multivitamins, fat soluble and water soluble. Vitamin B and C are water solution that goes out through urine. But vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble. They are stored in the body.

HOW IS A MULTIVITAMIN MADE?


A person needs about 13 vitamins and 16 minerals to stay fit and healthy. Multivitamins play an important role in enzyme reactions, hormones, structural elements and molecule signals that occur in your body. Your body needs all nutrients to control reproduction, development and physiological processes. The medicine is made by mixing the vitamins and minerals required by the body, but its form and quantity may vary.

Multivitamins

Along with this, amino acids, fatty acids and many herbs are also added to multivitamins. There’s no specific rule regarding dietary supplements, so the amount of the nutrient value mentioned in the label of multivitamin drugs may be more or less. In some cases the number of nutrients added to the multivitamins may also be decreased according to the list.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MULTI-VITAMINS?


If you’re not taking a balanced diet consisting of fruits and vegetables, then multivitamins may be beneficial to meet the nutritional deficiency. According to a study in the United States, the human body needs 13 vitamins. Vitamins may include A, C, D, E, K and 8 other types of vitamin B to perform different functions to keep your body fit and healthy. Main benefits of consuming multivitamins are:

1. Increased Energy:

If your body doesn’t get enough vitamins, then your body starts spending more energy to do light work as well, due to which you get tired and other health problems. Whereas by taking multivitamins and adopting healthy routines, you remain energetic and fit.

2. Improve Your Mood:

Some studies suggest that individuals who take multivitamins have positive effects on their mood and also they become stronger emotionally. In fact, taking enough vitamin and minerals improve your brain function and has a direct effect on your mood.

3. Reduce Stress:

Taking multivitamins daily reduces the levels of stress and anxiety. The body uses vitamin B to convert food into energy, which causes your nervous system to function properly and to produce stress hormones. By taking multivitamins daily, vitamin deficiency in your body is complete.

depressed-people

4. Increase Memory:

A recent study has shown that vitamin B may have the advantage for short term memory patients. In the research, adults who were given vitamin B12 supplements have a better memory test than those who don’t take supplements.

5. Increase Muscle Capacity:

Free radicals are mainly related to age related muscle problems.

Workout

The side effects of such free radicals can be reduced by taking regular multivitamins.

WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF MULTI VITAMINS?


We all know how beneficial vitamins are for our bodies. Vitamins play an important role for the proper functioning of our body. But, multivitamins should always be taken only after doctor’s advice. According to a report of the Harvard University of America, intake of multivitamins spontaneously can harm us rather than benefit.

If you notice any allergic reaction due to multivitamins such as hives, difficulty in breathing, swelling of face, lips, tongue and throat, then you should go to the doctor immediately for treatment. It can also cause problems such as hypervitaminosis, a disease caused by excess of vitamin in the body, problems related to the stomach, diarrhea. Apart from this, excess of vitamin C or zinc can cause problems like diarrhea, cramps, gastric, fatigue and nervousness.

In addition, many vitamins are stored in our bodies. Excess of vitamin ‘A’ causes damage to liver while excess of vitamin ‘D’ causes hormonal disturbances. Vitamin E is eaten to enhance the beauty of the skin, but its excessive quantity in the body can cause internal bleeding. Consuming vitamin K without doctor’s advice can harm the skin instead of benefiting it.

It may also happen that the skin starts appearing wrinkled instead of looking young. Apart from this, consuming more zinc increases the blood pressure.

Different Types of Multivitamins

All people have different side effects of multivitamins. Taking multivitamins after doctor’s advice reduces the chances of side effects. Multivitamins may have some of the following minor side effects:

  • Stomach upset
  • Headache
  • Upset mouth

WHEN TO TAKE MULTI-VITAMINS?


A limited amount of multivitamin tablet and supplements does no harm, but dependence on them is not good at all. But doctors usually recommend taking multivitamin supplements under some circumstances. To recover from a prolonged illness, surgery or to compensate for vitamin and other nutritional deficiencies in women of old age, you can take multivitamin tablets or supplements. If the body is deficient in vitamin B12, folic acid and iron, doctors recommend taking vitamin supplements.

WHAT ARE THE BEST ALTERNATIVES OF MULTI-VITAMINS?


Taking too much of multi-vitamin tablet and supplements can cause harm, so take a healthy diet. Cornflakes, lentils, oatmeal, etc. in the form of supplements are a good choice. To complete vitamin deficiency, eat four different colored fruits in a day. Take plenty of milk and dairy products. Consume nuts especially almonds regularly. Include green vegetable, fresh fruits and meat in your diet.

WHO SHOULD TAKE MULTI-VITAMINS?


Whether or not all individuals should take multi-vitamin tablet and supplements cannot be confirmed. In some cases multivitamins can also be harmful to people. However, people in certain age groups may get special benefits from multivitamins, such as:

Multivitamin Capsules and Pills

i) Elderly People:

The process of absorption of vitamin B12 decreases as the person ages. In addition, older people also need more calcium and vitamin D. At older age, less hydrochloric acid is secreted in the stomach, causing food to break down in the stomach and hamper the absorption of nutrients.

ii) Vegetarian People:

Those who are pure vegetarian are more likely to be deficient in vitamin B12, because this vitamin is obtained only from non-vegetarian food. Also, such individuals may also be deficient in calcium, zinc, iron, vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.

iii) Pregnant and Lactating Women:

Pregnant and lactating women should consult their doctor before taking multivitamins. In addition, women who are considering pregnancy should take about 400 micro-grams of folic acid daily. It reduces the risk of neural tube defects.

In Pregnancy

At this time, taking about 10 micrograms of vitamin D daily by the woman helps in fetal development. Multi-vitamins that contain high amounts of iron, folic acid, and vitamin D are considered suitable for pregnant women.

iv) Children From 6 Months To 5 Years:

Experts recommend children from 6 months to 5 years of age to take multi-vitamins containing vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin D. It’s necessary to take all these vitamins in the initial years. These vitamins are especially necessary for children, who are reluctant to eat food.

v) Athletes or Players:

Individuals who are athletes or players require more nutrients than others to recover their muscles and maintain fitness. Creatine and amino acids are helpful in healing your muscles quickly after exercising for a short time.

vi) Nutritionally Deficient People:

Many studies have shown that most people are not able to get enough nutrients through their diet. It can also happen due to poor quality of the land, because there is a lack of nutrition in the vegetables and fruits grown at such a place. Taking vitamins and minerals as well as taking multivitamins helps to combat nutritional deficiencies.

vii) Smokers:

People who smoke regularly need high amounts of vitamin C. This antioxidant vitamin is important for controlling free radicals formed due to the chemical of cigarettes. Vitamin B12 is also essential for smokers, as smokers have extremely low vitamin B12 serum levels.

Some facts suggest that people who smoke cigarettes or do not take high amounts of beta carotene are more likely to develop lung cancer.

viii) When Taking A Particular Diet:

When you continuously take a particular kind of diet, it can also be the reason for lack of nutrients in the body. For example, those who eat pure vegetarian food may lack vitamin B12 because this vitamin is found mainly in non-vegetarian food, dairy products and eggs. In this case, you may need to take multivitamins.

ix) When Not Sitting In Sunlight:

Vitamin D is considered the foundation of good health, but it’s difficult to meet its requirement only by diet. Taking about 10 micro-gram supplements of vitamin D daily doesn’t cause vitamin D deficiency in the body.

FINAL WORDS


We consider vitamins beneficial for ourselves. So, we often consume them without thinking. But, their intake without medical consultation is not good. Before consuming multi-vitamin tablet and supplements, you should consult your doctor.

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