Multivitamin supplements have been around for a long time, and the chances are good that you know people who use them regularly. Perhaps you use one or have tried one before, as multivitamins are a very common health product.
But are multivitamins good for you? How do you know if you need one and how can you make sure you’re choosing one that best meets your needs?
In this article, we’ll examine what multivitamins are, what you can expect to find in their ingredients, as well as common deficiencies that may make using one especially helpful.
If you’re ready to dive into the question of whether multivitamins are a good investment for you, and how to get the most multivitamin benefits, let’s continue.
Here’s everything we’ll cover:
- What is a multivitamin?
- Who is a multivitamin for?
- Symptoms of common vitamin deficiencies for women
- Benefits of taking a multivitamin
- How to incorporate a multivitamin into your routine
- Frequently asked questions about multivitamins
- Are multivitamins good for you?
What is a multivitamin?
Multivitamins are nutritional supplements designed to contain a wide array of micronutrients, or vitamins and minerals, in amounts that can help prevent deficiencies or bridge gaps in your diet.
Many people like taking a multivitamin because it makes them feel more confident in their overall nutrition status, in addition to what they get from a healthy diet.
Some multivitamins contain a standard list of vitamins and minerals intended to help meet your basic needs. Others may also contain other nutritional elements, like prebiotics and probiotics, botanicals and herbs, or antioxidants to offer additional benefits.
With all of the supplement options, you may be wondering what makes a multivitamin stand out from the crowd.
One of the main differences between a multivitamin and other nutritional supplements is that a multivitamin contains a combination of trace elements – that is, nutrients you need in small amounts – whereas many other supplements contain only one individual nutrient, or perhaps a combination of 2-3 (like a B vitamin complex, or an omega-3 supplement that also provides vitamin D).
Another distinction when looking at multivitamins is that they’re made for specific age groups or sexes. For instance, many multivitamins are made uniquely for women, men, infants and toddlers, young children, teens, adults, or seniors.
It’s important to pay attention to who the multivitamin has been created for so that you’re using the one that’s most appropriate for your individual needs. For instance, multivitamins made for women are more likely to contain iron, whereas multivitamins made for men tend to omit iron.
Summary 💡
Multivitamins support a healthy lifestyle by bridging any gaps in your diet and helping to prevent deficiencies.
Who is a multivitamin for?
Multivitamins are designed to offer benefits for just about anyone.
While we all strive to eat a healthful diet, ideally rich in a wide variety of nutritious foods, sometimes there may be gaps that are easily addressed with a multivitamin. Many people like the extra support that taking a multivitamin gives them to meet their needs and help prevent potential deficiencies.
With that being said, some who may benefit the most from a multivitamin include people who are pregnant or may become pregnant, babies and toddlers, people over age 50, and people who eat restricted diets or are uncertain they get enough nutrition from foods alone.
Many busy, high-achieving women like you may be looking for a multivitamin to help support your lifestyle. Multivitamins like the Powher Multivitamin have been carefully crafted to boost your body’s nutrient levels and ensure you’re at your peak. A multivitamin like this, packed with vital nutrients, is a convenient way to support your lifestyle and health goals.
It’s important to remember that we’re not all created exactly the same. This also means that there are numerous factors that play a role in the vitamins and minerals we require for optimal health.
Some of these include genetics and family history, current lifestyle habits, age, sex, dietary habits, and personal health history. Furthermore, everyone’s body needs the right amount of trace elements to perform at its best.
As much as we try to design a nutrient-dense diet to fuel our busy lifestyles and health goals, fitting everything we need into our diets isn’t always feasible. When you can’t fit everything into your meals and snacks, a multivitamin can be a great option to help support your overall health.
Summary 💡
Not all of us are built the same! For best results, choose a multivitamin tailored to your demographic needs.
Symptoms of 6 common nutrient deficiencies
Even with a healthy diet, it’s possible to experience a higher risk for certain nutrient deficiencies. Adding a high-quality multivitamin to your routine can help make sure you’re getting everything you need.
If you’re concerned about vitamin and mineral deficiencies, or you’re just curious about some of the more common ones, read on.
