Are We Overdoing It On Vitamins Due To The Pandemic?

According to what I found online, 70% of the population takes at least 1 daily vitamin supplement, 54% takes two daily vitamins, and 29% take more than four per day. I couldn’t help but think, has the consumption of vitamins increased since the pandemic, and are we taking too many? I know people (myself included) are crazy about vitamins since 2020 hit. I remember when a bottle of Zinc was like gold, and Elderberry was hard to find anywhere. Now, like hand sanitizer, they are everywhere and easy to come by.

Without getting too scientific or diving into what everyone should take daily (as we know, it varies with age, weight and other factors), I did find some helpful links online for my readers with some Vitamin recommendations.

I really enjoyed this link from Harvard because not only does it have a complete list of vitamins with info on each one, as well as other helpful resources, but there was a running joke about Harvard and a certain reality star going around in my group texts all week, lol. If you get it, you get it. Here’s another link from Lenntech with a list of recommended vitamins and daily values.

I know that since the pandemic began, we all heard, “take Elderberry, Vitamin D, Zinc and Vitamin C to fight the virus.” I, of course, have been doing that daily, but I also take an entire multi-vitamin pack, an entire pack of relief factor (cause I am an old bish and have a bad hip), as well as hair and skin vitamins (remember my covid hair post?) and many others.

So, what I wanted to get down to was how much do we really need, and what should we be taking? Here’s what I found online for general wellness and fighting the rona. I’m no doctor, and none of this should be taken as medical advice. However, if I’m wondering, I’m sure you readers are as well. That’s what this page is about!

Vitamin D
The recommended daily amount of vitamin D is 400 international units (IU) for children up to age 12 months, 600 IU for people ages 1 to 70 years, and 800 IU for people over 70 years.

Vitamin C
For adults, the recommended daily amount for vitamin C is 65 to 90 milligrams (mg) a day, and the upper limit is 2,000 mg a day.

Elderberry
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of elderberry syrup taken four times daily to treat cold or flu symptoms. Elderberry lozenges (175 milligrams) can be taken twice daily.

Zinc
The recommended daily amount of zinc is 8 milligrams (mg) for women and 11 mg for adult men.
I’m taking way too much, but again this is what I found online, I didn’t consult a doctor.

Hair/Skin Vitamins (Biotin)
To prevent deficiency, the amount taken by mouth is based on normal daily recommended intakes: Adults and teenagers—30 to 100 micrograms (mcg) per day. Children 7 to 10 years of age—30 mcg per day. Children 4 to 6 years of age—25 mcg per day.
Again, I’m taking wayyyy more.

So, with that breakdown I guess it’s time to get the gummy vitamins out (my fav), grab a Beauty Kitchen face mask, turn on Netflix, and stay hydrated!

XOXO,
Heather