When You Take A Multivitamin Every Day, This Is What Happens To Your Body

Do you take a multivitamin every day? When you think of the best ways to be as healthy as possible, chances are that a few different practices come to mind: eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, making sure to sleep at least eight hours per night, and having meaningful contact with the people that you love. All of those things are essential for maintaining wellness, according to the Mayo Clinic. And multivitamins could help, too!

Yes, if you're interested in going the extra mile, you may also take a multivitamin to supplement the foods that you eat. It certainly seems like a rational way to give yourself an extra boost, whether it's to amp up your immunity or increase your energy levels. And given that many vitamins are available in gummy form, it's easier than ever to integrate a pill into your regimen.

So are you the kind of health nut who's already been taking a multivitamin every day for years? Or perhaps you were wondering what happens to your body if you start? Read on to find out the details, both positive and negative.

If the eyes are truly the windows to the soul, then surely they should be tended to with the greatest of care. Fortunately, if you take a multivitamin every day, you're already taking steps to mind your ocular health. That's because doing so can decrease your risk of eye disease and age-related degeneration, as noted by immunologist Dr. Lina Velikova. "The powerful antioxidants like vitamin C, E, and A; zinc; and beta-carotene that multivitamins contain benefit eye health," she explained to The List. 

Specifically, these strong little fighters can protect and preserve your eyes in several different ways, said Velikova. "Vitamin A helps to keep the cornea clear and is a protein component that serves for low-light vision sensitivity," she continued. "Vitamins C and E are potent antioxidants that fight the free radicals from the environment." And fighting free radicals means you're protecting yourself from the oxidative stress that they can wreak, which can cause a lot of damage to the body, according to Medical News Today.

People take multivitamins for a wide variety of reasons: They want to get healthier, they want to perform better at the gym, or perhaps they hope multivitamins will give them more energy. But there's one thing that taking a multivitamin every day will do for you for sure, as noted by registered dietitian Trista Best. "You will be more nourished because you will be taking in nutrients through other sources than food," she told The List. "While a balanced diet is imperative, we may still be lacking some important nutrients." Hey, we can't eat perfectly all the time, right?

So as long as your diet is checking most of the important boxes, your daily vitamin will work in tandem with it, said Best. "A supplement is doing its job effectively when it is relied upon to add to your balanced diet rather than support a bad diet," she continued. So don't start throwing vitamins on top of pizza or baking them into cookies anytime soon.

However, to know if you could benefit from taking multivitamins every day, talk to your doctor.

Perhaps when you were younger getting sick had its perks, as you could stay home from school, eat ice cream, and watch bad daytime television with your parents. But that loses its luster when you're all grown up, as, on top of feeling ill, you also may worry about missing work or juggling family obligations. So if you want to stay healthy, taking a multivitamin every day might help, says certified nutritionist Anju Mobin. "Vitamin C is an antioxidant known for empowering the immune system," she shared with The List. "Vitamins D and E help to boost immunity, too." Since those are commonly found in most multivitamins, as noted by Verywell Fit, you can knock out your dose in one pill.

That's not all a multivitamin can do for your immune system either, according to Mobin. "They also help in reducing common allergies," she continued. That's good news for folks who can't stop sneezing in the springtime or who have allergies to cats and dogs. However, don't think that you will cure your allergies if you take a multivitamin. And it's worth noting that more research needs to be done on multivitamins' influence on allergies (via Everyday Health). Should you need significant help managing your allergies, talk to your doctor and maybe see an allergist.

While one study found that taking a multivitamin may decrease your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, that doesn't address whether or not taking one every day can help prevent heart disease in the first place. So what does the science say about the idea, especially since cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the world, according to the World Health Organization?

Not much, at least conclusively, as noted by health writer Hrefna Pálsdóttir. "Many people believe that taking multivitamins can help prevent heart disease, but the evidence is mixed," she penned in an article in Healthline. "Some studies suggest that multivitamins are correlated to a reduced risk of heart attacks and death, while others show no effects."

What has been shown conclusively to decrease your risk of heart disease is to eat a healthy diet and to get regular exercise, according to the CDC. So if you specifically take a multivitamin every day to protect your heart, your efforts may be in vain.

The human brain is an amazing organ. It is responsible for the function of bodily systems and regulates our breathing, heartbeat, and consciousness, as noted by Live Science. That's not even close to all of the things your brain does, either!

Fortunately if you take a multivitamin every day, you could be doing some good for your noggin. "Several studies have found that multivitamins can improve memory in older adults," reported Healthline. That's important, given the damage diseases like dementia can do to memory later in life.

Daily vitamin supplementation can also have an impact on how you feel as well. "These supplements may also improve mood," Healthline noted. "Research reveals links not only between poor mood and nutrient deficiencies but also between multivitamins and better mood or reduced depression symptoms." And while some studies came to a different conclusion, there appears to be enough evidence that supports the link between brain health and taking multivitamins.

For as much as taking a multivitamin every day can benefit you, it's important to be aware that there can be some drawbacks as well, as it helps to know what happens to your body when you take too many vitamins. Most notably, you should be aware of how much you're ingesting, as noted by registered dietitian Trista Best. "You might get too much fat-soluble vitamins if you are taking them in individual supplement forms as well," she told The List. "Fat-soluble vitamins are unlike water-soluble vitamins in that they can be potentially toxic by being stored in the body rather than expelled through the urine." That's unlike something like vitamin C, for example, which is usually flushed out if you take too much of it, according to Healthline. Though, it is worth noting that ingesting too much vitamin C could lead to other issues, such as kidney stones.

But don't worry too much about vitamin overdoses if you're only taking a multivitamin, says Best. "This is a rare occurrence, unless you are taking A, D, E, or K in a separate supplement form as well," she continued. So if you're just taking a single multivitamin, you probably don't have anything to worry about. Still, if you're concerned, speak with your doctor.

One of the nice things about multivitamins is that manufacturers often state on the label who their product is for, allowing you to select the best possible pill for your needs. "You can find all sorts of multivitamins that cater to certain ages, life stages, and genders, and this can be helpful," registered dietitian Amanda A. Kostro Miller explained to The List. That way you're likely to get the specific nutrients that you need for your body. Wondering if you should even take a supplement? Turns out there are some weird signs to watch out for that suggest you should take a multivitamin. 

But before you decide to take a multivitamin every day, you may want to get clearance first, says Kostro Miller. "Above all, make sure you talk to your doctor before choosing a multivitamin," she continued. "Because there may be certain instances where taking a multivitamin can lead to toxicity in some people (dependent on other supplements/medications you take)." So check in with your doctor or healthcare professional to find out what's best for you.