Multivitamins are beneficial for most people. These products are typically used to make up for the lack of nutrients resulting from an inadequate diet and treat vitamin and mineral deficiencies. But can they lead to weight gain in the process?
Let’s find out!
Do Multivitamins Make You Fat?
Multivitamins don’t influence your weight directly as they contain no calories. However, they can contribute to weight gain or weight loss since they can affect your appetite and metabolism.
More Fun Facts About (Multi)Vitamins
Let’s take a deeper dive into multivitamins, the vitamins they comprise, and their relationship with weight gain and weight loss!
Multivitamins can have an impact on your metabolism.
(Healthline) (Medical News Today) (LIVESTRONG.COM)
Certain vitamins and minerals in multivitamin supplements can help regulate your metabolism, that is, the rate at which your body burns calories.
B vitamins (especially B2, B3, B5, and B6), vitamin D, calcium, iron, and magnesium can keep your metabolism in optimal order and even help reduce body fat.
Multivitamins can also affect your appetite.
(British Journal of Nutrition) (LIVESTRONG.COM)
Multivitamins can decrease the feeling of hunger in healthy individuals. However, they could also increase the appetite in individuals whose decreased appetite results from a vitamin deficiency.
Multivitamins may promote weight loss in men.
(British Journal of Nutrition)
Research showed that men who consume supplements have lower body weight, body fat, and a greater resting energy expenditure than those who don’t.
Multivitamins aren’t a substitute for a healthy lifestyle.
(Blackmores) (Mayo Clinic)
Though they can improve your health (especially if you suffer from a deficiency) and promote weight loss, supplements shouldn’t be used as a replacement for a healthy diet and exercise.
Supplements are less nutritious than food and lack healthy dietary fiber and other protective substances (e.g., antioxidants) necessary for optimal health and won’t lead to substantial weight loss unless paired with a healthy diet.
Long-term excessive intake of B vitamins may be related to obesity.
(NCBI)
This may be the case due to B vitamins’ ability to strongly promote body fat gain (if consumed in amounts just below the toxicity threshold). B vitamins that increase the likelihood of obesity the most are thiamin (vitamin B1), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), and pyridoxine (vitamin B6).
Prolonged intake of vitamin A can contribute to obesity.
(NCBI)
Excess, unused vitamin A stores in fat, contributing to weight gain.
Vitamin C may promote weight gain.
(WebMD)
Research shows that vitamin C may have a role in accumulating body fat (especially belly fat).
Omega-3 supplements may promote weight loss.
(Livestrong) (NCBI)
This is because omega-3 can reduce your appetite and hunger. Research shows that it can even promote the feeling of fullness in obese individuals by increasing the levels of leptin, a satiety hormone.
Conclusion
Overall, though vitamins can affect your appetite and metabolism, they’re typically not the main culprit when it comes to excessive weight gain if taken moderately. There’s even evidence they can promote weight loss.
So, you don’t have to abstain from vitamins if you’re trying to get fit. Just make sure you don’t go overboard with them and that you follow a proper, balanced diet and engage in enough physical activity.
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