Gummy vitamins are widely loved throughout the world and come in an assortment of shapes, flavors, colors and sizes – from omega-3 fatty acids to probiotics to melatonin! They’re an accessible way to get important nutritional components into our bodies without taking pills!
Gummies contain added sugars, sugar alcohols and fillers which make them easy to overconsume resulting in vitamin and mineral toxicity.
Calcium/Magnesium
Gummy minerals provide consumers with an easy way to meet their daily vitamin and mineral requirements in an easily consumable form, providing calcium, magnesium and zinc which all support bone strength as well as immune system functioning.
Sugar-containing gummies may make life harder for people living with diabetes. But for those looking for alternatives, sugar-free varieties are available for those concerned about their consumption.
Susie noted that supplements can fill any nutritional gaps for people who do not eat enough whole, unprocessed foods, or those living with medical conditions that make absorbing nutrients harder, such as diabetes. It’s essential to read labels and follow directions in order to get enough of what your body requires; too much vitamin C could cause digestive issues like nausea and vomiting and may even interfere with iron absorption.
Zinc
Zinc can be found in cells throughout the body and plays an integral part in immune function, cellular growth and reproduction, reproduction taste and vision, blood clotting as well as insulin and thyroid functions. Furthermore, zinc also supports normal wound healing during pregnancy, infancy and childhood as well as supporting growth during gestation, infancy and childhood.
Studies have demonstrated that zinc supplementation improves blood glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol levels in those living with type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, certain medications might interfere with its absorption and its effectiveness (such as quinolone and tetracycline antibiotics). Zinc can be found in capsules, tablets, creams and ointments as well as multivitamin/mineral products; additionally it can also be purchased separately and combined with ingredients like magnesium copper and selenium to form supplements that offer additional health benefits.
Poor zinc status has been linked with higher pneumonia mortality and shorter survival in low-income countries [62], so including more zinc-rich foods such as legumes, seafood and whole grains in one’s diet can help boost its intake.
Vitamin D
Gummy vitamins have become increasingly popular over the past several years due to their ease of swallowing and more enjoyable taste experience than pills.
Gummies contain high amounts of sugar or sweeteners to enhance palatability and make their products more appealing, leaving less room for actual vitamins and minerals to enter the product. Furthermore, due to processing under high heat for their fun shapes, some potency may be lost over time.
Over-consumption of gummy supplements could expose you to vitamin and mineral toxicity, particularly fat-soluble vitamins stored in body fat and tissues. Therefore, it’s wise to opt for third-party-tested products which are free of the top-9 allergens, suitable for vegans and free from gelatin as this substance comes from animal bones and tissue and is therefore unsuitable for kosher diets or vegan lifestyles.
Vitamin K
Fat-soluble vitamin K is essential to managing blood pressure and lowering risk for heart disease, while also contributing to bone health and blood clotting. [2] Vitamin K comes in two forms – K1 or phylloquinone and various menaquinones with various length unsaturated isoprenyl side chain lengths such as MK-4 through MK-13.
Gummy supplements tend to have high margins of error when it comes to nutritional amounts, particularly vitamins and minerals. ConsumerLab reported in 2023 that multivitamin and mineral gummies were most likely to contain much more of an ingredient than was listed on the label.
Gummy multivitamins typically do not include iron or only contain small doses due to its bulkier composition and difficulty being disguised by candy coating. Women at risk of iron deficiency due to early childhood development or pregnancy should ensure they find a supplement containing this nutrient.
