Multivitamins: Here are dos and don’ts for using supplements in daily life

Hyderabad: Multivitamins are dietary supplements containing a combination of vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional elements to fill the gap in the diet. While necessary nutrients can be obtained through a balanced diet, few people or groups may need multivitamin supplements.

The multivitamin provides comprehensive support by delivering 100% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of essential vitamins and minerals.

Pregnant and postmenopausal women, elderly people, people suffering from gastrointestinal issues, those consuming medications for extended periods, and those following vegetarian diets require multivitamins to bridge the gap in the diet.

However, the requirement does not remain uniform across individuals and experts advise against consumption of multivitamins through over-the-counter purchase. Consumption of too many multivitamins can also reduce the efficacy of other medicines taken by the individual, signaling the importance of proper consultation.

Healthy adults do not require supplements

Those adults consuming a balanced diet do not require multivitamin supplements. The required nutrients can be obtained through whole foods which are rich in fiber and phytochemicals.

“Elderly people and people with systemic conditions require multivitamin supplements. But, they must ensure they consume food that meets the nutrition requirements before resorting to multivitamins”, Dr Srikrishna R Boddu, general physician at Kamineni Hospitals, Hyderabad.

With age, the nutritional absorption would decrease and hence vitamin B12 and vitamin D supplements would help the elderly people.

A considerable section of the population who practice vegetarian food culture requires multivitamin supplements since the intake of protein and other essential nutrients available in the meat are not consumed by them.

Essential for pregnant and postmenopausal women

Pregnant and postmenopausal women require supplements since the hormonal changes affect multiple factors of the fetus and the individual. However, supplements cannot act as a substitute for a healthy diet.

“They require both water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. But they must ensure to meet the basic nutritional requirements and then take the multivitamins. Too much consumption of multivitamins can lead to non-action of other medications. So proper consultation and consuming only the required dosage is strongly recommended”, Dr Srikrishna added.

People with systemic conditions

Individuals who suffer from systemic diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and fatigue syndromes require supplements to meet the dietary requirements.

“This section of the population may not be capable of consuming sufficient quantities of meals and hence the external supply of supplements becomes essential. They need at least two good meals a day with supplements to meet the requirements”, Dr Srikrishna added.

The older age population and those with systemic conditions can suffer from low calcium, iron, and vitamin B12. Such deficiencies can affect bone strength and hemoglobin.

“Even people with gastritis lack sufficient vitamins. A simple gastritis can lead to depletion of vitamin b12. In such situations consuming multivitamins becomes highly necessary”, Dr Srikrishna added.

Recently, Rasayanam Ayurveda has introduced multivitamins exclusively for men to boost energy, improve stamina, support hormonal balance, and promote overall well-being.

Ensure cost-effective medicines and avoid adulterated medicines

In recent years, the quality and composition of multivitamins have been monitored given the increased prevalence of adulterated products in the market, even as a variety of multivitamin products are available at different costs.

“The doctors must prescribe multivitamins based on the economic condition of the patients. Generic medicine of moderate cost would serve the purpose instead of a high-cost product. People should not fall for marketing gimmicks which claim the multivitamins to do wonders’, Dr Srikrishna added.