A worrying number of people are disregarding the importance of a healthy diet because they think their wellness protected by taking a daily vitamin, mineral or supplement.
As people get older, they need less food to maintain their weight, but they still need the same level of vitamins – and possibly even more. They then have to decide whether to get these vitamins in the form of a supplement, and often opt for the over-the-counter fix. What they don’t realise, however, is that getting vitamins in pill form does not protect their wellbeing as much as a pill would.
The best thing that you can do, when thinking about whether you need a multivitamin of some sorts, is to consult your doctor. Your doctor has an up to date account of your medical history, and this may include blood work showing up any deficiencies. Make sure you highlight any medications that you are on, as some of these prescription medications can actually cause deficiencies.
Research has shown that there are numerous benefits to certain types of vitamins and supplements as you get older, such as vitamin E, folic acid and omega-3 fatty acids. The very best way of getting these is in the diet, in foods where they occur naturally, but this is not always possible.
If you do choose to take supplements, don’t view them as an alternative to a healthy diet, more a complement to a healthy diet. The benefits of a healthy diet are numerous and, in addition to this, multivitamins may not provide your full daily intake, so they are often reliant on you eating a balanced and nutritional diet alongside taking them.
There are numerous websites where you can find lists of foods with their vitamin content, so familiarise yourself with these, especially with the vitamins that you feel you may be lacking, and make sure you incorporate them, even if you do choose to take a pill at the same time.
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