According to the National Institutes of Health, multivitamins, a combination of vitamins and minerals usually taken once a day, are taken by approximately one in three Americans. While people take them for a variety of reasons, the primary one is to increase their nutrient intake to get the recommended amount of vitamins and minerals they aren’t getting from food. Read on for the one major effect of taking a multivitamin daily. Read on to find out more, and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.
The NIH points to research supporting particular high-dose forms of vitamins and minerals as a way of keeping specific chronic diseases and healthy issues at bay. For example, one study showed that they can slow vision loss with some people suffering from age-related macular degeneration, while others show it might reduce cancer risk.
However, they do point out that studies aren’t conclusive, mostly due to the fact that multivitamins vary in composition and availability. There is also evidence that people with healthier diets and lifestyles are more likely to take dietary supplements, making it unclear if the benefits are from the multivitamins themselves or the healthier lifestyles.
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The best way to get recommended vitamins and minerals is via a healthy diet. However, those who don’t get enough–possibly due to a medical condition, low calorie diet, are on a restricted diet or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding—may benefit from a multivitamin.
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The NIH maintains that there are very few health risks of taking a multivitamin. However, if taken when not needed, it can result in causing your intake of any vitamin or mineral to go above the upper levels. For example, if a pregnant woman gets too much vitamin A, birth defect risk is increased and smokers who get too much beta-carotene and vitamin A are at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.
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Before taking a multivitamin, speak with your doctor. There are certain medications that can interact with specific vitamins and minerals, namely blood clotting medication such as warfarin (Coumadin® and other brand names). There are also multivitamins specific for your age, sex, and other factors, including pregnancy. And to get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don’t miss these 35 Places You’re Most Likely to Catch COVID.