What is the best time to take vitamins? It really depends on what vitamins you are taking. Some vitamins are best taken after a meal and others are better taken on an empty stomach. However, it is important to establish a routine of taking vitamins at the same time. It will also help you get the most out of your vitamin supplements.
It’s important to remember that all vitamins don’t break down in your body the same way. For that reason, it’s important to know what time you should take your vitamins to get the best benefits out of it.
Is it Better to Take Vitamins in the Morning or Night?
Some take their vitamins in the morning and some right before they go to bed. What is the right thing to do? It depends on which vitamins you are taking.
Prenatal vitamins like iron, calcium, and folic acid are best to be taken before lunch. The best time to take fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin K, and vitamin D is with your dinner since these types of vitamins dissolve in our bodies best by using fats.
When is the Best Time to Take Vitamins?
What Vitamins Should not be Taken Together?
You might think if certain nutrients shouldn’t interact with one another, why are multivitamins even available on the market? That is a valid question. However, multivitamins are formulated in a way that they counteract any potential negative effects of interactions between different nutrients. Multivitamins contain an appropriate level of antagonistic and synergistic nutrients, meaning that some minerals and vitamins can inhibit or enhance others. For example, magnesium can improve the level of vitamin D while vitamin A can decrease the update of vitamin D.
Combinations that you should avoid when taking vitamins are magnesium and calcium, zinc and copper, ginkgo biloba and fish oil, green tea and iron, and St. John’s Wort and melatonin.
Can I Take Multivitamins and Vitamin D?
Always check the interaction between vitamins you take and prescription drugs. On average multivitamins as a combination of vitamins and minerals interact with 11 drugs while vitamin D interacts with 60 drugs. No interaction between multivitamins and vitamin D has been found. This does not necessarily mean there is no interaction at all. You should always contact your healthcare provider if you notice anything different.
Some believe that this is not a good combination but there is no scientific proof to back up this claim. There is a possibility if you take vitamin D and multivitamins that you might get too much of vitamin D. If you are not getting enough vitamin D from sunlight then there is a good chance that your level of vitamin D is lower and that you need supplements to cover the lack of certain vitamins in your body.
Is it Better to take a Multivitamin or Individual Vitamins?
The world of wellness can feel confusing and overwhelming especially when you consider how many new trends and information, we have compared to only two decades ago. Especially when it comes to supplements, things can be even a little bit murky. If you are asking yourself what is better to take multivitamins or individual vitamins, you are not alone. Many take multivitamins as a combination of vitamin D for strong bones and vitamin A and E for healthy skin but some experts argue that by taking multivitamins we can get more vitamins than we need which is not as harmless as you might think. On the other side, you might not be getting the vitamins that you need.
Angie Kuhn, MS, RDN, and Director of Nutrition and Research for Persona Nutrition
“According to the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), 53 percent of U.S. adults take a multivitamin, which means more than half of Americans may be missing important nutrients that can help with their individual health concerns. What’s more, a multivitamin will not address specific nutrient deficiencies resulting from dietary preferences, lifestyle factors, or prescription medication use.”
Taking multivitamins is not a resolution, you have to assess your diet, sleep patterns, fitness activity, stress level, health condition, and prescription medicine to realize what vitamins your body needs. Always consult a doctor when you need more help and more information.
