As a child, your parents may have had you on a routine of taking your gummy multivitamin every morning. While children often lament this daily ritual, parents do it to ensure their little ones are getting the necessary amount of vitamins and minerals. The habit of taking vitamins every day falls away for many adults as busy lives and hectic schedules take hold.
If you’ve been wanting to get back into the habit, it can hard to know where to start. The global wellness industry is worth about $4.2 trillion, leaving a lot of options in terms of you can start improving your health through supplements. Let’s take a look at why people take vitamins and the ones that can give you the most benefits.
Why Should You Take Vitamins?
Vitamins and minerals work together in your body to keep you healthy in a variety of ways. It’s best to get most of your vitamins and minerals from the food you eat. By eating a balanced diet of vegetables, grains, fruits, protein, and dairy you can get many of the vitamins and minerals you need without taking supplements.
However, many people don’t eat a perfectly balanced diet and some have dietary restrictions. Others are managing chronic conditions, going through menopause, or are pregnant and therefore need to supplement their usual diets to stay healthy. Whatever the case, a daily multivitamin can provide a good foundation for your health. It can help you better absorb nutrients from the food you eat and protect your body if you’re sleeping poorly, experiencing stress, or not getting regular exercise.
Keep reading to learn about what you should look for in the ingredients of a multivitamin or consider taking these vitamins on their own if you believe you’re lacking them in your current diet.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential in helping the body absorb calcium. While you can get your daily dose of vitamin D from being in the sunlight for 15 minutes, many people don’t spend this much time in the sun because of their job or geographic location. Even if you spend a lot of time in the sun, you may still be lacking in vitamin D because applying sunscreen can block its synthesis.
This vitamin isn’t often in food, making it even harder to get vitamin D naturally. This difficulty makes it important to have vitamin D in your multivitamins. A vitamin D deficiency can lead to a weaker immune system and hair loss, which 33% of women already experience at some point in their lives. If you lack this vitamin you also have increased chances of bone and back pain and bone loss.
Zinc
The typical American diet doesn’t often include foods that contain zinc, such as tahini, sardines, brown rice, organ meats, and tempeh. The body can’t store zinc either, making it difficult for many people to get enough of it naturally. This can be a problem, as zinc supports your immune system and helps your body use protein, carbohydrates, and fat for energy. Try looking for a multivitamin that has five to 10 milligrams of zinc to supplement the few foods you might eat that have zinc.
Calcium
Although you can find calcium in many different foods, over 40% of the population in the United States doesn’t get enough calcium from their diet. A calcium deficiency can be a concerning health issue, as it is a necessary mineral for strong bones and teeth. As many as 15 million people in the U.S. have crown and bridge replacements for missing teeth. Many of these dental issues could stem from a lack of calcium that causes weakened teeth and when the symptoms get worse many people need to get a deep clean done and maybe even dental implants or a same-day dental crown. Dental implants are a great option to replace missing teeth because they are permanent and they can have crowns that look like natural teeth.
For most adults, the recommended amount of calcium per day is 1,000 milligrams. You should try to get as much of this through calcium-rich foods, including broccoli, milk, cheese, salty fish, kale, nuts, beans, and yogurt. If your diet is lacking in these foods, look for some calcium in your multivitamin to supplement the natural amount you do get through your diet. In particular, women start losing bone density earlier in life and getting enough calcium early on is the most efficient nutritional defense against this loss.
If you’re concerned that a deficiency in a certain vitamin or mineral is affecting your overall health, speak to your doctor. Even if you can’t get an appointment with your regular physician, you can go to a local urgent care. About 90% of urgent care centers have wait times of 30 minutes or less for patients to see a medical professional. They often provide physicals and can help advise you about what you can do to improve your health. Otherwise, start taking a multivitamin with ingredients that can give your health a boost in the areas it needs most.
