​Although caregiving can be rewarding, caregivers for people with dementia can find the job challenging. People with dementia require three times more hours of care and supervision than their peers without dementia. It strains not just relationships but also the finances.

Dementia affects cognitive functioning, including remembering, thinking, and reasoning. People with severe cases of dementia depend entirely on others for even the most basic tasks like feeding, cleaning, and grooming. This level of dependency can take a toll on family caregivers.

Dementia caregiving is different in many ways. For one, it involves high-intensive care, where the caregiver assists the patient with more activities of daily living (ADLs) than other caregivers. Caregivers of persons with early-onset dementia, which develops before one is 65, are looking at longer-term caregiving.

Dementia caregivers experience a host of mental and social challenges that affect their well-being. As a loved one’s dementia progresses, caring for and supervising them may become harder due to changes in personality and behavior.

Answering the same questions repeatedly and watching a loved one labor over words or activities they used to enjoy can be overwhelming. Then there is the uncontrollable impulses, verbal abuse, and delusions or paranoia.

Caregivers bear the brunt of all the emotional meltdowns associated with dementia. They are more likely to experience depression, stress, and anxiety than non-dementia caregivers. Six out of 10 dementia caregivers experience depression.

Dementia caregiving is a full-time job. It can lead to loneliness, especially for caregivers without social support and who can’t take their loved one out in public due to the fear they might cause drama or wander. Prolonged isolation predisposes one to depression.

Dementia caregiving strains relationships. For a spouse, dementia caregiving means putting one’s life on hold to take care of the significant other. It means less personal time and restricted social life. The sacrifice can take a toll on the caregiver, as feelings of resentment may set in.

Dementia caregivers often focus on caring for a loved one; they forget to take care of themselves. Dementia caregiving can make self-care an afterthought. There may be no time, energy, or motivation to exercise or cook a healthy meal. Moreover, some caregivers are forced to make financial choices that put self-care on the back burner.

Regarding financial choices, costs can be prohibitive even when professional care is an option. For families without insurance, the financial strain can be overwhelming. Out-of-pocket spending can erode up to 60 percent of a family’s wealth within the eight years following a diagnosis.

Studies have linked the stress, depression, anxiety, and loneliness associated with dementia caregiving to increased mortality rates among caregivers. It’s worse when the caregiver is an older spouse with a history of chronic illness. Healthy dementia caregivers aren’t spared either.

It’s hard to neglect self-care and give the best care. That’s why caregivers must avoid stress and burnout. Take a break. Ask a friend or family member to step in or hire a professional caregiver, even if it’s just for a few days per week. It may also help you join an online support group.

Caregiving can be rewarding, but not dementia caregiving. It’s a different ballgame. Watching a spouse forget cherished memories and names of loved ones can be overwhelming. It helps to educate oneself on dementia and how it changes people. Seek help, take a break, and prioritize self-care.

​Multivitamins contain a combination of vitamins and minerals the body needs to function optimally. Many Americans consume supplements daily for various purposes, such as maintaining bone health and preventing blood clots. Thus, multivitamins serve several purposes and provide multiple health benefits, such as breaking down carbohydrates, supporting healthy cells, and preventing infections. 

Vitamins help metabolism and the breakdown of carbohydrates, protein, fat, and other macronutrients. Moreover, manufacturers design multivitamins to fill in vitamin gaps, especially for individuals who practice specific diets. For example, most multivitamin formulations feature vitamins A to K. Vitamin A or retinol naturally occurs in spinach, sweet potato, raw carrots, and pickled herring. It helps maintain healthy vision and prevents infection. Vitamin A also strengthens teeth and bones and benefits the skin by fighting free radicals. However, vitamin A is fat-soluble, making it possible for individuals to overconsume it. In pregnancy, vitamin A toxicity can cause issues in fetal development.

The B vitamin complex consists of eight components, including thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), biotin (B7), and folate and folic acid (B9). Each has a different function and recommended daily allowances (RDA). They help turn food into energy and support healthy cells. Niacin, a noteworthy B vitamin, benefits individuals with high cholesterol, but excessive doses may contribute to heart disease.

Animal products have vitamin B12 (cobalamin). Since vegans and vegetarians avoid animal products, they benefit from taking supplements. Whole grains, leafy green vegetables, and animal protein naturally produce the vitamin B complex. In addition, manufacturers fortify food items, such as enriched flour, pasta, bread, and cereals, with it.

Vitamin C contains antioxidants that help ensure healthy tissue growth. It also helps boost the immune system. Found naturally in various citrus fruits, vitamin C helps prevent the common cold and contributes to bone collagen. Moreover, vitamin C also provides a pathway for iron absorption, benefiting individuals with iron deficiency. It also helps minimize the oxidative stress associated with smoking, though it’s nowhere near as effective as simply not smoking.

Activated by ultraviolet (UV) light, trout, cod liver oil, and raw mushrooms exposed to UV light contain vitamin D. Milk products and baby formulas also include it as a supplement. Vitamin D helps maintain a healthy immune cell function and nervous system and supports bone health. Vitamin D deficiency is common among those who spend much of their days indoors or live in a place with extended winters.

Next, raw spinach and boiled broccoli contain vitamin K. It assists in wound healing, strengthens the bones, and helps prevent heart disease. Vitamin K also helps enable blood clotting. Therefore, those who take warfarin and other blood thinners should moderate their vitamin K intake.

Lastly, calcium remains essential for bone growth and enables nerves to transmit messages from the brain to the body effectively. Calcium also aids hormone secretion, muscle function, and healthy blood pressure, preventing brittle bone disease and osteoporosis. Food manufacturers use calcium to fortify items such as milk and orange juice. Individuals who take calcium supplements must watch their doses since it can lead to heart issues and headaches.

