If you're a college student, you know how hard it can be working to balance your studies, social life and health. You need to have enough energy, focus and immunity to ace your exams and enjoy time with your friends. But how do you do that when you're on a tight budget and potentially eating affordable junk food most of the time? In FromHighSchooltoUni's experience, vitamins and supplements are key for college students to survive and thrive on campus!
How are Vitamins and Supplements Beneficial for Students?
Student wellness is vital for your mental health and overall wellbeing. Taking multi vitamins and supplements is the best way to boost your immunity. They come in all sorts of cool forms like pills, drinks, powders or gummies, including vegan and vegetarian supplements, and provide things you don't get enough of from food.
The best vitamins for students can help with memory and concentration, boost your brain function, support your immune system, improve your skin health and more.
In this blog, FromHighSchooltoUni experts will show you the best vitamins and supplements for working students, why they're important for your health and wellbeing, and where to find them.
Why Should College Students Take Vitamins and Supplements?
Remember when your Mum gave you gummy bears in the morning before school? She was not rewarding you with sweeties, she was forcing vitamins down you in a child-friendly way.
If you are a picky eater, vegan, or vegetarian, maintaining an ongoing daily routine of supplements is essential.
As Holland & Barrett (a leading store for supplements and wellness*) states: “You need to give your body the fuel it requires and opt for foods and supplements than can boost your memory, concentration, and alertness. When it comes to your nutrition, it is a marathon not a sprint so changing your diet or starting to take a supplement is not going to work if you do it the day before your exams start”.
Vitamins 101: Their Benefits and the Foods Students Should Eat
Vitamin Group | Benefits | Included in Foods |
Vitamin A | Healthy skin, night and colour vision, normalizes growth | Dairy products (milk, yoghurts, cheese, etc) Carrots Sweet potatoes Pumpkin or Squash |
B Vitamins B6, B12, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Niacin, Folic Acid | Boost energy in the form of glucose which cannot be produced by the body. Their purpose is to aid new cell production and metabolism B9 (Folic acid) is especially important during growth spurts - that last growth development you will put on entering adulthood B12 is especially recommended for vegans and vegetarians, as this can only be obtained from fish, meat, eggs and dairy products. | Meat Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck) Milk Eggs Peas Dried fruit Bread Fortified breakfast cereals B12: Eggs Citrus fruit Asparagus Green vegetables |
Calcium | Essential for healthy bones and teeth, keeps the heart health and nerves and muscles working efficiently | Dairy products Tofu Beans Green vegetables |
Vitamin C | Essential to boost your immune system, bones and teeth, helps synthesize collagen - so if you want to stay looking young longer, ingest in supplement form, and apply Vitamin C serum on your face | Citrus fruit (oranges, grapefruit, kiwi, lemon) Strawberries Red peppers Tomatoes Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower Spinach Potatoes |
Vitamin D | Vital hormone-like vitamin to keep bones strong and muscles functioning properly, helps cells divide and helps maintain calcium levels. Exposure to direct sunlight is your best source of vitamin D - but always wear sunscreen! It is particularly recommended to take a vitamin D3 supplement during the winter months to compensate for the lack of exposure to sunshine. | Egg yolks Oily fish (tuna, mackerel, herrings, anchovies) Fortified dairy products (with different nutrients added like iron, zinc, and Vitamin D) |
Iron | Crucial to reproduce red blood cells and increase muscle mass. Particularly good for menstruation. If feeling chronic fatigue on a general basis, it may be due to iron deficiency, so a supplement that can be easily digested is Ferratone, which should be taken together with Vitamin C (so ingest with a glass of fruit juice and/or during a meal) for maximal absorption. | Red meat Seafood Spinach Beans and peas Broccoli Apricots Raisins |
Omega 3 | Arguably THE most important supplement for students: Omega-3 fatty acids improve the heart, brain function, memory and concentration as well as reduce inflammation. Inflammation is a side effect of stress that prevents the hormone cortisol properly regulate inflammation. | Oily fish at least twice a week (salmon, sardines, mackerel, herrings, tuna) Turmeric (include in powder form in everything, but beware, it stains surfaces!) Nuts and seeds (walnuts, pumpkin seeds) Tofu Rapeseed oil Soya (not soya sauce!) |
Zinc | Great booster to ward off colds, illnesses and infections, Zinc also heals cuts and aids cell regrowth. Particularly recommended to take during the winter months to fight and prevent colds. | Red meat Poultry Dairy products Nuts (almonds, unsalted peanuts, cashews, pine nuts) Lentils, beans, split peas |
Where To Buy Vitamins And Supplements For Students
Students can find vitamins and supplements in a variety of places, including pharmacies, supermarkets, health stores and online shops.
Don't just go for the cheapest option! Be careful about the quality and safety of the products you buy. That's why you should always read labels, reviews and expiry dates before you buy.
Check the ingredients! If the first ingredient on the list is not the main ingredient, if there are 'E' numbers or if it's not suitable for certain diets, then look elsewhere.
Supplements generally contain bulking agents which act as a binder for the ingredients within, but if they are not natural, such as rice flour, which is used to prevent clumping for effective encapsulation, keep searching for natural ingredients.
Similarly, some gummies contain gelatin, which is not suitable for vegans or Muslims.
If you want to avoid gelatin, look for vegan gummy bears made from plant-based ingredients.
Or you can buy them from a reputable source such as Holland & Barrett *. They have a wide range of products, reasonable prices and fast delivery. They also offer expert advice and guidance on choosing the right vitamins and supplements for your needs.
*Not a personal endorsement by FromHighSchooltoUni nor a paid partnership
Get Student Discounts for Vitamins and Supplements
As you can see, vitamins and supplements for students are important for your health and well-being. So don’t hesitate to start your vitamin and supplement routine today and see how it benefits you.
If you need some help finding the best products for you, you have our complete recommended shopping list for student vitamins and supplements below.
Alternatively, you can visit any of the websites below (not sponsored). They have a lot of information and options to suit your preferences and goals. Just click the links and explore their offers - and don't forget to sign up for student discount before making a purchase!
If you need more help or guidance on how to navigate the transition from high school to university, check out our website. There you will find useful blogs, resources, and tips on how to help survive and thrive on campus.
Please share this blog with others, and follow us on social media to stay updated with tips and tricks! We are on Instagram, FaceBook, TikTok and Pinterest!
© 2023 FROMHIGHSCHOOLTOUNI LTD
All rights reserved