What vitamins should I take daily?
This is a question that most adults find themselves asking. It’s only natural that you should want to take care of and sustain your health by making sure that you have a balanced diet and sufficient vitamin intake.
If you’re concerned about whether or not you’re getting enough essential vitamins in your daily diet or are wondering if you need to start supplementing, continue reading or get in touch with Port Orchard Natural Medicine & Aesthetics to schedule a consultation with a qualified naturopathic doctor.
So what vitamins should you be taking daily? And how can you tell if you’re deficient in a certain essential vitamin?
Understanding the delicate balance of vitamins and minerals that your body relies on is essential to maintaining your health and ensuring that you’re taking the right supplements — ones that your body actually needs.
If you have concerns about a vitamin deficiency, you should get in touch with a naturopathic doctor and pursue blood testing to determine which vitamins you’re lacking. A quick and easy blood test can reveal volumes about your overall health, your dietary deficiencies, essential vitamin deficiencies, and more.
Continue reading to learn more about what vitamins are, symptoms of a vitamin deficiency, and the 13 essential vitamins that you need in order to lead a healthy life.
What Are Vitamins?
So what are vitamins exactly? Vitamins are a necessary part of our overall physical health and wellbeing. They are present in many different types of foods, which is why it’s important to have a healthy, balanced diet.
In an ideal world, we would all be meeting our vitamin needs by consuming a healthy diet of vitamin-rich foods. But in reality, this is quite difficult for most people because of food rotation due to changing seasons, dietary restrictions, and certain foods being less accessible based on location.
As a result, most people are not getting sufficient amounts of vital vitamins, making supplements necessary.
The 13 essential vitamins your body needs are:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin B12
- Thiamine
- Riboflavin
- Niacin
- Pantothenic acid
- Biotin
- Folate
Lacking any of these essential vitamins may result in physical ramifications so it’s wise to seek out nutrition advice if you suspect that you’re lacking any essential vitamins.
What Do Vitamins Do?
What do vitamins do exactly? Vitamins are necessary for the body to complete various functions such as keeping your nervous system healthy, immune system strong, giving you energy, blood clotting functions, and more.
When Is the Best Time To Take Vitamins?
Most nutritional professionals agree that taking your vitamins at the start of the day is likely best, as your digestive system begins to slow down at night — preventing you from absorbing the vitamins as efficiently.
In general, you should be taking your vitamins with breakfast as taking vitamins on an empty stomach has the potential to upset your stomach or cause you to feel nauseous.
What Vitamins Should I Take Daily?
When it comes to which vitamins you should take daily, your vitamin intake needs and dosage depend on a number of factors including age, sex, weight, and diet.
People with different diets will naturally need to supplement different vitamins and minerals to balance their health.
Some of the most common vitamins that are taken daily include:
- Vitamin D
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Vitamin B12
- Zinc
- Folate
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin C
One of the best ways to determine which vitamins you should be taking daily is by visiting a naturopathic doctor and having a blood test. Get in touch with Port Orchard Natural Medicine & Aesthetics today to schedule a consultation with a naturopathic doctor, Dr. Robertson, to discuss vitamin deficiency symptoms.
What Are Symptoms Of Vitamin Deficiency?
Different vitamin deficiencies will manifest in different ways. It’s important for you to be aware of the various symptoms of vitamin deficiency in order for you to know what to look for.
Here are 12 common symptoms of vitamin deficiency:
- Mouth ulcers
- Excessive dandruff
- Hair loss
- Keratosis pilaris (rosy or white bumps that form on the skin)
- Brittle nails
- Chronic fatigue
- Dizziness
- Weight fluctuations
- Tingling sensations in the limbs
- Muscle weakness
- Brain fog
- Shortness of breath
If you encounter these symptoms often or have other reasons to suspect that you have a vitamin deficiency, contact Port Orchard Natural Medicine & Aesthetics today to schedule a consultation with a trusted naturopathic doctor.
What To Do If You Have a Vitamin Deficiency
So you have been experiencing some of the common symptoms of a vitamin deficiency, now what? If you strongly suspect that you’re suffering from a vitamin deficiency, here are three things that you can do:
- Speak with a naturopathic doctor. If you have any pressing concerns about a potential vitamin deficiency you should schedule an appointment to speak with a naturopathic doctor about your concerns.
- Begin taking vitamin supplements. One easy way to increase your vitamin intake is by taking vitamin supplements or a daily multivitamin.
- Incorporate food into your diet that is vitamin-rich. Depending on which vitamin you’re deficient in, you can incorporate different foods into your diet to boost vitamin levels. Foods like salmon and egg yolk are rich in vitamin D, while fortified milk and cereals can help with vitamin B12 deficiency.
Get In Touch With a Naturopathic Doctor Today
Get the naturopathic care that you deserve by scheduling a consultation with Dr. Robertson at Port Orchard Natural Medicine & Aesthetics today.
Regardless of your health concerns, Dr. Robertson would be more than happy to listen to your concerns, answer any questions you may have, and set you on the right path to a healthier, less anxious life.
At Port Orchard Natural Medicine & Aesthetics, we deal with a number of different health conditions and offer natural treatments and solutions to help our patients have a freer, more fulfilling life.
Get in touch with Port Orchard Natural Medicine & Aesthetics today by calling to schedule an appointment with our qualified naturopathic doctor.
