Where to start when choosing vitamins and minerals

Vitamins and minerals, also known as micronutrients, are essential for keeping our body healthy and functioning normally.

The body absorbs and stores micronutrients in different ways. Water soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body, so need to be replenished regularly. Fat soluble vitamins can be stored in the body, which means you can consume them less often.

The best way to make sure you’re getting all the vitamins and minerals you need is by eating a healthy, balanced diet. You also need to make sure you’re drinking enough fluids (6 –8 glasses a day).

Sometimes, it can be hard to get all the micronutrients we need through diet alone. This is when it can be helpful to support your diet with a daily supplement. Whether or not you may want a supplement can depend on your diet, your stage of life or even the time of year.

There are some groups of people who are more likely to need a support to get all the nutrients they need. If you’re vegan you need to make sure you’re getting micronutrients like vitamin B12 (which is usually found in animal products) either from fortified foods like nutritional yeast and non-dairy milk or from a dietary supplement. In the winter, some people may need vitamin D supplements, especially if you’re staying indoors more. This is because most Vitamin D comes from sunlight exposure.

When choosing supplements, you should keep in mind what you would like the supplement to support. Are you looking for an everyday multivitamin, or is there an area of your health that you want to focus on, such as helping to maintain normal bones, supporting your immunity, or supporting energy release?

You might already know what nutrients you need – for example calcium for maintaining normal bones and teeth – and are looking for a supplement that contains that nutrient. If you’re unsure what specific micronutrients do, you can read our guide which explains the functions of various vitamins and minerals, how much you need every day and what foods you can find them in.

When it comes to buying supplements, always make sure you’re buying from a reputable source so you can be sure that you’re getting high-quality products. Adding vitamins or minerals to your daily routine should be to supplement your current diet, not to replace key food groups.

You should also make sure you’re not getting too much of certain vitamins or minerals by only taking as many as the pack recommends.

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