Every Age and Gender's Vitamin and Mineral Needs are Different

Unfortunately, there is an important misconception in the society about vitamins and minerals, and all members of the family can use a purchased vitamin supplement.

Underlining that the vitamin and mineral needs of children, adolescents, adults and the elderly are different and this situation also varies according to gender, Pharmacist Ayşen Dincer reminds that when taking vitamin and mineral support, multivitamins that are tailored to age, gender and need should be used.

Regular and proper nutrition is of great importance for our health, but very few of us can do it. For this reason, we cannot meet our daily vitamin and mineral needs. Vitamin and mineral deficiency can cause fatigue, loss of strength, focus problems, muscle cramps as well as serious health problems. Underlining that the daily vitamin and mineral needs must be met with multivitamins, Pharmacist Ayşen Dincer says, “This vitamin mineral recommendation should be suitable for gender, age and need”.

Stating that the understanding that one vitamin is sufficient for the whole family is very wrong, Pharm. Dincer reminds us that if everybody's calories, diet and genetics are different, the vitamins they need cannot be the same. Drawing attention to the fact that children, adolescents, adults and the elderly should also take different doses of vitamins, Pharm. Dincer continues: “Think of a 5-year-old boy. Since it is in the age of development, the supports it needs are very different from you. When the same child reaches the age of 15, he / she will need different supports than the 5-year-old vitamin and mineral supplement. With age, not only the content of multivitamins but also their amount should change. We can also give an example of iron on this subject; According to Nutritional Reference Values, a newborn needs 0.3 mg of iron, a baby needs 11 mg… When this baby is an adult woman, the amount of iron needed is 18 mg. In pregnant women, this rate may rise to 27 mg. So when a child and a woman use the same vitamin, it is not possible for them to meet their daily needs. Therefore, vitamins must be determined according to gender, age and needs. "