The Bottom Line. It is important to remember that a multivitamin cannot in any way replace a healthful well-balanced diet. The main purpose of a multivitamin is to fill in nutritional gaps, and provides only a hint of the vast array of healthful nutrients and chemicals naturally found in food.
"For most people, a multivitamin isn't necessary, but for some, like older adults, people who are experiencing low appetite or difficulty eating a balanced diet, from an illness or even pregnancy, a multivitamin can help fill in nutrition gaps," says Kelsey Lorencz, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist at ...
The vitamins and minerals in your daily multivitamin can also significantly reduce levels of stress and anxiety. The body uses B vitamins to convert food into energy, keep the nervous system functioning properly, and to produce stress hormones. Taking multivitamins daily can replenish your body's supply.
Keep in mind: Most studies suggest that multivitamins won't make you live longer, slow cognitive decline or lower your chances of disease, such as heart disease, cancer or diabetes. “In fact, it's illegal for companies to make claims that supplements will treat, diagnose, prevent or cure diseases,” says Dr. Millstein.
The researchers concluded that multivitamins don't reduce the risk for heart disease, cancer, cognitive decline (such as memory loss and slowed-down thinking) or an early death. They also noted that in prior studies, vitamin E and beta-carotene supplements appear to be harmful, especially at high doses.
If you're a smoker or a former smoker, you should avoid a multivitamin with a large amount of beta-carotene and vitamin A, as those ingredients may increase the risk of lung cancer. You also want to watch the amount of vitamin A if you're pregnant, as it can lead to an increased risk of birth defects.
When you start taking vitamins, you should expect to experience the following benefits - your energy levels will increase, more food will be converted into energy, your short-term memory will improve, your immune system will become stronger, your muscles will become stronger, and your skin will look healthier.
Can you really "feel" your multivitamin working? The short answer is that some people might feel a difference, and some people might not. That said, you can feel good about the fact that you're helping fill the nutrient gaps in your diet and investing in your health with the right multivitamin.
This can help make sure your body gets a sufficient supply of nutrients. We recommend the best time to take multivitamin tablets is at least eight weeks. This routine will give your body enough time to adjust to the new supplement and attain its full benefits.
Generally speaking, the more severely deficient you are in a vitamin or nutrient, the faster you'll see a difference when taking supplements. However, in most cases, it takes around three to six weeks to see noticeable changes.
Ask your doctor to perform blood tests to determine what vitamin and mineral deficiencies you may have, and to establish a baseline by which you can measure the benefits of your multivitamin. Be sure to schedule follow-up lab tests 30 days after you begin a new multivitamin regimen.
Excess vitamins may also affect the degradation of neurotransmitters and one-carbon metabolism. Therefore, excess vitamins may trigger obesity through multiple ways, including increasing fat synthesis, causing insulin resistance, disturbing neurotransmitter metabolism and inducing epigenetic changes.
Constipation, diarrhea, or upset stomach may occur. These effects are usually temporary and may disappear as your body adjusts to this medication. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
Taking higher than recommended doses of some vitamins may cause health problems. Such as: Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble, which means they are stored in the body and if taken in high doses can be toxic. High doses of some water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin B6, can also become toxic.
The role it plays in so many bodily functions and the staggering amount of people who are deficient in it makes Vitamin D the most important vitamin for your body overall, and there's a good chance that you are not getting enough.
No, bright yellow urine doesn't mean that you're not absorbing your vitamins. Any vitamin that's mixing with your pee is a water-soluble vitamin, and any amount of it that your body doesn't need simply gets excreted through the urine. That means your body is taking in what it needs.
Generally, taking a multivitamin is more of a holistic approach and helps fill any nutrient gaps in your diet. However, taking an individual vitamin or mineral supplement might be better for a targeted health concern.
Experts recommend that healthy people get their vitamins and minerals by eating nutrient-rich foods instead of taking supplements.
Neil Levin, a clinical nutritionist at NOW Foods, agrees that morning is best for multivitamins and any B vitamins. “Multivitamins tend to do best when taken earlier in the day, as the B vitamins in them might stimulate metabolism and brain function too much for a relaxing evening or before bed,” Levin says.