Multivitamin / Mineral Supplements
Multivitamins/minerals are supplements that contain a combination of vitamins and minerals and sometimes other ingredients. They know by different names, such as multiple vitamins, multivitamins, or simply vitamins. The vitamins and minerals included in multivitamin/mineral supplements serve unique functions in the body. To learn more about them, read our fact sheets on dietary supplements.
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What Types of Multivitamin Supplements are there?
There are many types of multivitamin/mineral supplements on the market. Manufacturers choose the types and amounts of vitamins, minerals, and other ingredients they include in their products.
The most common multivitamin-mineral supplements are daily staples containing most of the vitamins and minerals, most in amounts close to recommended. Generally, the highest strength multivitamin/mineral supplements come in one or two pill packs per day.
Manufacturers promote multivitamin/mineral supplements for particular purposes, such as increased performance or energy, weight control, and increased immunity. In addition to vitamins and minerals, these crops often contain herbs and other ingredients (such as echinacea and glucosamine).
The optional amounts of nutrients that people should consume differ according to age and gender and are known as Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) and Adequate Intakes (AI). A value selected for each nutrient for supplement and diet food labels, known as the Daily Value. DV is usually to the CDR or AI person for that nutrient, not in cases. The title indicates the% DV, which allows you to verify how much (in what percentage) a product serving contributes to reaching the DV. sun tv serial actress name list
Who takes Multivitamin / Mineral Supplements?
Studies exposed that more than a third of the United States population takes multivitamin/mineral supplements. About one in four young children take a multivitamin/mineral supplement, although teens are less likely to take it. As use increases with age during adulthood, more than 40% of 71-year-old adults take a multivitamin/mineral supplement.
Women, the elderly, people with higher levels of education, higher incomes, healthier diets and lifestyles, and lower body weight, and the population of the western United States use multivitamin/mineral supplements with higher frequency. On the other hand, smokers and members of specific national and racial groups (African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans) are likely to take an everyday multivitamin/mineral.
What are Some of the Health Effects of Multivitamin / Mineral Supplements?
People take multivitamin/mineral supplements for many reasons. Here are some examples of what investigation studies have revealed about increasing nutrient intake, promoting health, and reducing disease risk.
Increased Nutrient intake
Consuming a multivitamin/mineral supplement increases nutrient intake. It allows people to obtain recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals when they cannot, or do not meet, these needs with food alone.
However, taking a multivitamin/mineral supplement can also increase the chance of receiving an excessive amount of certain nutrients, such as iron, vitamin A, zinc, niacin, and folic acid, mainly when someone uses more than one essential product daily.
Some people take a multivitamin/mineral supplement as a dietary or nutritional “safe.” Ironically, those who take multivitamin/mineral supplements tend to ingest more vitamins and minerals from food than those who do not.
However, the people who do not get enough nutrients from their diet alone and who could benefit from the use of these supplements are the very ones who usually do not take them.
Health Promotion and Prevention of Chronic Diseases
For people with certain health problems, some specific multivitamin/mineral supplements may be beneficial. For example, one study showed that a particular high-dose formulation of various vitamins and minerals slowed vision loss in people with age-related macular collapse.
In addition, however, some studies indicate that taking multivitamin/mineral supplements may reduce the overall risk of cancer in certain men.
Most studies indicate that healthy people who take multivitamin/mineral supplements are not less likely to develop diseases. Such as cancer, heart disease, or diabetes. Based on current research.
One reason for the poor knowledge about whether multivitamin/mineral supplements have health benefits is that studies often use different products.
Making it difficult to compare their results to find parameters. In addition, there are many multivitamin/mineral supplements, and manufacturers can modify the composition at will.
For this reason, it is hard for scientists to study whether a specific combination of vitamins and minerals affects health. Additionally, those with healthier diets and lifestyles are more like to take dietary supplements. Making it challenging to identify the benefits of multivitamin/mineral supplements.
Should I take a Multivitamin / Mineral Supplement?
Multivitamin / mineral supplements cannot replace the variety of foods that are important to a healthy diet. Food not only provides vitamins and minerals. In addition, they contain fibers and other ingredients that could have positive effects on health.
However, those who do not get enough vitamins and minerals from food alone. Eat low-calorie diets, have poor appetites, or do not eat certain foods (such as vegetarians and strict vegetarians) might consider a multivitamin/mineral supplement.
Healthcare professionals may also recommend multivitamin/mineral supplements for patients with some medical issues.
Some people may also benefit from consuming certain nutrients found in multivitamin/mineral supplements. For instance:
Women of reproductive age should take fortified foods. And dietary supplements with 400 mcg/day of folic acid to reduce the risk of congenital disabilities of the brain and spine in the newborn.
Pregnant women should take an iron increase as suggested by their doctor. In addition, a prenatal multivitamin/mineral supplement is likely to provide iron already.
Babies who are entirely or partially breastfed have to take a supplement of 400 IU of vitamin D per day. As do babies who are not breastfeeding and drink less than about 1 quart of milk or formula (formula ) fortified with vitamin D per day.
In postmenopausal women, calcium and vitamin D extras may strengthen bones and reduce the risk of fractures.
People over 50 should receive the recommended amounts of vitamin B12 from fortified foods. And dietary supplements because they may not absorb enough vitamin B12 naturally present in food.
Can Multivitamin / Mineral Supplements be Harmful?
Taking an essential multivitamin/mineral supplement is unlikely to present any health risks; however, if you drink fortified foods and beverages (such as cereals or drinks with added vitamins and minerals), take another dietary supplement.
Check that the multivitamin/mineral supplement you take does not cause your intake of any vitamin or mineral to exceed the recommended maximum limits.
Pay meticulous attention to the amounts of vitamin A, beta-carotene (which the body may convert to vitamin A), and iron listed in the multivitamin/mineral supplement.
Women who consume too much vitamin A during pregnancy can increase their babies’ risk of congenital disabilities. However, this does not apply to beta carotene. Smokers, and perhaps former smokers, should avoid multivitamin/mineral supplements that contain large amounts of beta-carotene and vitamin A. Because these ingredients may increase the risk of lung cancer.
Adult men and women should avoid multivitamin/mineral supplements with 18 mg or more of iron unless their doctor tells them they are iron deficient or insufficient.
When the body receives much more iron than it can eliminate.Iron can accumulate in its tissues and organs, like the liver and heart, and cause damage.
Iron supplements are one of the leading causes of poisoning in children under six years of age. For this reason, keep all iron-containing products (such as multivitamin/mineral chewable supplements for children or iron supplements for adults) out of the reach of children.
What Type of Multivitamin/Mineral Supplement should I Choose?
Talk to healthcare specialized in finding out if you should take a multivitamin/mineral supplement. And, if so, which one is accurate for you. Consider multivitamin/core mineral supplements whose doses of most or all vitamins and minerals do not exceed daily values.
Since these multivitamin/mineral supplements often contain low amounts of calcium and magnesium.Some people may need to take one or both minerals individually. Also, check that the product does not have too high a dose of vitamin A or iron.
Also, consider choosing a multivitamin/mineral supplement designed for your age, gender, and other factors (such as pregnancy). Men’s multivitamin/mineral supplements often contain little or no iron, for example.
In general, mineral supplements for the elderly provide more calcium and vitamins D and B12 and less iron than multivitamin/mineral supplements for younger adults. Prenatal multivitamin/mineral supplements for pregnant women usually provide vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene.
