Do you want to do more for your health? Have you been experiencing some unpleasant health issues?
Well, you are in luck as there is quite a lot nowadays that you can do to better your health and keep your body ticking over.
One of these actions that you can take on board is using vitamin supplements to get the essential nutrients you need for a healthy body. A vitamin supplement can help you if you suffer from a vitamin deficiency or if you just want to up your vitamin intake to get the full beneficial effects. You can also consider incorporating organic vitamin supplements, like those available at Alkaline Souls, into your routine. Derived from natural, pesticide-free sources, these supplements often contain higher levels of bioavailable nutrients that can aid in maintaining optimal health.
Today, we will go into how long it takes for any vitamin supplement to work, as well as what factors will influence the absorption and the effect on the body. We will also talk about the various types of vitamins that are available and how they can help you if you do have any vitamin deficiencies that need attention.
What Will Affect How Your Body Absorbs Vitamins?
You have probably had someone you know tell you that since taking vitamin supplements they have been feeling a lot better and are a completely new person.
Whilst that is great to hear, and it may intrigue you to start taking vitamins yourself, there are a few factors that you will need to consider before diving in.
You won’t need all the vitamins that are available, and only if you are severely deficient in certain nutrients will you need to have a vitamin in supplement form, depending on what it is.
So, whilst you may be looking forward to trying vitamin C or vitamin D dietary supplements, because of their health benefits, it may turn out that you don’t need them as you are already getting enough from your foods, and only if you have a vitamin D deficiency that is a problem, will you need to go down the tablet route.
What Your Current Vitamin Levels Are
The quickness of the vitamins you take will depend on how much of the vitamin you are currently getting.
If it turns out that you have serious vitamin deficiency levels, then when you take the supplement you may find that it will take longer to work as your body now needs to start processing this and getting used to it, so for a time you may have to up the dose, under a doctor’s care of course, as you don’t want any excess vitamin in you.
Whereas, if you are only slightly deficient and you need to take a supplement as you cannot consume the vitamin another way, then it should only take a few weeks for you to see the benefit.
What Your Current Diet Is
Your consumption of food will also change the timeframe of your body absorbing the vitamin.
Let’s break it down into two sections – fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins.
Fat-Soluble vitamins
Vitamins D, A, E, and K are classed as fat-soluble vitamins, which means that they need dietary fat for them to be absorbed into the body. They are stored in the liver and fatty tissue with the assistance of fat molecules so they can be used when required.
So if you are lacking these kinds of essential vitamins, then you are going to need to incorporate Omega-3 fatty acids with your food to help you get the right amount, as they need to work as one.
Water-Soluble Vitamins
B vitamins and vitamin C are water-soluble vitamins and will be able to work a lot faster in the body as they don’t need fat to get them to work.
These do not require much effort to get, but people can still be deficient in them if they do not have a balanced diet.
What Food Are You Eating?
If you are vegan or vegetarian, then you may find that you lack vitamin D and B12 vitamins because of the fact they come from animal sources, so you will need to find a way to supplement these to help you maintain a healthy body and digestive system.
What Your Health Issues Are
If you suffer from any health problems, this will affect the way you absorb certain vitamins.
Below are some things that can have an effect when you are trying to up your key vitamins to support your body.
- Gut disease such as Crohn’s disease
- Obesity
- Being over the age of 70
- Lactose intolerance and Celiac disease
If you do have any of these issues, then you will need to be monitored by a health professional to make sure that you are getting exactly what you need to keep your body functioning.
They will probably tell you how to adjust your eating habits as well as tell you what type of oral vitamins would be best, e.g. for elderly people a calcium supplement might be the right way to go to help with any bone density issues.
What Current Vitamins You Take
You have probably heard about multivitamins and how they are perfect for people to get everything they need, however, if you take a multivitamin each day and don’t notice any difference, then you are probably not the one who needs it.
They don’t offer a targeted approach that will help you out with your specific needs, they are just an ‘everything in one’ tablet which you may find that you are just getting rid of each time you go to the loo.
Think About Exactly What You Need
If you have a deficiency in one type of vitamin, then a multivitamin isn’t going to make sure that you reach normal levels, you need to have a stand-alone vitamin that will help you get exactly what your body is in need of.
People may sing their praises, but those who really need a specific approach, are not going to get that with a multivitamin, so it is best to just leave them alone and find something that will definitely work for you.
What Does Each Vitamin Do?
You are aware of what will affect your vitamin absorption rate and what you should look out for and take into consideration, now we will go into some essential vitamins and what they can do for your body, so you can see what is out there.
Vitamin A
Needed for your vision, tooth and bone formation, and to help your immune system function properly.
Vitamin B1 – B9
- B1 – releases energy from food and helps you maintain your nervous system.
- B2 – important for eyesight and healthy skin.
- B3 – enzyme functionality, metabolism, and digestion.
- B5 – metabolism and hormone creation.
- B6 – aids your body in producing certain proteins and red blood cells, insulin, and hemoglobin.
- B7 – helps you metabolize fats by releasing energy from carbohydrates.
- B9 – just like B1 and B6 combined, it helps produce normal red blood cells and maintains your nervous system.
Vitamin C
Helps the body absorb iron as well as produce collagen which aids in bone formation. Also improved the immune system.
Vitamin D
Growth of teeth and bone tissue.
Vitamin E
It helps fight off infections by acting as an antioxidant, so your red blood cells can be healthy.
Conclusion
Now that you have read through this article, you should be able to answer the question – “how long does it take for vitamins to work?” so you can make sure that you are taking in the right ones, and are happy with the outcome.
It can seem daunting at first as there is a lot to choose from, but if you take your time and look around at what is available, as well as speak to professionals that can help you pick out the right ones, you’ll feel a lot better.