Multivitamin

A multivitamin combines several vitamins and often minerals in a tablet, capsule or gummy. People commonly take one to cover possible gaps in their diet without having a diagnosed deficiency. Formulas vary considerably, and some include herbs or other ingredients. Two products labelled “complete” may contain very different things.

It is easy to treat the bottle as compensation for weeks of eating whatever is convenient. It does not supply the fibre or variety of food, or explain persistent tiredness. You can keep buying it without knowing what need it addresses. An actual deficiency may require something more specific than the product you picked.

You may feel no different after taking a multivitamin. There is no energy rush you should expect. Riboflavin, or vitamin B2, can turn urine bright yellow; that colour does not show that you needed the supplement or that it is doing more for you.

Nausea, constipation and diarrhoea are possible. Feeling better does not tell you which ingredient, if any, explains the change. Feeling worse is not something to dismiss because these are vitamins. Bring the packaging to a pharmacist or clinician so they can check the actual ingredients.

Combining a multivitamin with other supplements can duplicate nutrients and lead to harmful excesses. Vitamin K can interfere with warfarin and similar blood thinners. Excess preformed vitamin A, such as retinol, can harm a developing baby during pregnancy.

Over-the-counter availability does not make every formula suitable for you. Beta-carotene supplements can increase lung cancer risk in people who smoke or used to smoke. Products containing iron can cause serious poisoning, especially in children. Keep gummies out of their reach too; looking like sweets does not make them harmless.