Whether your goal is to better a specific area of health or just improve your general wellness, there’s a handful of lifestyle changes you can make to help – one of the easiest is taking supplements. If you’re just starting out with vitamins or still deciding, you might be wondering: how long do they take to work? The answer: it depends. Each person’s experience will vary on a range of factors, but *very* generally speaking, you can assume around 90 days. Read on to learn why and what you can expect along the way.
First, what factors influence your journey?
Your body uses vitamins for many natural bodily processes, like bone health, immunity and converting food into energy to name a few. But each person is unique and supplements can work differently for every body. Some factors that can affect how your vitamins will work include:
- What vitamins are in your pack
- Your baseline nutrient levels
- Diet
- Age
- Underlying health issues
- Physical activity
- Environment
So why 90 days? Often unwanted symptoms are related to nutrient imbalances or low levels, and your body needs time to adjust and rectify these. Mega doses won’t work either – your body is only able to absorb and use so much at a time, so taking a high dose or doubling up won’t make up for a history of low levels. In fact, this can cause more harm and complications, so it’s important to stay within recommended doses and focus on consistency.
Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect at the end of each month:
The 30-day mark
Some supplements are fast-acting, and depending on what’s in your pack, you might observe some benefits rather quickly. For instance, if you have digestive enzymes, magnesium or melatonin – you’ll likely notice early benefits of reduced bloating, relaxed muscles or better sleep* within the first month.
Other supplements need more time for noticeable results though. Especially if your nutrient baseline was low, it may take longer to correct the deficiency and see change. So even if you don’t feel immediate changes after your first month, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, nor does that mean the vitamins aren’t working in the background!
In fact, when your vitamins are ingested and absorbed, they immediately start their metabolic effects to aid your bodily processes.
The 60-day mark
After about two months of taking your packs consistently, you may start seeing some noticeable changes. If you were struggling with symptoms related to low levels of a particular nutrient, these symptoms may start to reduce.
For instance, if you’re one of the 42 percent of U.S. adults that are deficient in Vitamin D and struggling with fatigue, brain fog or poor mood because of it, after 6 weeks of supplementation, vitamin D levels may improve according to some research – alleviating some of these symptoms.
Or if you’re one of the 10 million people in the U.S. who are deficient in iron, levels typically improve after about 2 months for most people. (Note: always check with your doctor if iron should be added to your supplement routine.)
The 90-day mark
If you’ve been taking your supplements consistently for roughly 3 months, you should have a good sense of whether they’re working well or if modifications need to be made. Your nutrient levels may be close to, if not up to par and you may feel improvements in particular areas of concern.
If you’re working with your doctor to correct low levels, they may redo blood work to reevaluate your levels around this time. (Note: it’s important to follow your doctor’s recommendations when correcting deficiencies.)
If you feel your pack needs adjustments or your health goals have changed, book a complimentary appointment with our Nutritionists. You can also email, chat or call for assistance.
Bottom line
While many of us wish (and sometimes expect) supplements to work like magic pills – the truth is, supplements need time to extend all their benefits. Plus, there are many aspects that can affect your supplement journey, but on average, you can expect to see nutrient levels improved and some benefits after about 90 days of taking your packs consistently.
About Gabby
Gabby is a Nutritionist with a master’s degree in strategic communications. She loves using her nutrition-fluency with storytelling to encourage positive change. Before Persona, she worked at a mental health clinic helping clients manage stress, anxiety and other mental health issues through diet.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
This information is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. Do not use the information from this article for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal, or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read in this article.
