As COVID raises much-needed awareness on health issues, multivitamins like Maxirich are now seeing themselves in the spotlight. There are good reasons why these pills have come to prominence. With undernourishment bring a chronic problem in India, multivitamins can play a crucial role in ensuring that people with poor diets can at least get access to a certain amount of crucial vitamin and mineral intake. These pills can help in boosting our immunity.

Despite their proven benefits, there is still a marked ignorance regarding these pills. This lack of adequate knowledge has given rise to some unexpected misconceptions that often hampers their consumption or result in wrong ideas about their effects.

And so, we spoke to experts at Cipla Health to know more about the most common myths associated with the consumption of multivitamins and here’s what they had to say:

Vitamins & Minerals Pills By Photoongraphy | www.shutterstock.com
Vitamins & Minerals Pills

1. Healthy People Do Not Need Multivitamins

On the contrary, healthy people as well need it to stay healthy! Vitamins and minerals are the building blocks of good health. They protect us from diseases and strengthen our immunity. They are also essential for the functioning of our bodies. Most importantly, many of these vitamins must be taken as they are not synthesized by the body. Unfortunately, most people do not follow a fully balanced diet every day to ensure the adequate intake of these essential nutrients, making it necessary to take multivitamins in order to bridge the gap.  

2. Multivitamins Must Be Taken On An Empty Stomach

There is some truth to this myth. Iron and calcium may work better when taken without food. But on the whole, multivitamins actually work better when taken with food as it aids their absorption by the body. Even iron is best taken with food as it can sometimes cause nausea or stomach upset.

Pro-Tip

Keep your multivitamins next to your breakfast or lunch so that you don’t miss taking them!

3. Multivitamins Are Only For The Elderly

Nope! Multivitamins are not only for the elderly. While those in old age do require these pills, there are a whole host of other conditions where multivitamins are necessary. These can be critical for people with an inadequate diet, those who have certain deficiencies, or have malabsorption conditions, or are on certain medications. Pregnant women are almost always prescribed multivitamins to ensure that they take vitamins and minerals, like iron, calcium and folate, that are essential for foetal development.

Pro-Tip

You can talk to a dietician to understand your diet pattern and any deficiency you may have.

4. Vegans & Vegetarians Don’t Need A Multivitamin

While vegetarians can get most of their nutrients from their diet, they must make sure that they include foods rich in iron and vitamin B12. Extra supplementation is usually required when one does not follow a planned and balanced diet. Vegans, however, often miss essential nutrients like vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, and calcium in their regular diet. Hence, they are advised to take these extra supplements. Even people on non-vegetarian diets often lack sufficient nutrient intake for failing to follow balanced meals on a regular basis.

Pro-Tip

To determine your nutrient intake, keep a food diary for a month. Calculate your daily consumption of carbs, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. This will give you a good idea about whether or not you are following a balanced diet and if you need supplementation.

5. All Multivitamins Are Alike

Absolutely not! There is no standard for multivitamin constituents, but most contain at least three vitamins and minerals. Some may contain other ingredients such as probiotics as well. The formulations can vary from one label to another.

Pro-Tip

Always check the ingredients list to ensure it contains the vitamins and minerals you need.

Multivitamins have many benefits and can be crucial for people in certain conditions. Given our imprudent dietary habits coupled with our erratic lifestyle, these pills can be critical in meeting the nutritional gap in our regular diet. Like any other supplements, it pays to understand their formulation, effects, and dosage.

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