Are Small Multivitamins for Women Necessary?

Losing Out On Vitamins

In a perfect world, we would get all of the vitamins and minerals we need from our diet—but we don't. That's why supplements are called supplements—they give our bodies what our diets don't, making sure that we get the amount of nutrients we should. For example, our bodies rely on iron to fortify our red blood cells. If you don't get enough iron, you can develop a condition like anemia, which leads to weakness, fainting, depression and other symptoms.

While iron is found in food like red meats, egg yolks, turkey and mollusks, people that abstain from animal products may not get enough. While they could get iron from foods like raisins and beans, it might not be consistently enough. A vegan with an irregular menstrual cycle, for example, may suffer from an iron deficiency—this is why small multivitamins for women often come in formulas that have extra iron.

Pregnancy and Vitamins

Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant may also need to supplement their diets—in this case, with small prenatal vitamins. While your diet is naturally going to change during pregnancy, you may yet not get enough nutrients for both you and your baby. Even small prenatal vitamins, then, can help increase your intake of nutrients like folic acid, vitami
D, iron, biotin and magnesium—all things that your body needs more of once it is carrying a child.

Other Reasons to Take Vitamins

Small multivitamins for women aren't designed to be a cure or a replacement for any dietary nutrition, but they are designed to help certain groups. For example, if you do not spend much time exposed to sunlight, your body could experience a vitami
D deficiency—taking a women's multivitamin, however, can increase your levels of this nutrient. A vitamin with biotin can help you strengthen your fingernails and hair, so if you suffer from hair that falls out or breaks from a hormonal condition, your doctor may recommend taking a vitamin with biotin.

If you aren't sure if you should be taking a multivitamin or not, take your concerns to your doctor. Your doctor may recommend either a multivitamin for taking in a variety of nutrients all at once or simply starting one or two separate vitamin regimens for targeted health improvement.

Collagen isn't just found in your skin—it's a major component of your joints, too. The inflammation caused by conditions like arthritis can damage the collagen in your joints, which is one of the reasons that arthritis affects your joint mobility. Insufficient collagen doesn't just affect small joints like those in your fingers, though. It can affect all of your joints—another common site of symptoms is the knees.

It's true—not every last person alive needs a multivitamin. Some people, however, need them much more than others. This can depend on your body's ability to absorb certain nutrients, your level of exercise, your diet, your geographic location, your hormones and more. Small multivitamins for women can help women get the nutrients they need for their ever-changing bodies, which can easily be effected by hormones, pregnancy and medical conditions. If you have a long-term health condition or your diet isn't supplying an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals, a multivitamin can help.