Gummy vitamins were originally created for children, but have made their way into the adult vitamin section in recent years. They are basically gummy candies with vitamins added. Sometimes they are made with sugar, which means that you are adding empty calories to your diet and can lead to tooth decay, and sometimes they are made with sugar substitutes, which run the risk of digestive problems in some people. The sweetness can be appealing to children who might take more than the stated dose and can lead to toxicity. When vitamins are put into a gummy, they are less stable than vitamins that are in pill form. This means the potency goes down over time, so to counter this, the makers overload the vitamin’s content. The FDA does not oversee vitamins, so you do not know if the amounts of the vitamin stated on the label are accurate. When a gummy is fresh, it likely has more vitamin content than what is stated, and an old gummy would have less because of lost potency. There have been a few studies to compare absorption within the body of pills versus gummy vitamins. In two university-controlled studies measuring vitamin C in one and vitamin D in another, they found the bioavailability of the gummy vitamin to be the same as the pill vitamin. As we explored in a previous blog, vitamins in any form have not been proven to show benefits in healthy individuals. Foods provide much more of the vitamins and minerals we need, so you would gain more benefits by focusing on your diet rather than paying for pills that do very little to help your health. Paragon Orthopedic Center encourages you to talk to your doctor about your diet and any need for supplements. Feed your body the good nutrition it craves for good health!
Are Gummy Vitamins Effective | Gummy Vitamins vs Pills (universityhealthnews.com)
