Dietary supplements may fill nutritional gaps, but they’re no silver bullet. Studies have demonstrated that multivitamins don’t protect against cancer or heart disease; that remains to be proven.
Folic acid is essential for women of childbearing age to help prevent birth defects of the brain and spine, often recommended by obstetricians as part of multivitamin formulas that include 400 micrograms of folic acid daily.
Vitamins and minerals
Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients your body requires in small amounts for proper functioning. You’ll find them naturally present in many food sources, as essential dietary components.
Many vitamins can be obtained through eating healthily; however, for some individuals additional supplements may be necessary.
Pregnant women, young children, teenage girls and those who consume limited dairy foods (which contain calcium) can all benefit from an intake of vitamin D and folic acid-rich food or medicines.
Some vitamins or minerals deficiencies may show up on routine blood tests, including vitamin D, B12 and iron deficiencies. Your physician can suggest tests to test for these issues.
Multivitamins
Multivitamins are designed to help meet your Recommended Daily Amount (RDA) of multiple vitamins and minerals. There are multivitamins tailored specifically towards different age groups or specific nutritional requirements (like prenatal vitamins), such as iron or folic acid.
Multivitamin supplementation appears safe in healthy adults; however, large doses of some nutrients such as iron may cause toxicities that need to be monitored closely by healthcare providers. Also important is informing them of any supplements taken so they can check for any possible interactions between supplements and any medication you might be taking.
Dr. Okunnu recommends only purchasing multivitamins that have been third-party verified to ensure they contain only what’s listed on their label.
Magnesium
Magnesium is an indispensable mineral essential for many bodily processes, from muscle activity and blood sugar regulation, to nerve transmission. Magnesium also plays an integral part of bone health and sleep quality – potentially decreasing heart disease risk as well as high blood pressure risks.
At low levels of magnesium intake can result in symptoms including irritable bowel syndrome, heartburn and fatigue; however, evidence has yet to support using supplements to either manage glycemic levels in people living with diabetes or decrease their blood pressure.
Food sources of magnesium include leafy greens, nuts and beans. When taking magnesium as a supplement, choose one with the form that suits you. For instance, magnesium citrate has laxative effects and may help alleviate constipation while magnesium glycinate is suitable for those with sensitive stomachs as it won’t lead to diarrhea.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, is essential to blood cell formation and DNA synthesis, and can be found naturally in meat, dairy products and certain food items as well as taken in oral supplement form or via injection.
Vitamin B12 deficiency may lead to symptoms including low energy, forgetfulness or difficulty thinking clearly. According to studies, higher doses of B12 can help improve cognitive symptoms.
Vitamin B12 can be obtained through eating dairy or nondairy milk, fortified breakfast cereals and meat alternatives such as soy, almond and oat. Your doctor can also give you a shot of vitamin B12 in case of severe anemia that leaves you feeling weak and tired.
Supplements for older adults
In general, whole food sources of vitamins and minerals are generally preferable over supplements for older adults; however, supplements may still prove helpful for those having difficulty acquiring certain nutrients via food sources or who struggle with digesting and absorbing these essential elements of health.
Before taking any dietary supplement, consult with your primary care physician (PCP). They can offer recommendations of safe and effective products tailored to your unique needs. A PCP will also inform you if any dietary supplements could interfere with medications you’re currently taking or cause side effects; for instance, those suffering from bleeding disorders shouldn’t take vitamin K supplements but require higher dosage from another source instead.
Supplements for people with diabetes
Studies continue on various vitamins and supplements to examine their impact on diabetes and related conditions, such as megaloblastic anemia and neural tube defects linked to type 2 diabetes. Folic acid supplementation can reduce these conditions as it reverses DNA damage caused by glucose metabolic abnormalities while simultaneously lowering homocysteine levels; alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) could potentially alleviate diabetic neuropathy pain according to a 2020 study.
Remind yourself that dietary supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA, so when selecting products independently tested it’s crucial to look for those bearing the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) seal on their bottles.
