By reeves In today’s busy lifestyle, it often becomes difficult for us to maintain a balanced diet. This is where nutritional supplements help us fulfill the requirements of essential nutrients and lead a healthy life. Whole-food multivitamins are a type of supplements that provide the same natural nutrition you get from food. If your nutritionist has asked you to take whole-food multivitamin supplements, here are a few things you must know about them.
Whole-Food Multivitamins vs Synthetic Multivitamins – Which One Is Better?
There are two major categories of multivitamin supplements – whole-food organic vitamins and synthetic multivitamins. You can add any of them to your diet to get the essential nutrients. The primary difference between these two is that the nutrients in synthetic supplements are created artificially, while whole-food supplements are extracted from plant-based sources such as fruits, vegetables, and leaves.
In whole-food multivitamin supplements, you get condensed versions of the same nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, and eggs. Since these are natural nutrients, your body can absorb the contents of these supplements more easily. In the case of synthetic supplements, it becomes hard for the body to recognize the artificially created nutrients, causing slight issues in absorption.
Major Benefits of Whole-Food Multivitamins
Taking whole-food multivitamin supplements has been shown to provide several health benefits. Some of them are listed below:
- Better Absorption of Nutrients
Organic whole-food vitamins provide natural vitamins for your body, resulting in more bioavailability and absorption compared to regular food and synthetic vitamins. Due to better concentration of nutrients, you require less amount of organic whole-food vitamins to get the same amount of nutrients.
- No Fillers
You won’t find fillers such as magnesium stearate and chemical preservatives in whole-food multivitamins. These fillers usually make up a considerable amount of the capsule or tablet weight while providing no nutritional value or additional benefits.
- Value for Money
Even though the price of whole-food multivitamin supplements is significantly higher than their synthetic counterparts, you get more value for your money with whole-food supplements. Since synthetic supplements contain a significant amount of fillers, you are paying more for the same amount of nutrients than you realize. In the case of whole-food vitamins, you get the real ingredients with zero fillers.
- Higher Concentration of Nutrients
The skin of fruits and vegetables contains the most amount of nutrients. A majority of whole-food multivitamin supplements include these parts, offering a higher concentration of nutrients with each dose.
Who Can Benefit from Whole-Food Multivitamin Supplements?
Some people are more likely to benefit from the nutritional boost of multivitamin supplements than others.
- Pregnant People
Gynecologists and obstetricians recommend special multivitamin formulas to support healthy pregnancies.
- Postmenopausal Woman
Women in their postmenopausal phase need extra calcium and vitamin D to improve bone health and prevent osteoporosis.
- People Over 50
When compared to younger people, older people have more trouble absorbing vitamin B12 from food. This vitamin supports brain and nerve function, helps form red blood cells, and makes DNA. Multivitamin supplements, along with fortified food, can help older people get enough amount of vitamin B12 and other essential nutrients.
- People on Certain Medication
Some people experience a deficiency of essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium under certain medications. There are also some prescription drugs that prevent the body from absorbing some nutrients. In such cases, people can benefit from taking multivitamin supplements.
- People on a Limited Diet
For people who are on a limited diet, cannot eat a variety of healthy food, have a poor appetite, or choose not to consume a certain selection of food, a multivitamin supplement can help fill the gap.
- People with Digestive Problems
Certain digestive problems can prevent the body from absorbing an adequate amount of nutrients. Multivitamin supplements can be effective for people suffering from such conditions. These include:
- Chronic pancreatitis
- Cystic fibrosis
- Lactose intolerance
- Whipple disease
- Gastric bypass surgery
Conclusion
Whole-food multivitamins can be quite beneficial if you are not getting enough nutrients from your diet. While they have several advantages over their synthetic alternatives, you should always consult your nutritionist before adding these supplements to your diet.