Are multivitamins really worth your time (and money)? Read on to find out…
A quick look at the medicine section of your local supermarket will tell you how popular multivitamin and mineral supplements have become in the past few years. In an attempt to compensate for the lack of healthy food, and sometimes, blinded by the celebrity diet fads, many people have now started taking multivitamin supplements on a daily basis.
The Pros
Multivitamin supplements were actually designed for individuals with special needs, such as kids suffering from malnutrition, pregnant women, lactating mothers, elderly individuals and individuals suffering from certain health conditions. However, you could still benefit by taking these supplements.
Multivitamin supplements could replenish your body’s reserves of the vitamins, minerals and micronutrients you are lacking. They therefore also cut down the risk of anemia, scurvy and other deficiency disorders.
Rich in vitamins A, C and E, these supplements slow down ageing and cut down your risk of suffering from conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease and boost your immunity.
Taking multivitamin supplements occasionally could also help you deal with some particular region or condition-oriented problems. Pregnant women can get that extra folic acid to ensure a healthy baby and you could get your dose of vitamin D if you don’t really go outdoors.
The Cons
While multivitamins themselves do a pretty good job of keeping the body healthy, fit and active; every day consumption of these supplements could actually be harmful for the body and may have negative impacts on your health too.
Probably the worst fact about multivitamin supplements is that they pack in mega doses of all vitamins and micronutrients. An overdose of anything, even vitamins, is seriously bad for health, and when taken daily, multivitamin supplements have a good way of doing more bad than good for your health.
If you have just started taking multivitamin supplements, there’s a good chance it could interfere with the drugs and medications you have already been taking. It is important to consult a professional at this stage.
Many multivitamin supplements found today are not backed by good research, and don’t contain ideal proportions of vitamins. A good percentage of multivitamin supplements found on supermarket shelves today are not FDA-approved, and are not entirely pure.
On an end-note, its best to take multivitamin supplements, but occasionally; taking advice from your doctor could help you better understand about how multivitamin supplements could help you.
