One in two people take a vitamin supplement but when faced with the choice it is not always easy to understand whether you should just take multivitamins or an individual supplement for each deficiency.
While you should be getting the required vitamins from your diet sometimes because of dietary restrictions for allergies or food intolerances it becomes difficult to get the required amount from your diet
Also, as one gets older it gets harder to get the required vitamins from the diet because the body can no longer absorb it as it used to.
If you just want to make sure that you are getting enough nutrients, then you can just take a multivitamin that supplies a daily recommended intake and it can act as a safety net. Sometimes even when you have a healthy diet and lifestyle, you may not be getting the required vitamins from your diet. This is also true when you are trying to lose weight and your cutting back on calories. So taking a multivitamin can change and improve your life.
But, if you know that you are deficient in a particular vitamin, then it makes more sense to just take that individual supplement. Do a blood work to find out all the vitamins that you are deficient in and consult with your doctor regarding supplements.
What kind of multivitamin should you take?
A multivitamin that contains a blend of potassium magnesium and Vitamin B complex can help you maintain normal blood pressure reduce tiredness and fatigue. So if you are suffering from fatigue and stress, you might want to look for such a multivitamin.
If you’re looking to improve your immunity and slow down aging then you should look at multivitamins that combine Vitamin A, C and E and the mineral selenium as it is an antioxidant blend.
For supporting your eye heath, you should look at B vitamins carotenoids, and zinc.
For older women who might develop osteoporosis, a multivitamin that contains calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, Boron and Vitamin k is this best bet.
Which individual supplement should you take?
This purely depends on on your body and what you are deficient in.
Iron supplements
Due to an iron deficiency, you may develop anaemia and you have to supplement your diet with iron supplements. If you have been experiencing thinning hair, restless legs and candida infection this can also indicate that you have a low iron reserve. However, make sure that you do not take more than you require as high levels of iron can be quite toxic.
Vitamin C
You should think about taking Vitamin C tablets to prevent viral infections and boost immunity. Since it is a water soluble vitamin, any excess you take will be excreted from your body. Vitamin C can also prevent Scurvy which is a very rare disease that often happens to men at sea.
Folate
Folate deficiency is very widespread efficiency in developed countries and it is usually recommended to expecting mothers as folate is important for the baby’s health.
