Whether you’re over 50, expecting a baby or consuming a limited diet, you may be taking supplements.
But there are certain factors that can help them better absorb into your body.
HuffPost recently spoke to experts about the best time to take vitamins.
It turns out, the timing of taking them isn’t important. What matters is the kind of supplements you take and what you’re doing when you take them.
According to WebMD’s Nourish, experts agree that it’s unharmful to take a daily multivitamin. Still, you may consume more than the tolerable upper level of some nutrients. That can increase the risk of unpleasant side effects such as nausea or more serious ones such as bleeding.
Not everyone needs to take supplements, however.
“It’s possible to get all of the nutrients you need by eating a variety of healthy foods, so you don’t have to take one,” Carol Haggans, a registered dietitian and consultant to the National Institutes of Health told the agency’s newsletter. “But supplements can be useful for filling in gaps in your diet.”
If your doctor has advised you to take supplements, here’s when you can take certain kinds.
Multivitamins can be taken around mealtime
It’s best to take multivitamins with food and abundant water, Livestrong reported. “It’s preferable to eat a meal with a multivitamin and lunch is a good time. Also, nutrients often work best when paired with other nutrients, so a meal boosts your chances of this happening,” the website said.
Water-soluble vitamins can be taken in the morning
Water-soluble vitamins are best taken on an empty stomach. They’ll be best absorbed if consumed first thing in the morning, Healthline reported. You can also take them 30 minutes before eating or two hours after breakfast, lunch or dinner. Water-soluble vitamins include vitamin C, B vitamins, and folic acid.
Have a snack with fat-soluble vitamins
Since fat-soluble vitamins dissolve in oil, they should be consumed with food to increase absorption, Medical News Today reported. “I recommend taking them with a meal or snack containing healthy fats or oil, such as avocado toast or cheese,” New York-based registered dietitian Supriya Lal told HuffPost. Vitamin A, D, E and K are fat-soluble vitamins. Taking too many of these types of vitamins can be toxic.
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