Many National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys have reported that adults and children in the US fail to achieve the daily nutritional requirements, particularly for vitamins A, C, D, and E. They call it hidden hunger, where people take adequate amounts of calories, but consume inadequate amounts of micronutrients.
How can you meet this nutrition gap? Through the use of multivitamin supplements!
Many studies have reported that multivitamin dietary supplements have been useful to improve health in the short term and for reducing the risk of many diseases in the long term for healthy individuals.
What Are The Common Nutrients Deficient In Modern Lifestyle?
Some of the nutrients that our modern diet lacks are vitamin D, folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin B12, and magnesium. Even though you may consume adequate calories, your diet may not include the micronutrients needed daily by your body. This can lead to vitamin deficiencies.
For example, low vitamin D can lead to poor immunity and an increased risk of bone health issues. Iron deficiency may lead to lower energy levels, and vitamin B12 deficiency may also lead to fatigue.
With vitamins and minerals, minor deficiencies can lead to impaired immunity and poor cellular health, which can lead to many diseases. That is why daily supplementation with multivitamins can be useful to ensure that your body gets adequate nutrition.
What do Multivitamin Supplements Contain?
Multivitamin supplements typically contain a combination of vitamins and minerals. They may also include other ingredients such as amino acids, herbs, and fatty acids. The composition varies widely among products, with some providing 100% or more of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for various nutrients.
Broad-spectrum multivitamins are usually taken once a day. Specific formulations for children, men, women, pregnant women, and older adults are available and they contain different amounts of the same vitamins and minerals to meet the unique nutritional needs of each segment.
Certain high-potency multivitamins contain some vitamins and minerals in significantly higher levels than the RDA. These can also be taken daily to correct the deficiencies. However, it's important to consult with a healthcare expert to ensure that you take safe levels of these multivitamins.
Some manufacturers offer specific formulations for energy, athletic performance, immune function, eye health, etc, with specialty ingredients like probiotics, CoQ10, etc. These condition-specific multivitamins offer targeted health benefits.
Benefits of Taking Multivitamin Supplements
Did you know that 50% of American adults take multivitamin supplements and 70% of those are over the age of 65? A large-scale research in China explored multivitamin & mineral supplements to combat dietary deficiencies. Some of the benefits that the best multivitamin supplement can offer are:
Address Nutrient Deficiencies
Multivitamins can help prevent deficiencies in essential nutrients, especially in populations at risk. For instance, individuals with limited dietary variety, older adults, and those with certain medical conditions may benefit from supplementation to meet their nutritional needs. Our modern diet may not always include the micronutrients that our body needs and the deficiency of these vitamins and minerals may impact our health. In such cases, a multivitamin supplement can be useful to fill the nutritional gap.
Convenience for Individuals with Restrictive Diets
For individuals with dietary restrictions, such as vegetarians, vegans, or those with food allergies, multivitamins can help fill nutritional gaps. For example, vitamin B12, primarily found in animal products, may be lacking in vegan diets, and supplementation can prevent deficiency. Studies have shown that multivitamin supplementation boosts circulating levels of crucial vitamins like B6, B12, E, and D. So, these supplements can support general health and wellness.
Multivitamins should not replace a healthy diet. Whole foods provide a complex matrix of nutrients, fibre, and phytochemicals that work synergistically to promote health. Supplements can add to these benefits.
Support Cognitive Function in Older Adults
Recent research has explored the impact of multivitamins on cognitive function. A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that daily multivitamin supplementation may slow memory loss and cognitive aging in individuals over 60. The study indicated significant benefits in episodic memory and global cognition compared to a placebo group.
Support for Eye Health
Oxidative stress can have a major impact on lens tissue. Antioxidants and certain vitamins like vitamin C, lutein, and zeaxanthin have been associated with a reduction in the risk of cataract formation in many observational studies. Individuals like smokers who are exposed to higher oxidative stress may benefit from multivitamin supplements to support their overall health and eye health. Also, comprehensive multivitamin supplements can help people with poor nutrition.
Support for Specific Life Stages
Certain life stages, such as pregnancy and aging, increase the body's nutritional requirements. Multivitamins formulated for these stages can provide targeted support. For example, prenatal multivitamins typically contain higher levels of folic acid and iron to support fetal development. Your doctor may recommend multivitamin supplements to take during pregnancy. Women's daily multivitamin dietary supplement provides a more comprehensive support for general and reproductive health of women. Only an expert can understand the specific nutritional requirements for you, especially during pregnancy.
Who Can Benefit from Multivitamin Supplements?
Multivitamins and supplements are useful for healthy individuals to ensure that they consume adequate amounts of micronutrients. Particularly, it can be beneficial for the following types of people:
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Women of childbearing age may take supplements with folic acid at least one month before conception and continue them under the advice of a health care provider for at least 2-3 months of pregnancy.
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Experts generally recommend that pregnant women take prenatal vitamin supplements that provide targeted support for both the mother and baby.
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Adults over 50 need vitamins like B12 for healthy aging, and in that case, recommended amounts of all vitamins can be provided consistently by supplements.
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People with poor nutrient consumption, like those on low-calorie diets or restrictive diets may also benefit from multivitamin supplements.
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Those with certain medical conditions, like impaired digestion, malabsorption, or those exposed to high oxidative stress, can also take multivitamins regularly.
