LaylaBird / Getty Images

The time you take your vitamins can sometimes determine their efficacy.

Most vitamins fall into two categories: water-soluble or fat-soluble.

Water-soluble vitamins are best absorbed and most effective when you take them with water on an empty stomach.

Cropped shot of a woman taking her medication at home

LaylaBird / Getty Images

For fat-soluble vitamins, its best to take them with a meal because your body can absorb them better.

Taking vitamins and multivitamins can be a great habit to develop at any age.

A wealth of research shows that nutritional deficiencies can contribute to not just medical but mental health conditions.

Multivitamins

Multivitamins contain both fat- and water-soluble vitamins.Multivitamins contain an array of vitamins hence the name.

B Vitamins

B vitamins include a range of vitamins with numbers from B1 to B12.

B vitamins are essential for the optimal functioning of many processes in your body.

They help your body to form healthy red blood cells and get energy from the food you eat.

Certain B vitamin deficiencies have also been linked to poor mental health.

Vitamin C also helps your body absorb iron.

Additionally, taking vitamin C can also help your body heal wounds more effectively.

), supplements ranging in dosage from 25 to 1000 milligrams are available.

Aside from impacting your physical functioning, vitamin D sufficiency has been associated with aspects of your mental health.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is one of the vitamins and micronutrients your body cannot produce.

This means you must get it via food or supplements.

Prenatal Vitamins

These vitamins are designed for people who are pregnant or may become pregnant.

Are All Vitamin Supplements Good for You?

There are a number of people who rely on vitamin supplements to fulfill their daily nutritional requirements.

If you’re experiencing serious effects, go to your nearest emergency room.

What About Chewable or Gummy Vitamins?

Taking chewable or gummy vitamins in place of traditional tablets is mostly safe and effective.

In a 2020 study, researchers compared the efficacy of vitamin C gummy sources with tablet sources.

Many of these supplements also contain a higher dose of vitamins than the daily nutritional requirements for children.

While taking your vitamins is beneficial, consuming it in excess could result in adverse effects.

How Can I Get My Child or Loved One to Take Their Vitamin Supplements?

It’s common for some people to have an aversion to vitamins.

Some people may simply not enjoy the taste, and others could just be stubborn or forgetful.

2008;50(2):77.

National Cancer Institute.Fat-soluble vitamin.

Kamangar F, Emadi A.Vitamin and mineral supplements: do we really need them?.Int J Prev Med.

2012;3(3):221-226.

Biesalski HK, Tinz J.Multivitamin/mineral supplements: Rationale and safety - A systematic review.Nutrition.

2017;33:76-82. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2016.02.013

Kennedy DO.B vitamins and the brain: mechanisms, dose and efficacya review.Nutrients.

2016;8(2):68.

Abdullah M, Jamil RT, Attia FN.Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid).

Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; October 25, 2022.

National Library of Medicine.

2014;18(1):11-18.

2021;11(4):255.

Published 2021 Apr 20. doi:10.3390/metabo11040255

Oxford Dictionary.Melanin.

2018;10(4):457.

Published 2018 Apr 7. doi:10.3390/nu10040457

Benedik E.Sources of vitamin D for humans.Int J Vitam Nutr Res.

2013;28(8):1778-1783.

Gilbert C.What is vitamin A and why do we need it?.Community Eye Health.

2013;26(84):65.

2022;11(11):2205.

Mount Sinai Health System.Vitamin a (Retinol) information.

Bohm V. Vitamin E.Antioxidants (Basel).

2018;7(3):44.

2022;14(3):656.

Cleveland Clinic.Vitamin E capsules or tablets.

Li Y, Freedman R.Prospects for improving future mental health of children through prenatal maternal micronutrient supplementation in China.

2020;4(2):118-126.

Cleveland Clinic.When should you start taking prenatal vitamins?

Multivitamin/mineral supplements: Rationale and safety A systematic review.Nutrition.

2010;44(2):311-324.

2020;39(5):422-431.

Elliott C.Assessing vitamins, minerals and supplements marketed to children in canada.IJERPH.

2019;16(22):4326.