Vitamins are necessary for your family's health and your little ones' development. For those who maintain a balanced diet and take multivitamins, it is often challenging to state when or how vitamins become effective. As a parent, you want to give your child their multivitamins when it provides the most benefit, but how do you know when that is?
What Is the Best Time of Day To Take Vitamins for Maximum Effect?
When using dietary supplements, it is challenging to navigate timing. You need to avoid adverse interactions with medications and vitamins. Several vitamins and minerals need time apart before they can work together; for example, magnesium and calcium will compete for absorption if taken simultaneously.
The best solution is to take a multivitamin with a meal and a glass of water. An expertly formulated multivitamin will account for any absorption conflicts. Finally, most experts recommend taking the supplement during breakfast, allowing the body to absorb and use the nutrients throughout the day.
What Vitamins Does Your Body Need?
Your body needs many vitamins and minerals to function, grow, and maintain health. If you are taking a multivitamin, you will want to ensure the supplement has at least seven ingredients:
- Vitamin B12
- Folate
- Vitamin D
- Calcium
- Zinc
- Iron
- Magnesium
Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet will meet all your nutritional needs. Vitamin supplements are often for individuals with food allergies or deficiencies because they cannot meet their nutritional needs through diet alone.
If you are considering taking a supplement or starting your child on one, consult your doctor or pediatrician first. Healthcare professionals can explain the need for different supplements and whether any are right for you and your family.
How To Tell if Vitamins Are Benefiting Your Body?
Many claim they can tell vitamins are working because they look and feel better. Unfortunately, self-assessments are subjective and do not prove that supplements benefit the body.
Self-reflection counts for something, but if you want to know how vitamins affect the body, you must take a blood test. However, blood tests are only effective if you have a baseline to measure against.
When Will You Start Seeing Results From Vitamins?
It is challenging to state how long it will take for someone to see results from taking vitamins. In most cases, a person taking a multivitamin may feel no different, especially if they eat a healthy and balanced diet. People with nutrient deficiencies will probably experience a significant difference in how they feel within a few days of taking a supplement. For most people, however, if there is any recognized change, it will occur within two to three weeks on average.
All Vitamins Work Differently
Specifying timelines regarding multivitamins and other vitamin supplements is challenging because all vitamins work differently. For example, the body can immediately use water-soluble vitamins, like vitamin C, especially when taken with a full glass of water. Fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin E, require fat for the body to use, so absorption is slower.
Most healthcare professionals recommend people take a multivitamin to supplement their dietary needs. Multivitamins ensure your body is receiving the nutrients it needs every day. Whether or not you feel the effects of the supplements, the vitamins benefit your system.
Sources:
https://hiyahealth.com/blogs/news/best-time-of-day-to-take-vitamins
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/best-vitamins-to-take-daily
https://www.healthycell.com/blogs/articles/how-to-know-if-your-vitamins-are-working
https://www.womenshealth.com.au/how-long-does-it-take-for-a-supplement-to-work/