Vitamins are the most important nutrients required for the human body. Even though vitamins are available in our daily food, some people may experience vitamin deficiency. That’s when the multivitamin supplements come into the picture.
You must have come across various ads promoting multivitamins brands. At first glance, it gives you an impression that you will become super energetic after consuming these multivitamins but are these claims true? Are there any real benefits of consuming multivitamins? Are there any side effects involved?
In this article, let’s dig a little deep and understand the pros and cons of multivitamins.
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What are Multivitamins?
Multivitamins are tablets that can be consumed to supplement the vitamin content of your diet. Multivitamins are mainly consumed by people looking to have a healthy lifestyle, pregnant, breastfeeding, or with any health conditions.
People with vitamin deficiency are recommended to take multivitamins to increase the vitamin content in their bodies. Vitamin supplements are available in different forms like tablets, powders, capsules, liquids, and injections.
Pros of Consuming Multivitamins
Here are some of the benefits of consuming multivitamins:
Provides Necessary Vitamin Supply
Our human body requires a certain amount of vitamins daily to be active and healthy. For some people, a normal diet does not provide all the 13 necessary vitamins (Vitamin A, B, C, D, E K, B-12, etc.). Lack of any one of the vitamins in your body leads to many health issues such as loss of eyesight, bone weakness, tiredness, and even more. To overcome the vitamin deficiency in your body, one can start taking vitamin supplements along with a healthy diet.
Helps in Reducing Stress
Vitamin deficiency can lead to mental stress. According to the National library of medicine consuming vitamin supplements can help you in reducing your stress level.
Benefits for Pregnant and Nursing Women
In pregnancy, your body requires more vitamins. It is also a key factor contributing to the growth of your baby. Similarly, during the time of breastfeeding, the baby gets the essential vitamins from breast milk.
It is required to give your body extra vitamins to support the mother and baby’s health during these times. Most of the time, vitamin supplements are recommended by the gynecologist to increase the vitamin intake. A healthy diet and vitamin supplements provide an adequate amount of vitamins needed to fulfill mother-child vitamin requirements.
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Boost Energy
Fatigue and dizziness might be a symptom of vitamin deficiency. Vitamins are not only essential for your organs to work properly, but it is also very crucial for providing energy to your body. Taking vitamin supplements increases your energy level and also increases your brain energy and concentration.
Easy and Affordable
Vitamin supplements are the easiest way to increase the vitamin intake in your diet. It is affordable and comes with a lot of health benefits.
Boost Your Immune System
Vitamins are essential to maintain immunity in your body. Vitamin deficiency can lead to many health problems, making your body vulnerable to various diseases and flu. Taking vitamin supplements helps in improving the immunity in your body and reduces the risk of any health issues.
Cons of Consuming Multivitamins
Might Affect Your Sleep Cycle
Taking vitamin supplements before going to sleep might disturb your sleep cycle. Studies have shown that people who take multivitamins tend to have difficulty getting quality sleep.
The best time to take vitamin supplements is during the daytime or 2 to 3 hours before bed to avoid any such discomfort.
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Vitamin Overdose Causes Health Trouble
When you consume an excess amount of vitamins daily, it causes side effects to your health such as headache, hair loss, nausea, dizziness, and even severe issues like liver damage and heart problems in the long run.
Sometimes our body could not process or digest extra vitamins, and it gets deposited in your body in the form of fat.
Gastrointestinal Disruptions
Consuming vitamin supplements on an empty stomach may cause gastrointestinal disruption. It can also cause constipation if you take it on an empty stomach. It is recommended to consume multivitamins after eating any meal.
Causes Allergic Reactions
Vitamin supplements cause an allergic reaction for some people. It can cause itchiness, redness, swelling, etc. It is always advised to consult your doctor before consuming any multivitamin.
Is it Bad to Take Multivitamins Every Day?
Consuming vitamin supplements every day helps your body to fulfill vitamin requirements. It is safe, and it does not harm your health in any way. But make sure to combine it with a healthy diet, as it does not provide your body with all essential nutrients.
Can Multivitamins Cause Constipation?
There are certain side effects of taking multivitamins, and constipation is one of the side effects. When you start taking vitamin supplements, your body needs some time to adjust to the nutritional change. So you may experience constipation, diarrhea, and stomach upset for a while.
Once your body gets adjusted to the vitamin, then these symptoms disappear. If you experience these symptoms for a long time since taking multivitamins, consider consulting your doctor.
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Conclusion
Vitamins are essential for your body to function properly. For most of us, our diet is enough to fulfill our vitamins requirements, but sometimes it is not sufficient. Taking multivitamins is the easiest way to increase vitamin intake, but keep in mind that it cannot replace a well-balanced diet. It is always recommended to consult your doctor before choosing the right supplements for you.
