How Long Does It Take For Vitamins To Work?

Supplements are manufactured to provide essential nutrients to the body at the time of deficiency in the body. They are extracted from food sources or synthesized in nature. These supplements help to balance the constituents of vitamins in the body.

But have you ever wondered how long does it take for vitamins to work? 

All About How Long Does It Take For Vitamins To Work?!

As you wonder how long does it take for vitamins to work. The answer is it depends on different people, their deficiency, and the dose they have taken. Therefore, the time taken by vitamins to work varies from person to person.

There are different types of vitamins available for various deficiencies.

If you suffer from a particular deficiency, then you can intake that vitamin tablet. If not, the multi-vitamin pill ¹is the preferred option. 

1. Table of Vitamins

Vitamins are organic compounds acquired through a healthy diet. There are thirteen vitamins: Vitamin A, B – its components, C, D, E, and K. These vitamins help the body function conveniently.

Due to the poor quality of food, there is a decrease in the consumption of vitamins and minerals. As a solution to this problem, many people consume supplements in addition. Such supplements are tablets, capsules, bottled powders, pills, and then they wonder how long does it take for vitamins to work.

The list of various vitamins, their sources, and the role they play in keeping us healthy. Also, the diseases that occur due to deficiency of these vitamins.

Vitamin	Source	Role	Deficiency diseases
A	Carrot, green leafy vegetables, dairy products, sweet potatoes, deep yellow fruits, and vegetables	Protects eyes, helps to keep skin, bones, and teeth healthy	Night blindness, Xeroderma [dry skin], hyperkeratosis [thickening of the skin], keratomalacia [eye disorder]
B1	Wholemeal grains, eggs, pork, and vegetables	Helps in the proper functioning of nerves and heart	Beriberi [nerve disorder], muscle weakness/inefficiency
B2	Dairy products, bananas, green beans, asparagus	Help in breaking fat, proteins, and carbohydrates and maintains the body’s energy supply.	Inflammation around the mouth lining and tongue, dry skin, and cracks at the corner of the mouth.
B3	Meat, fish, eggs, tree nuts, mushrooms, and vegetables	Help in boosting brain function, ease arthritis and reduce cholesterol.	Pellagra [inflamed skin, sores in the mouth, diarrhea]
B5	Meat, broccoli, avocados	Help in converting the food we eat into energy and also in making blood cells	Paresthesia [abnormal sensation of skin]
B6	Meat, bananas, tree nuts, and vegetables	Help the body make norepinephrine [hormones that cope with stress] and hormones that regulate the mood. Also involved in the production of hemoglobin. and it is needed for the development of the brain and its functions	Anemia and peripheral neuropathy 2
B7	Leafy green vegetables, peanuts, raw egg yolks	Improves digestion resulting in weight loss, healthy skin and tissue maintenance	Dermatitis [inflammation of skin], enteritis [inflammation of small intestine]
B9	Bread, cereals, leafy vegetables	Help in the growth of the body	Anemia, improper growth
B12	Meat, fish, poultry, milk	Help in the formation of blood cells	Anemia
C	Citrus fruits like orange, lemon, and green leafy vegetables	Protects body tissues and help in the formation of collagen – a protein essential for gums, teeth, bones, and skin	Scurvy [bleeding of gums], delay in healing of wounds, and thyroid malfunction 3
D	Eggs, fish, mushrooms, dairy products, and exposure to sunlight	Absorbs calcium and phosphorous for healthy bones and teeth	Rickets [softening of bones], osteomalacia [impaired bone metabolism]
E	Nuts, seeds and seed oils, fruits and vegetables	Help in maintaining the efficiency of muscle cells and the function of ingestion inside the cells.	Skin disorders and abnormal breakdown of red blood cells in infants
K	Egg yolks and green leafy vegetables	Help in the clotting of blood	Bleeding Diathesis [hemorrhage]

 

 2. Family of vitamins

The main thing to know about vitamins is that they are classified into two parts based on solubility. Those are water-soluble vitamins⁴ and fat-soluble vitamins⁵. This division helps us to know how long does it take for vitamins to work.

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   Water-soluble vitamins :

  
  

As the name suggests, these vitamins are soluble in water. It includes vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, and vitamin C.

The human body doesn’t store these vitamins. As a result, they are excreted from the body in the form of sweat and urine. Hence, a regular intake of these vitamins is essential.

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    Fat-soluble vitamins :

  
  

These vitamins are absorbed into the body by fats in the intestinal tracts. It includes vitamins such as Vitamin A, D, E, and K. These nutrients are stored in the body through the diet we consume.

Deficiency of these vitamins happens in our body due to malnutrition or mal-absorption of these vitamins⁶ by the body.

Naturally, the necessary source of the vitamin is the diet we follow. As the body stores only a significant amount of all vitamins. The internal organs have a crucial role in absorbing these vitamins and excreting them out of the body.

