Multimineral supplements are excellent sources of nutrients, especially for those following a vegan or vegetarian diet. They help you bridge the gap between lack of nutrients with multivitamins and also help you control your blood sugar with trace mineral supplements and much more. However, it can be a little tricky when it comes to choosing the correct supplements for one’s body.
Thus, if you are looking for suitable mineral supplements but have no idea how to start looking for them, we have got you covered. This article will walk you through all the necessary criteria you should keep in mind while looking for a good vitamin and mineral supplement.
Components To Look For In Standard Mineral Supplements
There are three components that you should always look for in standard vitamin and mineral supplements. They are –
- Water-soluble Vitamins-
Water-soluble vitamins do not remain stored in our body cells. They pass out of our bodies quite quickly. Water-soluble Vitamins include Vitamin Bs like B12, folic acid, biotin, B6, pantothenic acid, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, and Vitamin C.
- Fat-soluble Vitamins-
Fat-soluble vitamins are those which are stored in our body cells. They do not pass out of our body as easily as water-soluble vitamins. These vitamins include Vitamin K, Vitamin E, Vitamin D, and Vitamin A.
- Minerals –
A good vitamin and mineral supplement should be rich in certain minerals. These include zinc, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, copper, and calcium.
However, some mineral supplements can also contain other ingredients like lycopene, lutein, and other antioxidants.
When To Take Supplements?
Multimineral supplements are great for those looking to get some more essential vitamins and minerals in their body. This need to take multi-mineral supplements can arise due to specific problems like the inefficiency of vitamins and minerals in one’s diet, change of diet, and other issues.
Mineral supplements are generally chosen for –
- People who cannot maintain a well-balanced diet due to specific dietary restrictions need to rely on multi mineral supplements. These supplements provide the necessary nutrients required for the steady functioning of their system.
- Sometimes the need to take these supplements arises in women who are pregnant or are breastfeeding. These women need a healthy dose of folic acid in their system and thus rely on these supplements for a steady supply.
- People who are injured, sick, or are recovering from any major surgery are often prescribed certain mineral supplements. This helps to maintain a healthy percentage of specific vitamins and minerals for their steady recovery.
- Vitamin D is a necessary supplement that is not found in any raw food item. Thus, infants or individuals over 50 require daily supplements to get their healthy dose of Vitamin D.
- People who follow a vegan or a vegetarian diet often miss out on specific vitamins, minerals, and even proteins. These people take prescribed vitamins and mineral supplements to make up for this deficiency.
- People who need to control their glucose level or blood sugar level are often prescribed trace mineral supplements. These supplements contain ingredients like chromium which help reduce the absorption of glucose and thus help control blood sugar levels.
However, if you need to take any multi-mineral supplements, we suggest consulting with your dietician or doctor before starting any course. They might be able to help you look for the exact multi-mineral supplements and to prescribe them in a healthy dose to suit your needs.
Factors To Look For While Choosing Mineral Supplements
If you are looking to start a steady course of multi-mineral supplements, then here are a few things that you should look out for –
- Choose Multi Mineral Supplements over Single Ones-
We suggest buying multi-mineral supplements over supplements that contain only a single mineral. This can help you get other essential minerals and vitamins in your body. However, if your dietician or doctor has prescribed you a single mineral supplement, then that is the one you should get.
- A Prescribed amount of vitamins and minerals-
You should ensure that the multi-mineral supplement you choose contains the prescribed amount of vitamins and minerals required for your body. If it includes any excess amount, we suggest not going for that particular one as it might cause health complications in the long run.
- Check Expiration date
While buying mineral supplements, you should always check for the expiration date of the supplement. This way, you can easily plan out the number of pills that need to be consumed each day, avoiding any scope of waste.
- Check For Other Ingredients
You should thoroughly check the other ingredients list while choosing a supplement. Certain supplements may contain gelatin, eggs, corn, or wheat. Thus if you are allergic to them, ensure your supplements do not carry those ingredients.
- Generic Brand vs. Name Brand
Generic or store brands can be as good as name brands. So if you are looking to buy a generic brand of supplements, we suggest going for it after checking its ingredients list for all the required vitamins and minerals.
- False Promises
It is very important to understand that multivitamin and mineral supplements cannot cure any diseases. It can help you reduce the risk of certain fatal diseases when taken over a long period in prescribed amounts. Thus, if you see any news of curing fatal diseases on any supplement, we suggest not falling for such false promises.
You can choose your mineral supplements by yourself if you have enough knowledge about nutrients and the required ones by your body. However, we suggest taking the help of your doctor or dietician to help you determine which mineral supplements you require and in what doses.
Conclusion
Thus we can conclude that multi-mineral supplements are great ways of absorbing necessary nutrients into your body. These should be taken in prescribed doses only and show remarkable health benefits in the long run. We hope you found this article useful in hel[ing you decide whether you need supplements and how to choose them for yourself.