Should I Take Multivitamins? The Benefits of Health Supplements

Taking high-quality multivitamins is a great way of maintaining your health, no matter your age, gender or circumstances.

Multivitamins have been popular for decades. These handy little supplements help people to stay in control of their health without the hassle of taking numerous individual tablets, capsules and chewables to support their continued wellbeing.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, people have become more focused on their health, researching different ways to boost their immune system. One of the effective ways to give yourself peace of mind and ensure that you’re getting enough vitamins is by taking a multivitamin supplement.

Whether you’re looking for a simple and effective way to support your family’s health or prevent illness and injuries, multivitamins have an important role to play. So can multivitamins promote a healthy life, and what are the best multivitamin brands? 

Why Should You Take Multivitamins?

You might be asking yourself, “what’s the point of taking multivitamin supplements?”. Well, nutritional deficiencies can lead to serious health problems that can easily be avoided by ensuring that you get enough vitamins as part of your diet.

Centuries ago, malnutrition was rife. Diseases like scurvy were commonplace due to the lack of vitamin intake. This was especially true amongst sailors on long voyages who had little to no access to fresh fruit and vegetables — containing essential vitamins and minerals — for months on end.

Nowadays, such diseases and deficiencies are much less prevalent amongst the general population. The overall standard of wellbeing has increased exponentially, but although people have greater access to food, the nutrition that their diets provide is rarely of sufficient quality. This means that people are still at risk of developing health problems as a result of vitamin deficiencies caused by poor-quality diets.

Hereditary conditions, age-related health problems and natural changes within the body can all lead to a lack of vitamins. Multivitamin supplements help to fill in nutritional gaps in people’s diets and even provide additional health benefits too. So should you be taking a multivitamin?

Who Should Take Multivitamin Supplements?

Some groups of people are more susceptible to vitamin deficiencies than others, and it’s these people who’ll typically benefit more from taking multivitamin supplements. There are several factors to consider when deciding to take a multivitamin:

• Geographical Location: Vitamin D deficiency can occur due to a lack of exposure to sunlight, one of the most natural sources of vitamin D. This becomes most prevalent during the winter months — especially in the northern hemisphere — where the days are short and the weather is bitterly cold, meaning that you generally spend less time outdoors.
  
  Location can also be a factor in nutrition due to the availability of certain kinds of vitamin-rich foods, as well as the availability of good quality supplements. By shopping with Vitamart.ca, you can get your premium vitamin supplements delivered right to your door. All of the high-quality multivitamins we stock — like AOR Multi Basics 3 — contain vitamin D that supports your immune system, boosts weight loss and can help curb depression. 
• Pregnancy: Whether you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, iron deficiency can negatively affect your health. During pregnancy, iron reserves are depleted within the body, which can be detrimental to physical well-being. Iron levels can be reduced further if the mother has morning sickness, something commonly experienced by expectant mothers.
  
  BestVitamin’s Prenatal Multivitamin provides an excellent source of iron and other essential vitamins — including folic acid — to support the continued health of both mother and child. Taking a multivitamin before you become pregnant, during pregnancy and even after the pregnancy is a great insurance policy that ensures that you’re getting all of the vital support you need at such a crucial time in your life.
  
  
• Toddlers and Young Children: As a parent, your child’s health is your top priority, but toddlers, children, and even teenagers may need help getting vitamins. Multivitamins specifically formulated for kids — such as chewable SISU U-Cubes — can help support their growth, filling in any nutritional gaps in their diets. This helps to decrease the likelihood of your child developing long-term health issues that can arise later in life due to a lack of vitamins in youth.
  
  
• People Over 50-Years-Old: As we start to get older, our bodies absorb fewer vitamins, especially vitamins D and B12. It’s for this reason that taking multivitamin supplements later in life is so important to help regulate the number of vitamins you get as part of your diet. Studies have proven that antioxidant supplements can reduce the risk of macular degeneration and other related eye diseases. AOR Ortho-Core multivitamin capsules, taken once daily, can help you retain your vision in later life since they contain antioxidant compounds that promote eye health.
  
