Living a healthy lifestyle requires constant determination multivitamin to strive for a balance. Often, you have to keep a check on the food you eat, the type of exercise you do, and your sleep cycle. Healthy people always navigate through days and weeks by following a routine with as little stress as possible.

However, sometimes, they do require a booster to enhance their wellbeing and combat any dietary deficiencies. Multivitamin is one great way to fill up that nutrient gap. Multivitamin provides a daily guarantee to ensure your body gets the vitamins and minerals it needs.

Typically, multivitamin consists of a wide range of supplements such as vitamin B, C, D, calcium, magnesium, and antioxidants. Many people believe that multivitamins can improve health, compensate for poor eating habits, and even reduce the risk of some chronic diseases.

What is a multivitamin?

As the name suggests, multivitamins are a combination of different vitamins and minerals – precisely 13 vitamins and 16 minerals that are essential for your health and wellbeing. Additionally, multivitamins also contain several amino and fatty acids, herbs, and antioxidants. (1)

These nutrition boosters are usually available in the form of capsules, tablets, chewable gummies, and powder and liquid. The primary purpose of multivitamins is to regulate bodily processes such as growth, immunity, reproduction, and health maintenance.

Who should take multivitamins?

Multivitamins may not be suitable for everyone. However, some of the individuals who can benefit from adding multivitamin in their daily diet include –

• Vegetarians or vegans – usually vegetarians and vegans are found to have a deficiency in vitamin B12, which is abundantly found in animal products. Moreover, people in this group may also be deficient in calcium, zinc, iron, vitamin D, and omega 3 fatty acids. A multivitamin helps to balance these nutrients and promote good health. (2)
• Older adults – usually, vitamin B12 absorption decreases with age. Therefore, older adults may require an extra dose of vitamins daily. Additionally, multivitamin also fills the calcium and vitamin D gap among the more aging population.
• Pregnant and nursing women – although multivitamins may be beneficial for pregnant women, it is advised to consult the doctor before taking multivitamins. Sometimes there is a risk of exceeding the daily requirement of vitamin A that can lead to congenital disabilities.
• Some other groups of people who might benefit from multivitamins include those on a low-calorie diet, weight loss surgery, and poor appetite.

How does the multivitamin affect your body?

While multivitamins have several beneficial values, there are also some drawbacks that you might want to consider before incorporating it into your routine.

Beneficial effects of multivitamin

• It reduces the risk of heart disease, which is a prime cause of death among both men and women in the United States. This is because multivitamins contain proportionate amounts of vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, CoQ10, and magnesium that promote the heart’s proper functioning. (3)
• It lowers the risk of cancer. A clinical study has revealed that multivitamins significantly reduced the risk of cancer development among men above 50.
• Your vision may improve because of the ample supply of vitamins A, C, E, B3, and selenium that protect the eyes from harmful light waves and reduce macular degeneration, promoting good eye health. 
• It strengthens immunity and also reduces allergic symptoms. This is because of the antioxidant property of vitamin C. Additionally, vitamin D and E also act as energy boosters. Moreover, multivitamin helps to reduce stress and anxiety.
• It helps in healthy aging by replenishing the nutrients that might be deficient, especially in the older population. (4)
• Your skin and hair appear healthier due to the beneficial effects of biotin, vitamin C, and B3 that provide fuller hair. Additionally, vitamin A, C, E, and coQ10 help clearing the skin pores and adding a glow.
• Your short term memory gets improved remarkably among older adults. Additionally, it improves to elevate the mood and reduce depression by bridging the nutritional gap that may be present in such people.

Harmful effects of multivitamin

• An excessive dosage of multivitamins can have toxic effects on the body due to an elevation of vitamins D and A. for example, in pregnant women, the excess dose can lead to congenital disabilities.
• It increases the risk of vitamin A and D toxicity in the body that can impair the lungs’ proper functioning. (5)
• You may feel nauseated, and sometimes you might experience an upset stomach, especially when you take a multivitamin on an empty stomach. So, make sure you eat a meal before taking the multivitamin. 
• Too much iron in the body can also lead to poor health and wellbeing of a person. Moreover, it may alter the taste sensation in your mouth.

What should you consider before taking multivitamins?

While multivitamins have several benefits, it might not be suitable for every person. Therefore, you must evaluate the need for a multivitamin in your diet before taking a step ahead. The best way to figure that out is to –

• Find the strong and weak points in your present diet. Make a checklist, for example, does your diet include 4-5 cups of fruits and vegetables every day, or are you getting enough calcium? If not, add more of these foods to your daily diet or look for a dietary supplement.
• Keep track of the type of food you eat every day. This will help you to assess your regular diet. Moreover, it will help you to analyze which nutrients are deficient in your body.
• Consult a dietitian. They are experts that can guide you to follow a special diet, especially if you have a health issue.

Take away message

Multivitamins are compact dietary supplements that usually contain a combination of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The primary purpose of multivitamins is to enhance immunity and promote good health and wellbeing of the individual.

However, there are several other benefits of multivitamins, which include healthy skin, hair, reduced risk of heart disease, and cancer—additionally, improvement of memory and vision. While a person may enjoy these benefits of multivitamins, it is essential to check on the side effects such as nausea, upset stomach, and overdosage.

The best way to determine the necessity of using a multivitamin is to track your daily diet. Moreover, consult an experienced dietician to help you figure out the best health routine.

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