Iron
Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the world. In fact, it’s estimated to impact at least 25% of the global population, of all ages. Women and children are at a higher risk for iron deficiency due to menstruation and higher iron needs in childhood.
Signs of iron deficiency anemia may include fatigue or weakness, rapid heartbeat or shortness of breath, poor appetite, and cold or tingling hands and feet. Longer-term, iron deficiency can lead to a weakened immune system and impaired brain function.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency is thought to affect nearly 50% of the world’s population. While vitamin D is produced by the skin when exposed to direct sunlight, most of us don’t get enough consistent sun exposure to meet our needs this way.
Vitamin D is also found in certain foods, but the most reliable place to get it is from a supplement.
Vitamin D deficiency can present as weakness, bone pain, and even changes in mood, but symptoms can be hard to identify. Longer-term, it can lead to bone problems like osteopenia and osteoporosis, as well as impaired immune function.
Zinc
Especially more recently, people have been paying attention to their zinc intake. Zinc often gets the most attention when you feel a cold coming on, but the truth is that many people aren’t getting enough of it year-round.
Zinc deficiency can present as impaired immunity, wounds that heal more slowly than usual, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and even a loss of taste and smell. A multivitamin is a simple and effective way to make sure you’re getting enough zinc.
Iodine
Iodine deficiency affects approximately one-third of the world’s population. The best dietary sources of iodine are iodized salt and seaweed or sea vegetables, but many people don’t include enough of these foods regularly in their diet to meet needs from food alone.
Iodine requires a delicate balance, and deficiency can lead to hypothyroid, or an underactive thyroid gland. The most common symptom is called a goiter, which is an enlarged thyroid. Iodine needs can easily be met with a daily multivitamin that provides 100% of the RDA.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is often thought to be only of concern among people who don’t eat any animal-derived foods, but it can actually be a nutrient of concern for anyone.
Because vitamin B12 is so important for brain and nerve function, getting it through a multivitamin is an easy preventive health step you can take to ensure you get enough.
Signs of B12 deficiency can be hard to identify, but left untreated it can lead to megaloblastic anemia, a blood disorder that enlarges red blood cells.
Magnesium
Along with calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K, magnesium is important for bone health and structure. Unfortunately, over two-thirds of elderly adults in the United States are estimated to be deficient in magnesium, which is largely due to poor intake.
Not having enough magnesium can increase your risk for a number of chronic diseases. Signs of deficiency may include migraines, muscle cramps, fatigue, and abnormal heart rhythm. Over time, this can lead to insulin resistance and high blood pressure.
Summary 💡
Vitamin deficiencies can cause various issues, but multivitamins make it easier to keep yourself topped up.
The benefits of taking a multivitamin
If you’ve previously experienced a nutrient deficiency, or are just concerned about getting enough vitamins and minerals in your day to day, a multivitamin is a simple, convenient, and effective solution.
Multivitamins are designed to provide small but adequate amounts of trace nutrients to help prevent nutrient deficiencies and alleviate concerns around them. For instance, Powher Multivitamin contains 26 essential vitamins and minerals in the ideal doses for active women.
Furthermore, taking a multivitamin can help support someone who leads a more active lifestyle. Maintaining adequate nutrient levels helps make sure that your body is properly fueled for more frequent exercise, longer periods of physical activity, and facing the challenges of everyday life.
The Powher Multivitamin formulation also intentionally includes an array of antioxidants, working hard to support immunity, as well as fight oxidative stress that can damage your cells and have negative effects on your health.
How to incorporate a multivitamin into your routine
Multivitamins are among the most convenient and beneficial products you can add to your everyday health and wellness routine.
If sticking to a schedule with health products has been challenging for you in the past, don’t worry. You can take a multivitamin at any time of the day. The goal is simply to take it as regularly as possible, on a daily basis, or at least as often as you remember to.
Some people like to take their multivitamins alongside breakfast and a glass of water each morning. Taking it with food and liquid can help reduce any potential digestive side effects that some people experience when taking supplements on an empty stomach.
