The Best Vitamins for Weight Gain

• September 27, 2024
• Written by :  Rebecca LaMarca, MSN, APN-BC, CNS

While many of our clients may be concerned about weight loss, others are looking to bulk up or gain weight. If you’re struggling to put on weight for any reason, there are vitamins and supplements that may be helpful in reaching your desired weight gain goals.

Vitamins to increase appetite and gain weight

There are a number of conditions that can contribute to a decrease in appetite, including depression, cancer and cancer treatments, and substance use. People at certain stages of life — very early childhood and later adulthood — also may be more prone to appetite loss.

If you suffer from a deficiency in certain vitamins and nutrients, that may decrease your appetite and make it difficult to put on weight. Deficiencies in vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, iron and zinc, can suppress your appetite. Vitamin B1 can be found naturally in foods like whole grains, meat and fish.¹ Iron can be found naturally in foods like red meat, beans and nuts.² Zinc is most commonly found in beef and seafood, and things like breakfast cereal are often fortified with zinc.³ If you have a deficiency of any of these and are unable to overcome it with a change in diet, using a supplement may be beneficial to help increase your appetite. 

What is the best protein supplement to gain weight?

Protein is an essential nutrient that acts as a fuel source for the body. While there’s a popular belief that everyone needs more protein, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 indicates that most people in the U.S. meet or exceed their recommended daily intake of protein.⁴ “The recommended dietary allowance to prevent deficiency for an average sedentary adult is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight,” according to the Mayo Clinic.⁵ So the amount of protein needed can differ drastically from person to person.

Regardless, if you’re someone who struggles to get the necessary amount of protein, there are several options.

There’s no shortage of protein powders on the market today, but finding the right one for you is ultimately about personal preference in terms of factors like protein source, flavor and grams of protein per serving. The source of protein in most protein powders is some variation of whey, casein, egg, pea and/or brown rice.

Another weight gain supplement that’s ever-popular is creatine, an amino acid compound that is found naturally in the body and in foods like red meat and seafood.⁶ Available as a supplement in both powder and pill forms, creatine is often used by athletes to improve performance or help with muscle mass.

REFERENCES

1. Office of Dietary Supplements – thiamin. (n.d.). https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Thiamin-HealthProfessional/
2. Office of Dietary Supplements – Iron. (n.d.). https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/
3. Office of Dietary Supplements – Zinc. (n.d.). https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/
4. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 and Online materials | Dietary Guidelines for Americans. (n.d.). https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/resources/2020-2025-dietary-guidelines-online-materials
5. RDN, K. W. (2023, December 14). Are you getting too much protein? Mayo Clinic Health System. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/are-you-getting-too-much-protein
6. Creatine. (2023, December 13). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-creatine/art-20347591

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