Gummies offer an attractive and easy alternative to pills and chewable tablets for young children and those unable to easily take pills. Gummy supplements may be especially useful for individuals who find traditional pills difficult to swallow.
Vitamins and minerals can provide essential nutritional support when chronic health conditions or medications cause deficiencies, according to Susie. Achieve this is through eating a well-rounded diet which provides plenty of essential vitamins and minerals.
Calcium
Gummies offer an easy and delicious way to meet daily vitamin and mineral requirements, yet can also contain added sugars, artificial coloring, and fillers that should only be taken as directed. As such, only take as recommended!
Vitamins and minerals in gummies are usually labeled using the Supplement Facts Panel, which details daily values, recommended intake levels, dietary references intake amounts and ideal dosage recommendations based on diet, life stage and medical needs. A healthcare professional can also help customize an ideal vitamin and mineral supplement regimen specifically to you.
Most gummy multivitamins do not include iron due to its bulkier mineral form and more challenging taste masking properties. If your iron levels are at risk, try looking for a gummy vitamin with it or consider an independent source as low iron can lead to iron-deficiency anemia – a serious condition affecting blood cells – leading to low levels in your body.
Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential nutrient responsible for hundreds of enzyme reactions within our bodies, including helping regulate blood pressure, support bone health and promote overall muscle and nerve wellness.
Consume a range of foods to meet your daily magnesium requirements, such as beans; seeds; whole grains; dark green, leafy vegetables and fat-free milk and yogurt products. Many fortified breakfast cereals also contain magnesium.
If you take magnesium supplements, be sure to read and follow all labels to make sure it’s suitable for you. Different forms may interact with certain medications or cause digestive issues like nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Gummy mineral magnesium malate has proven highly absorbable; in fact, some experts even use it to help alleviate fibromyalgia symptoms; more research needs to be conducted (15).
Long-term consumption of magnesium supplements at high dosage levels may increase your risk of kidney disease, according to a National Institutes of Health report. People who are already diagnosed with kidney disorders should consult a physician before consuming magnesium supplements (Source: National Institutes of Health.).
Zinc
Zinc is an essential nutrient for human bodies that plays a pivotal role in immunity, wound healing and cell division. You’ll find zinc both naturally in foods as well as supplements. In recent years it has even been used to treat cold symptoms and denture adhesive creams.
Zinc can also be found in electroplating iron, producing smelters and galvanization (hot-dip galvanizing). Unfortunately, zinc is toxic to plants and animals alike and usually refined via froth flotation, roasting and extraction using electricity. Zinc can be obtained from seafood, meats, beans and fortified products like breads cereals pastas; or doctor may prescribe supplements if deficient due to pregnancy chest or breastfeeding needs.
Zinc may also help people with Wilson’s disease reduce excess copper levels, though high doses can result in pyoderma graminicola skin conditions which resemble eczema and hinder sperm production.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a natural sleep hormone produced by the pineal gland, a pea-sized structure in your brain. Production typically begins each evening around sunset and peaks late night to aid in falling asleep. Exposure to light can inhibit production in the morning and help you wake up more easily; you can buy melatonin without prescription from health food stores and pharmacies.
Melatonin may help people struggling with insomnia get to sleep faster and stay asleep through the night more easily, while also decreasing how often you wake in the middle of the night. Melatonin may also provide some relief for delayed sleep-wake phase disorder affecting adolescents and young adults resulting in difficulty falling or staying asleep at night.
Melatonin should not be used to treat other sleep issues, like long-term insomnia or sleep apnea. Instead, it’s recommended that melatonin be taken only under medical advice, especially by someone specializing in this area. Melatonin may interact with certain medicines – specifically blood clotting medicines and anticonvulsants – so inform your physician if you take any. Furthermore, taking too much melatonin could increase blood pressure if you already suffer from high blood pressure.
