Should You Take Vitamins Daily?
The market is full of brands offering a variety of supplements containing multi vitamins like A, B, C, and essential minerals. They promote them as a necessary part of the diet for an energetic and healthy lifestyle. But should you take a multivitamin every day, or is there some limitation regarding its dosage or frequency?
The answer to this question varies from person to person. Those suffering from malnutrition or any medical condition should take multivitamins regularly. Sometimes, they are unable to take all the necessary nutrients from food, resulting in an insufficient diet. However, this is unnecessary for those who already have all the nutrients in the form of a well-balanced diet. Dig deep into this discussion by staying with us.
Is It Good to Take a Multivitamin?
In most cases, a healthy diet is enough to offer you all the nutrients required for mental and physical wellness. However, there are multiple science-backed benefits of using a multivitamin. Some of them are the following:
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High Immunity
Improving immunity is the primary purpose of natural supplements like multivitamins, iron supplements, and immune gummies. Vitamin C is particularly helpful in stimulating white blood cell production. It acts as an antioxidant and prevents the chances of diseases like cancer, heart issues, etc. Likewise, Vitamin D supplements help make the body stronger against harmful bacteria.
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Better Stamina
Different supplements are quite effective in filling the nutrition gap for healthy bones and muscles. That is why athletes are often prescribed to take dietary supplements to improve their stamina during workouts and training sessions. Likewise, people who are suffering from severe fatigue syndrome are often prescribed to take multivitamins for energy generation in body cells.
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Better Mental Health
Supplements are beneficial for better cognition and mental well-being. They also act as a natural stress management strategy that reduces anxiety and depression. Vitamins play a crucial role in smooth brain functioning and mood regulation, and their deficiency results in mental impairment in the long run.
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Smooth Aging
The older we get, the less absorbent our bodies become towards food’s nutrients. This results in lower mobility and increased vulnerability to various infections. Taking different supplements on a regular basis helps make the aging process smooth and free of medical issues. They are also beneficial in dealing with common skin issues you face in older age, like dryness, slow healing, etc.
When are Multivitamins Good for you?
There are certain conditions when you need to take multivitamins daily:
- During pregnancy, your body needs more nutrients than usual, which may or may not be fulfilled with diet.
- After a specific surgery, where your body’s natural tendency to absorb nutrients becomes low
- Suffering from certain medical conditions like ulcerative colitis, reducing nutrient absorption from food
- When your body is not getting enough sunlight to produce vitamin D naturally
- When you’re not getting enough calories with a poor appetite or following a restrictive diet plan
Side Effects of Taking Multivitamins Unnecessarily
If a person is over-consuming multivitamins or without any need, then there are possibilities of the following side effects:
- Overconsumption of vitamin C results in diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fatigue, kidney stones, etc.
- High doses of vitamin E may result in early mortality.
- Unnecessary use of vitamin A may cause damage to the nervous system, skin, bones, etc.
- Specific multivitamins may contradict the effect of certain medications.
Bottom Line
Are daily vitamins good for you? Of course, yes, if you consume them in the recommended dosage and according to the instructions of your medical health provider. They help compensate for the deficiency of essential nutrients for smooth body functioning and endurance. However, they cannot replace natural food in the long run.
