Here Is Everything You Need To Know About Multivitamins And Minerals

Multivitamins and minerals have become an everyday part of most people's lives. In this fast-paced world, adding nutrition through organic means has become very difficult considering there is not much time and space to take induce fruits and vegetables. So, multivitamins and minerals help with the proper supplementation that our body needs on an everyday basis.

A 2019 study (Sivaprasad M, Shalini T, Reddy PY, Seshacharyulu M, Madhavi G, Kumar BN, Reddy GB. Prevalence of vitamin deficiencies in an apparently healthy urban adult population) by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) in Hyderabad, India, highlighted significant deficiencies in apparently healthy participants, including vitamin B2, B6, and active B12 deficiencies. Half of the participants had high homocysteine levels. This is when the role of multivitamins comes in handy to fill in the deficiencies prevalent.

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What are multivitamins and minerals (MVM) supplements?

Dr Shyam Ramakrishnan, Head of Emerging Markets, Innovation and Science, Amway has described what these supplements are and what they comprise. As per him, "MVM dietary supplements are typically a combination of vitamins, minerals, and sometimes other nutrients, including botanicals. The aim is to provide individuals with a convenient way to meet their daily recommended intake of these essential micronutrients. Vitamins and minerals play vital roles in various bodily functions, from immune system support to bone health and energy production. The exact composition of MVM dietary supplements can vary greatly between different products.

However, some common components include:

- Vitamins: Vitamins are organic compounds required in small amounts for normal physiological functioning. These include vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K.

- Minerals: Minerals are inorganic nutrients necessary for various bodily functions. Common minerals found in MVM dietary supplements include calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron.

- Other Nutrients: Some MVM dietary supplements may also contain additional nutrients like phytonutrients, antioxidants, amino acids, and herbal

extracts."

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Various research and studies discovered the potential benefits of these supplements as well. Here are some discovered by Dr Ramakrishnan:

Lack of appropriate nutrition has been linked to adverse effects on maternal and children¡¯s populations, especially in low to middle-income countries. One review (Keats EC, Oh C, Chau T, Khalifa DS, Imdad A, Bhutta ZA. Effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation during pregnancy on maternal, birth, child health and development outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review) suggested significant improvements in maternal and children¡¯s health on intervention with MVM Dietary supplements.

A meta-analysis from August 2023 reported (?elb J, Cvetko F, Deutsch L, Bedra? L, Ku??er E, Maier AB. Personalization matters: the effect of sex in multivitamin-multimineral-based cancer prevention) that multivitamin supplementation reduced cancer incidence in males but had no impact on females.

In evaluating the effectiveness and safety of these supplements, a 2022 review ( O¡¯Connor EA, Evans CV, Ivlev I, et al. Vitamin, Mineral, and Multivitamin Supplementation for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: A Systematic Evidence Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force) of 84 studies by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force linked multivitamin use to a slightly lower incidence of cancer, including lung cancer, while cautioning against beta-carotene supplements for preventing cardiovascular disease or cancer. Notably, these studies primarily involved healthy populations in "very high" human development index countries. This information sheds light on the impact of MVM supplements and their potential benefits and risks.

In another study (Michels AJ, Butler JA, Uesugi SL, Lee K, Frei BB, Bobe G, Magnusson KR, Hagen TM. Multivitamin/Multimineral Supplementation Prevents or Reverses Decline in Vitamin Biomarkers and Cellular Energy Metabolism in Healthy Older Men: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study) of elderly men, multivitamin/multimineral (MV/MM) supplements were assessed. After six months, the MV/MM group exhibited increased blood levels of key vitamins and maintained crucial monocyte oxygen consumption rates, an indicator of mitochondrial respiratory function. However, mineral concentrations remained largely unaffected.

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What are the benefits of MVM?

We have already learnt through various research how MVM supplements are helpful in nature. However, these are the benefits of these supplements:

It leads to better energy levels

To perform simple tasks, the body needs basic vitamins and minerals. When not provided with those, the body feels lethargic and the energy levels are at an all-time low. Supplements rich in vitamins and minerals can add to the energy levels.

It leads to better mental health

Vitamin B and even magnesium are known to supply blood to the brain leading it to have better functioning. By taking supplements like these on a regular basis, one can see improvement in mental health and also it could lead to better mental clarity and an improved mood overall.

It leads to better digestion

There are certain vitamins and minerals which lead to a better digestion system. Vitamin B and zinc are known to provide and maintain healthy digestion which can reverse several different issues.

It leads to better muscle health

Free radicals are known to slow down the ageing process and muscle-aging problems related to the same. Adding multivitamins to your everyday diet can help provide components that will not let the free radicals get damaged.

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So, in case adding a proper diet to the mix may be difficult, one can definitely add multivitamins and minerals to the mix.