Also, the body can acquire vitamins from external sources.

For instance – vitamin D can be absorbed by the skin cells when exposed to a particular wavelength of sunlight [ultraviolet rays].  

 

3. Categories of Deficiencies

The nutrition deficiency is categorized into primary deficiency and secondary deficiency.

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  Primary deficiency
  

  
  

         When the body doesn’t receive enough vitamins through its diet, it is called the primary deficiency. It can be overcome by using supplements.

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  Secondary deficiency
  

  
  

         When the body itself limits the absorption of vitamins, this deficiency is considered. It happens mainly due to atypical lifestyle habits such as smoking, consuming alcohol, etc.

 

4. Relation of Nutrients

Generally, vitamins and minerals are dependent on each other. They can fight for their place in our body as well, as they can work together to improve our health. These relations affect how long does it take for vitamins to work.

One such example is calcium and vitamin D. Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium. You will always have a boost of calcium in your body if you are not deficient in vitamin D.

 

5. Factors affecting Vitamins/supplements

Vitamins are the best option to overcome the deficiencies. They help us in maintaining the balance between the required amounts of vitamins in our bodies.

If a person consumes vitamins in excessive amounts or has some health issues, then severe side effects can be seen. This can become fatal if neglected.

The effect of vitamins on the body can vary according to certain factors. These factors help us in understanding how long does it take for vitamins to work.

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  The Level of Deficiency

  
  

When a vitamin is highly deficient, then it can take more than usual time to show the effects of supplements. As the question arises, how long does it take for vitamins to work on a healthy person?. The answer is in a week or two, the effects of vitamins are seen.

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  Lifestyle

  
  

Unusual lifestyle habits such as smoking and consuming alcohol can result in mal-absorption of vitamins and minerals by the body. They may also react with the vitamins and delay the process of recovery. Here the answer to how long does it take for vitamins to work depends on your lifestyle.

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  Health issues

  
  

If the person has health-related issues, then the vitamins should be considered with the doctor. If you are taking vitamins without consulting them, then there may be the slightest chance that it can harm your body.

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  Form of supplement

  
  

If you are taking vitamins in the liquid form, it reacts faster in the body than tablets or capsules. Capsules take a long time to break and release the vitamins into the body. Now you know how long does it take for vitamins to work: liquid supplements shows faster effect than capsules or tablets.

 

6. Switching of vitamins

The ideal time to switch the vitamins is after three months of starting the medication. This time period will help you analyze the results provided by your current supplement. Generally, it is better to know how long does it take for vitamins to work or show the effect on the body. It may help in understanding the impact of these supplements on the body.

Supplements are a great alternative to combat the deficiency of vitamins. But excess use of these supplements can be fatal. You need to consult your doctor before taking supplements to understand the correct dose required by your body.

 

7. Other supplements

There are also supplements other than vitamin supplements⁷ that help us lead a healthy life. Also, the answer to how long it takes for vitamins to work remains the same for these supplements.

The other supplements are:

7.1 Bodybuilding supplements

People who are involved in bodybuilding, weight-lifting, martial arts and athletics use bodybuilding supplements. These supplements help in increasing body mass. That results in increased body muscle, body weight, and decreased body fat.

7.2 Proteins supplements

They are available in the form of powder or in ready-to-drink cans. These supplements are used by people who want to lose weight without losing muscle. And athletes who believe extreme physical activities require more protein use this supplement.

7.3 Probiotics

These microorganisms are already present in the large intestine of the body. As a dietary supplement, it is a theory to consume specific bacteria or yeasts to influence the microorganisms. It helps in increasing immunity as well as decreases the risk of constipation and diarrhea.

Nowadays, supplements are the most used alternative. It not only balances the nutrition level but also helps us to live an amazing lifestyle. But everything has two sides to it.

Therefore, it also has its side effects if used excessively. I hope this article has answered your query about how long does it take for vitamins to work. Be healthy and be curious.

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3. Abazova, Z. Kh, et al. “A method for rapid diagnosis of thyroid malfunction.” Biomedical Engineering 39.3 (2005): 103-105. ↩︎
4. Said, Hamid M. “Water-soluble vitamins.” Nutrition for the primary care provider 111 (2015): 30-37. ↩︎
5. Stevens, Sherri L. “Fat-soluble vitamins.” Nursing Clinics 56.1 (2021): 33-45. ↩︎
6. Girdwood, R. H. “The absorption of vitamins in disorders of the alimentary tract.” Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 14.1 (1955): 41-50. ↩︎
7. Kamangar, Farin, and Ashkan Emadi. “Vitamin and mineral supplements: do we really need them?.” International journal of preventive medicine 3.3 (2012): 221. ↩︎

Last Updated on July 22, 2024 by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology