KEEP UP THIS HABIT
If you already pop a multivitamin—like nearly 50 percent of adults—add this to the list of reasons to maintain that healthy habit: You’ll cut your stress, anxiety, and levels of fatigue, according to new research in Psychosomatic Medicine.Researchers analyzed eight studies of 1,300 adults taking a multivitamin supplement for at least 28 days and found that people who popped multivitamins for at least a month enjoyed a 65 and 68 percent reduction in stress and anxiety,respectively, and reported 73 percent less fatigue.
Getting ample amounts of vitamins and minerals improves the function of enzymes that regulate biochemical processes in the brain that control your mood, and multivitamins provide additional nutrients beyond what you may be getting from your diet, researchers explain.
The researchers found taking multivitamins that supplied high doses of B vitamins—some up to five times the recommended daily allowance—was more strongly associated with this mood bump. “B vitamins are used to convert food into energy, produce stress hormones, and help your nervous system function properly. That means even normal, everyday stress can deplete the body’s supply of B vitamins.
It is important to note here that taking multivitamins is not a substitute for eating healthy, it is a great way to fill in the gaps.
Brought to you by Dr. Howard Zamick, Chiropractor, Newmarket Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic, Newmarket, Ontario