How to Choose the Best Multivitamin Supplements?
While choosing multivitamin supplements, you must consider the following factors:
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Nutrient Content – Some types of multivitamins contain all essential vitamins and minerals in a single serving. Certain supplements may contain additional botanicals and herbs that provide targeted support.
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Formulation – Ensure that all the ingredients used in the supplement are clinically verified with the research-based dosage. Also, supplement formulas may be designed to provide targeted support for age, gender, life stag,e etc. For example, multivitamins for older adults often contain more calcium, vitamin D, B12 and little iron. Prenatal supplements generally don't contain vitamin A in the form of retinol. For children, age-appropriate amounts of nutrients must be present. Similarly, liquid multivitamins such as Epresat Adult Multivitamins can be readily absorbed by the body.
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Quality and Purity – The brand you choose must provide quality and purity assurance. You can rest assured knowing that you are taking high-quality supplements if they are made in GMP facilities. Intensive internal testing and third-party testing further add to the confidence that the products are highly pure and safe.
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Avoid Unnecessary Additives – It's important to ensure that the supplement doesn't contain additives, binders, or fillers. Multivitamin gummies are highly popular as you can easily take them every morning. Especially, multivitamin gummies for children, such as Kids Multivitamin from New Chapter, are available in many delicious flavors. When you choose such supplements, it's better to opt for those without added sugar.
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Consult with a Doctor – Multivitamins contain different types of vitamins and minerals in different dosages. You must always consult with a healthcare expert before starting your supplementation journey. This is crucial because taking too much of any particular vitamin can result in vitamin toxicity. So, always talk to a healthcare provider before adding a supplement to your daily routine.
Top-Rated Multivitamins Supplements
Are you looking to buy multivitamin supplements of high quality with research-based ingredients? We have curated supplements from leading brands that offer multiple health benefits. The ONE Multivitamin from Pure Encapsulations is a simple formula that provides your body with essential nutrients with just one capsule. If you are looking for a comprehensive supplement targeted for cognitive support, Brain & Body Max from Brain MD is a good choice.
Pure Encapsulations also has targeted Men's Pure Pack and Women's Nutrients multivitamins. Klean Multivitamin from Klean Athlete is formulated to meet the nutritional needs of athletes to support their muscle recovery. Thorne Multivitamin Elite has AM and PM formulations that ensure that your body gets essential nutrients throughout the day and night. For oral health, you can choose Teeth & Gums from CodeAge. Allergy Research Group has Multi-Vi-Min without copper and iron and Deva offers vegan supplements.
Before buying supplements, you can also consult with our health expert to ensure that you make the right choice.
FAQs
1. How are multivitamin soft chews better than classic tablets in nutrient absorption?
Soft chew supplements sometimes provide quicker absorption than tablets. They begin breaking down in the mouth, shortening the path through the body, rather than going all the way through to the stomach for complete digestion. Soft chews might allow nutrients to reach the bloodstream more successfully in individuals who have digestive troubles or insufficient stomach acid. Nonetheless, the body's actual need for the nutrients and the actual formulation of the vitamins also determine the absorption rate.
2. What distinguishes a women's zinc adult complete multivitamin soft chew supplement from multivitamin supplements for men?
Women's formulas frequently include higher amounts of iron, zinc, folate, and calcium for menstrual health, bone health, and pregnancy. Men's versions might include greater amounts of zinc and selenium for testosterone levels and prostate health. Women's supplements also modify amounts of vitamin A and E to accommodate hormonal equilibrium and skin wellness.
3. Are vitamin and mineral supplements commonly taken together with prescription medications?
Certain vitamins and minerals can be said to interact with medicines. For example, calcium can inhibit thyroid drug absorption. Vitamin K is also likely to delay the action of blood-thinning medicines. Always consult your doctor if you consider taking a multivitamin, especially with ongoing medication or chronic disease.
4. Do low-dose multivitamins work as well as the normal versions?
Low-dose varieties are suitable for people who consume nutrition-balanced diets but have only small gaps. They reduce the risk of vitamin excess and are easier on the stomach. However, they are unlikely to be effective for people with deficiencies or might have high nutritional needs, like pregnant women or athletes. Your doctor can guide you in choosing the right dosage for your unique health needs.
5. Why are some multivitamins formulated with eye health nutrients?
The eye multivitamin supplements contain lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin A, and zinc. They may protect the eyes from macular degeneration due to old age, and from damage by blue light. Multivitamin eye supplements are mainly effective in the case of individuals above 50 years and others who have need extra support for eye health.
6. How long should you take multivitamin supplements for the effects to be observed?
Most individuals begin noticing little improvements, such as increased energy or improved sleep, within 2 to 4 weeks, but it may take 8 to 12 weeks before the immune system, hair, skin, and nails show improvement. Improvements in iron or vitamin D levels may take 3 to 6 months, depending on the severity of the deficiency. Also, it depends on your current health status, quality of nutrition, age, etc as the time taken to realise the health benefits can vary from one individual to another.
7. What is the difference between a complete multivitamin and multivitamin with minerals included?
Complete multivitamins often contain 100% daily value of most vitamins and minerals needed by the body. While multivitamin & mineral supplements may focus on more targeted deficiencies or health goals, that is by including some nutrients or some ingredients that contain botanicals. You can get all this information from the product label.