There has been quite a bit of varied information going around about multivitamins lately and whether or not they are actually beneficial to your health. With mixed information going around, we are all wondering if we should continue to take a multivitamin or skip them altogether.
Research shows that people generally take multivitamins to fill in nutrition gaps and to improve overall health and wellness. Multivitamins are typically created to provide 100 percent of your daily requirements for vitamins A, B, C, D, and E. Some supplements will also add minerals such as calcium and magnesium, and others will add antioxidants such as CoQ10 for heart health and lutein for eye health. However, it is hard for the body to break down and absorb a multivitamin, which is why it is important to focus on food instead of using a multivitamin to provide all necessary nutrients.
Recent studies show that multivitamins are no different than any placebo pill, and that they offer little to nothing in health benefits. Some studies even show that high doses of multivitamins might cause harm to certain individuals. For example, some studies show that the synthetic beta carotene found in vitamins may play a role in the development of lung cancer in people who smoke. This just means that you must read labels and see which vitamins and fillers are actually being included in your supplement.
If you continue to take a multivitamin, you will want to check the label for a few other ingredients as well. Look at the “other ingredients” list for pregelatinized corn starch, artificial colorings, hydrogenated oils, polyvinyl alcohol, and other harmful chemicals, which are things that you do not want to consume on a daily basis.
On the other hand, studies do show that multivitamins could slightly reduce the risk of cancer by 8 percent and cataracts by 9 percent. Multivitamins are also often prescribed for people with malabsorption issues, deficiencies, and to prevent neural tube defects in pregnancy. But should we rely entirely on the vitamin and supplement industry, which earns nearly $12 billion annually? Probably not.
Vitamins are contained in food with a well-balanced diet. However, multivitamins come into play when your body needs more vitamins than usual, especially for children or during the time of illness when your body cannot efficiently use all of the vitamins it needs.
To achieve optimum health and wellness, diet and exercise are the top factors, but a safe and natural multivitamin can fill in any missing gaps, in conjunction with a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Plus, alternative medicines such as chiropractic care, acupuncture, yoga, Pilates, and therapeutic exercises can also help you to feel your absolute best. Premier Health can help! Premier Health even offers a nutritional counseling program so you be sure that you are getting the necessary vitamins and minerals that you need to live a long, healthy life. Call us today!