​The occasional sleepless night can be annoying. It can leave you irritable, but it's not a health risk. It’s the chronic sleeplessness you should be wary of. Not getting enough sleep does more than make you cranky. It puts you at risk of several health problems, such as weak immune system and weight gain.

Your brain needs adequate rest to function optimally. It requires seven to nine hours of uninterrupted rest every night. Chronic sleeplessness is the inability to get adequate more than three times per week for at least six months. It leads to sleep deprivation, which exhausts your brain and disturbs how your brain processes and sends information.

Effects of brain exhaustion include difficulty concentrating, mood swings, and poor decision-making. Sleep deprivation also heightens the risk of developing anxiety, depression, and paranoia. Untreated sleep deprivation can lead to microsleep during the day, where you fall asleep momentarily without noticing. If this happens on the wheel, it can be dangerous.

A good night’s sleep boosts the immune system by enhancing your body's ability to produce more infection-fighting antibodies. Without it, your body’s defense systems weaken, making you susceptible to illnesses and prolonging recovery. Sleep deprivation is also a known risk factor for heart disease and diabetes.

Chronic sleeplessness can also cause weight gain. Sleep affects the production of ghrelin and leptin, hormones that control feelings of hunger and fullness. Chronic sleeplessness tricks your brain into reducing leptin (which tells your brain you’ve had enough) and raises ghrelin (which increases appetite). Consequences include snacking and overeating.

Several things cause sleep insufficiency, some within your control, some beyond it. Take age, for example. Sleep loss worsens with age. Then there are the causes within your influence, like unhealthy lifestyle choices and poor sleeping habits.

Habits that negatively affect your sleep include overeating late in the evening. Eating when you should be going to bed forces your body to stay up for digestion when it should be powering down. Other habits include excessive alcohol intake, use of digital devices before bed, inconsistent sleep schedule, and long daytime naps.

Stress is another major contributor to sleep loss. Stress triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol - hormones that heighten alertness - making it hard to fall or stay asleep. The inability to get adequate sleep may itself cause stress, resulting in a vicious cycle that heightens the risk of depression and anxiety.

Sleep needs vary from person to person. Some people feel well-rested after just 7 hours of sleep; some require more than seven hours to wake up feeling rested. Age, health, and typical daily activities determine your sleep needs. For example, children sleep longer than adults. As do people who perform strenuous physical activities.

Chronic sleeplessness is a medical condition requiring expert help. But there are things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep, like maintaining a regular sleep schedule. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.

Also, exercise every day for at least 20 minutes, but don't do it too close to bedtime. Eat early in the evening and watch your alcohol and caffeine intake. If you need to nap, limit it to 30 minutes. Also, make sure your mattress, bedding, and pillows are comfortable.

Restful sleep is a lot more than how long you sleep. Quality also matters. Seven uninterrupted sleep may be better than nine hours of fragmented sleep. Talk to a sleep specialist if your inability to fall asleep affects your emotional state and mental abilities.

​Reference nutrient intake (RNI) lists the amount of each nutrient you should have daily. You can increase the RNI amount and avoid deficiency by taking vitamins and supplements.

The vitamins can be in the form of capsules, liquids, gels, and tablets. Take water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins C and B, in the morning or on an empty stomach to maximize absorption. Fat-soluble vitamins, such as A, D, E, and K, are stored in the body's fatty tissue, can stay in the body for days and months, and do not require daily intake. For efficacy, this type requires fatty foods, as absorption is only possible in the presence of fats. Vitamin supplements are available in single vitamin forms or as multivitamins, which contain a combination of different vitamins in one package.

Vitamin deficiencies mean slow or incomplete breakdown of food. B-complex vitamins help metabolize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into energy instead of fat. Slow metabolism means that the body cannot convert the food into energy and instantly converts it into fat, leading to weight gain and obesity, fatigue, and issues associated with obesity like cardiovascular complications and complicated diabetes. Conversely, a faster metabolism helps lose weight, boosts energy levels, and fosters good health.

Some conditions and diseases, such as Crohn's disease, severely affect the digestive tract through inflammation of tissues, leading to severe diarrhea, inability to completely digest food, weight loss, and malnutrition. In the absence of a known cure for the disease, the only option is management through therapy, including nutritional therapy. The intake of vitamins helps cover the loss of nutrients emanating from the symptoms associated with such diseases.

People living with cancer, especially those at the stage that requires chemotherapy, experience frequent instances of nausea and vomiting, which exposes the body to various deficiencies. Vitamins can help maintain the necessary RNI for bodily functions.

The body requires extra nutrients in transitions such as pregnancy, weight loss, puberty, and stress. However, excessive intake of some vitamins can harm the body. Women of childbearing age often are iron deficient, which can lead to fatigue, dizziness, fast heart rate, brittle nails, and pale skin. Iron supplements may alleviate or mitigate these symptoms.

Osteoporosis is common in seniors and postmenopausal women, presenting as brittle bones and reduced bone density. Calcium and vitamin D help strengthen bones. Vegans and vegetarians often lack several essential vitamins found in animal products, with a significant risk of deficiency in vitamins B12, D, zinc, and calcium. Supplementing these through routine intake of vitamins means one gets the required nutrients for good health. Regular vitamin intake may aid in weight management. Combined with exercise and eating healthy foods, certain supplements may help you achieve your weight goals. Niacin, vitamin B-6, and iron increase the production of the amino acid L-carnitine to help burn fat. Calcium, vitamin B-5, B complex, and C assist in weight loss by raising the metabolism. A multivitamin intake and vitamin B and iron can also enhance energy metabolism and convert fat into lean muscle.


Vitamin supplements help boost immunity, which primarily depends on nutrition. Some consider vitamin C the leading immunity supporter. It contains antioxidants that protect cells from free radicals that damage cells.