Do you need to take vitamins regularly for them to have an effect, or are there vitamins that can be taken for shorter periods to “address” temporary dips? Our biomedical expert Erik answers one of the many questions we have received through our Q&A on social media:
- The need for vitamins or minerals can certainly vary during different periods and under certain circumstances. However, temporary “dips” are perhaps not something that is discussed or addressed clinically very often.
But of course, sudden deficiencies or imbalances of minerals and electrolytes could be noticed fairly quickly, something that could occur, for example, during strenuous physical activity.
It is not uncommon, for performance-related reasons, to provide the body with certain specific minerals and vitamins. Otherwise, it also occurs that people deliberately want to “boost” their levels above normal – in other words, something completely different from trying to correct a deficiency – here, instead, it is about trying to obtain a desired benefit in one way or another. A good example of this is when athletes, during certain periods, take 1000–2000 mg/day of Vitamin C as a preventive measure to reduce the risk of becoming ill from cold viruses.