Summary 💡
Consistency is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle, and incorporating a multivitamin into your routine is a good step towards it
Multivitamin FAQs
Below are some of the most common questions when it comes to choosing and using multivitamins.
Is it okay to take multivitamins with other types of supplements?
Before you add a new multivitamin to your routine, take a careful and comprehensive look at any other nutritional supplements you’re already using. While some supplements can be taken together, it’s best to avoid using multiple products that contain any of the same vitamins or minerals.
This is because taking more than the recommended daily amounts for certain nutrients can become problematic when they’re coming from supplemental sources.
A multivitamin could be taken with separate omega-3 supplements, for example, but should not be taken with a separate vitamin D supplement, unless otherwise directed by your healthcare provider.
Always speak to your doctor or healthcare provider if you have any concerns about supplements.
Can you take too much of a vitamin?
Research shows that getting substantial amounts of nutrients from whole food sources does not pose much risk to health. However, it is possible to take too much of certain vitamins and minerals when they come from supplemental sources.
This is because some nutrients, like fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, for instance, can accumulate in the body over time when you take high doses, and even become dangerous at high amounts.
For this reason, always examine which supplements you’re already taking before adding a multivitamin or any other new supplements to your routine to make sure you’re not setting yourself up to overdose. And when you do add a new multivitamin, take a look at the nutrition label to make sure it doesn’t contain mega-doses for anything.
Is it possible to get enough vitamins in your diet?
While it’s possible to get the majority of your nutrition needs met with a well-planned and healthy diet, based predominantly on whole foods, it’s not uncommon for certain nutrients to still fall through the cracks.
Some nutrients can be more difficult to get enough of than others, particularly if you follow certain diet patterns. For example, individuals who don’t consume animal products may have a harder time getting enough vitamin B12.
Regardless of diet, getting enough vitamin D can be challenging as well. A multivitamin helps ensure that you’re covered and fills any potential gaps in your overall diet pattern.
What should I look for when choosing a multivitamin?
When choosing a multivitamin, the first consideration to make is about who you are, as this determines the best type of product for your needs. Specifically, women should be looking for a multivitamin designed specifically to support the unique female physiology. For instance, women’s multivitamins should generally contain iron unless they’re made for postmenopausal women.
Additionally, look for multivitamins made by reputable brands that invest in the quality of their product ingredients. For instance, brands that work with qualified experts and health professionals to design their products, such as registered dietitians or other medical providers.
Should I take multivitamins?
Most people today would benefit from adding a high-quality, age- and sex-appropriate multivitamin to their health routine. Even with the best intentions, designing a diet that adequately provides every vitamin and mineral can be challenging, especially if you follow a diet pattern that excludes certain foods or food groups.
Are multivitamins worth it? Adding a multivitamin can be effective, convenient, and inexpensive. It’s always best to speak with your healthcare provider to determine whether a multivitamin is safe and appropriate for you.
Are multivitamins good for you?
Multivitamins have been around for a long time, but that doesn’t always mean that everyone understands why, how, or when to add them to their health routine. If that sounds like you, that’s okay! The best thing you can do is identify where your diet pattern may be falling short and what your health goals are, and then choose a multivitamin that best supports your needs.
So if you’ve been asking, are multivitamins good for you, the answer is that they can be an excellent addition to your everyday health habits if you need one, and of course when you choose the best fit for you.
A multivitamin carefully designed for the active woman can help you feel confident in your nutrient intake and how it supports your daily movement and beyond, supporting healthy red blood cells, hair health, and even preparing your body for pregnancy if that’s a personal goal.
There are plenty that go above and beyond the standard vitamins and minerals in most multivitamins, like Powher, which offers additional nutrients like choline and coenzyme Q10 to support muscle stamina, endurance, and recovery from exercise.
Whatever your reason for adding a multivitamin to your health regimen, you can feel good about the additional reassurance it provides for your nutrition status and overall well-being. Speak with your healthcare provider to make sure adding a multivitamin makes sense for you.
Disclaimer: The information on the Powher blog does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as such. If you would like to learn more about your dietary requirements and related aspects of your health, speak with a registered medical professional.
