5 Benefits of Multivitamins and Do You Need to Take Them?

The concept of multivitamins isn’t new to us; however, the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought them into the spotlight. They may help in improving the immune system and maintaining overall health.

When our body doesn’t get enough fruits and veggies from a healthy diet, we will miss all the essential nutrients that our body needs to perform different functions. It could also increase the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, and other medical conditions.

Nutritionists at HealthCanal recommend adults should eat around 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables daily. What if you don’t get access to fruits and veggies or other food sources? How do you get these nutrients? This is where multivitamins come into play.

Know more about multivitamins and the benefits of taking multivitamins below.

What Are Multivitamins?

Multivitamins are nutritional supplements that contain a combination of essential vitamins and minerals alongside other certain nutrients. Since there’s no standard of what multivitamins should be consists of, their ingredients and nutrient composition vary by brand.

Moreover, they are available in different dosage forms, such as a multivitamin tablet, capsule, liquid, gummy, and powder. Most multivitamin supplementation recommends being taken once or twice per day.

Consumption of daily multivitamins can help you fill nutritional gaps to achieve good health and promote a healthy lifestyle. These dietary supplements are the instant way to make up for your nutritional deficiencies and get daily servings of all the vitamins and minerals.

5 Benefits of Multivitamins

To all multivitamin users out there, you might wonder what multivitamins do. Hence, here are some of the health benefits of taking daily multivitamins.

Multivitamins help prevent heart disease

Studies show that taking multivitamins daily can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, as heart disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. B vitamins and magnesium all play a role in maintaining cardiovascular health, like keeping healthy blood pressure.

Multivitamins improve brain function and mental health

One study showed that the eight B vitamins have a significant impact on improving short-term memory function. People who took vitamin supplements did better in a memory test than those who did not take supplements.

Moreover, taking multivitamins can affect cognitive function and mood. Research shows that nutritional sufficiency reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Multivitamins reduce cancer risk

Studies show that using multivitamins reduces cancer risk. However, there are some reviews that taking multivitamins and their effect in lowering cancer risk is more effective in men than women.

Some observational studies showed tied results between men and women in long-term multivitamin use in reducing the risk of colon cancer.

Multivitamins promote healthy hair and maintain skin health

Research says that Vitamin B3, biotin, and Vitamin C promote healthy hair, while Vitamin E and other different vitamins make up healthy skin. The antioxidants present in some multivitamins also play an essential role, especially in damaging free radicals.

Multivamitins keep healthy bones

As we age, our body’s nutritional needs change. However, the body also deteriorates, making it harder for the body to absorb nutrients. For instance, since the bone can’t get enough calcium, it will become weak and brittle.

Hence, taking multivitamins can fill in all the nutrient gaps and prevent these deficiencies. It also improves bone density. For older men who are still active, the best multivitamin for men over 50 includes all the B vitamins to support daily energy needs Vitamins C and E, and zinc to support muscle function and immune support.

Other benefits of taking vitamins include reducing levels of stress, decreasing the risk of age-related macular degeneration, weight management, lowering blood pressure and blood cholesterol, and improving gut health.

Do Multivitamins Work for Everyone?

Multivitamins do not work for everyone and could even harm a specific group of individuals. While multivitamins don’t interact with any medications, even if you’re taking anticoagulants (drugs that slow blood clotting), you should talk to your doctor before starting any multivitamins that contain Vitamin K. Vitamin K can counteract the effectiveness of the said drugs.

However, not all vitamins pose health risks, especially if you use them after consulting with your doctor. There are also benefits of taking enough vitamins, like folic acid, which helps prevent congenital disabilities in pregnant women, and Vitamin D which helps absorb calcium and phosphorus for strong bones.

Are Multivitamins Good for You?

Throughout the years, multivitamins have been improved and specialized in targeting certain ages, gender, and activity levels of consumers. These are the people that could benefit from taking multivitamins.

• Athletes: Physically active people require high energy levels and thus need more nutrients than non-active people. Creatinine and amino acids supplements help in muscle recovery during intense training and aid growth and recovery.
• Pregnancy and childbearing age: Pregnant women should take 400 mcg of folic acid supplements daily to reduce the risk of neural tube defects.
• Children (6 months to 5 years): Children aged six months to 5 years are recommended to take supplements containing Vitamins A, C, and D. These vitamins are critically important during the early years, especially if the children are picky eaters, which leads to a poor diet.
• Older adults who are near the menopausal years: During and after menopause, women need more nutrients, like calcium and Vitamin D. This is to prevent bone loss because of the estrogen lost during the period. Hence, when looking for a multivitamin for women over 50, ensure that it contains the said nutrients, plus Vitamins B12, D, E, magnesium, fiber, and folic acid.
• Smokers: Smokers must take high doses of Vitamin C and B12 to maintain immune function. On the other hand, avoid a multivitamin with a large amount of beta-carotene and Vitamin A, as it can increase the risk of lung cancer.
• Vegan: If your diet is restricted, you could be missing some nutrients. For example, vegetarians and vegans are often low in Vitamin B12 since this vitamin is commonly found in meat.

Can Multivitamins Be Harmful?

As warned by The Measurement Instrument Database for Social Sciences (MIDSS), though multivitamins can provide certain health benefits, excessive intakes can cause problems. For example, too much calcium can increase the risk of kidney stones or heart disease.

Also, take note of the difference between water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins, and how they are stored and secreted from the body. Water-soluble vitamins like Vitamin C are used quickly and can be immediately excreted from the body. This means that they could be less likely to cause harm.

On the contrary, fat-soluble vitamins, like Vitamins A and D, are stored in body tissues. When consumed in large doses, they could accumulate and pose health risks.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it good to take a multivitamin every day?

Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients your body needs in recommended amounts to work properly. Many people rely on supplements when they can't get enough food. However, taking them daily for a longer period could be harmful. Try to get these nutrients by eating a balanced diet.

2. What happens to your body when you start taking vitamins?

When your body starts taking vitamins, you may feel more alert. Vitamins play a significant role in energy production and help ease mental fatigue. These symptoms aren't very common, but those who suffer from these can have noticeable effects once they start taking multi-vitamins.

(Disclaimer: Above mentioned article is a Consumer connect initiative. This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of IDPL, and IDPL claims no responsibility whatsoever.)