  
• People Who Eat Restricted Diets: If you eat a limited or restricted diet for any reason, it can be harder to get some nutrients from what you eat. Vitamin B12 is found in animal products like meat, fish, poultry, eggs and milk products, so this vitamin can be hard to access if you are vegan, vegetarian or have a dairy allergy. With a range of vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free multivitamins, you can get the nutrition you need without compromising your diet.
  
  
• People with Certain Health Conditions: Some medical conditions can make absorbing nutrients difficult. Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, liver disease, cancer and autoimmune disorders can all affect how the body processes nutrients. It’s more likely that people with these conditions will experience some kind of vitamin deficiency. Malabsorption syndrome, in its many forms, can be improved with the use of vitamin supplements, particularly multivitamins that ensure the body is getting all of the various vitamins it needs. As always, consult your doctor about taking supplements if you have a long-term illness.

Multivitamins for Men vs. Multivitamins for Women

Do men and women need different supplements? For the most part, people of all genders need the same kind of nutrition and benefit from the same types of individual supplements, like vitamin C and vitamin D. But, due to unique biological differences, men and women should focus on supporting their health in a few gender-specific areas.

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) differs between men and women for these biological reasons, but these differences extend further than the amount of vitamins and minerals people should take. 

Multivitamin supplements for women typically contain more iron. This is because women lose iron as part of their menstrual cycle and it needs to be replenished. Men’s multivitamin supplements have a larger focus on sustaining healthy muscle development and recovery from intense exercise. They may contain slightly less iron but contain elements like lycopene that are beneficial for combating gender-specific illnesses and diseases like prostate cancer.

How Long Does It Take for Multivitamins to Work?

Multivitamins are an investment in your long-term health. It can take around three months for multivitamin supplements to become effective, but it’s not uncommon to start feeling the positive effects of vitamin supplementation in just a matter of weeks. This is especially true if you’ve been lacking or deficient in a particular vitamin, mineral or nutrient that the multivitamin contains.

This is why it’s important not to give up on taking multivitamin supplements after a couple of months if you don’t feel like they’re making a difference in your life. Some positive effects might go unnoticed for a couple of months, while some of the benefits of taking a multivitamin may not be recognisable, yet still benefit your health. 

Is It Better to Take a Multivitamin or Individual Vitamins?

Unless you’re trying to tackle a specific vitamin deficiency, multivitamin supplements provide you with an efficient way of looking after your general health in one convenient tablet, capsule or chewable sweet. 

Natural, high-quality multivitamins — like those we stock at Vitamart.ca — contain all of the necessary vitamins and nutrients at carefully balanced concentrations that can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

Can You Take Too Many Multivitamins?

Too much of a good thing is bad for anyone. This is why it’s important to always check the label of any given supplement and, if in doubt, consult your doctor before you start taking any supplements, especially if you have any long-term health conditions.

It’s unlikely that you’ll experience any negative side effects from taking multivitamin supplements, but make sure you don’t exceed the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of a particular vitamin, as this is when adverse effects can occur, including nausea, an upset stomach and fatigue. If you experience any of these symptoms, consult a doctor and stop taking any supplements that aren’t essential to maintaining your health.

Supporting Your Health with Multivitamins

Daily multivitamins make it easy for you to look after your health and the health of your family. They aren’t designed to replace a balanced diet or exercise, but they’re ideal for filling in the gaps, ensuring that you’re getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals to help you and your loved ones live happy and healthy lives. Whether you’re looking for a multivitamin to help you recover from illnesses more quickly or you want to double-down on your healthy lifestyle, we’ve got you covered.

Looking to buy the best multivitamins from Canada’s best multivitamin brands? Discover our extensive range of multivitamins and let us help you on your journey to better health.