How to take your Vitamins
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For years now, the use of multivitamins and other supplements have received huge attention. But how exactly should one take these vitamins? Some use it before taking breakfast, or when eating. Everyone takes it when they like to and it's okay. But let's take a quick look into how multivitamins should be taken based on their types.
1. The body absorbs some vitamins better with food or snacks, which prevents you from experiencing upset stomach when you take it on an empty stomach.
Vitamin C for example is believed to work better when taking before breakfast. Some people claimed they had ulcer because they took Vitamin C supplement before eating breakfast.
If you are not a breakfast person, you can take your supplement when having lunch or dinner.
2. Water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C, folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, cobalamin, biotin thiamin, and pyridoxine are dissolved by water and the body doesn't store them. They have to been taken everyday, and you take them with and without food.
However the body absorbs cobalamin better with a meal. If you use Vitamin C, there should 2 hours interval between cobalamin before taken Vitamin C. Because Vitamin C can prevent your body from using cobalamin.
3. Fat soluble vitamins like A, D,E,and K must go with fat from your meal for the body to use them.
4. Iron supplements are absorbed best on empty stomach, they can be taking with water or citrus juice. If you are taking iron and vitamin C together, save the latter after your meal. Don't take high calcium food or calcium supplement when taking iron supplements.
5. Large amount of minerals compete to be absorbed. Avoid using calcium, zinc, or magnesium all at once, and they are best taken with a meal. Take them at different interval while eating.
6. Caution should be taken with preformed vitamin A. Taking more than 10,000IU a day can cause birth defects in pregnant women.
High amount of Vitamin A and beta-carotene( a substance converted to vitamin A in the body) can increase your chance of having lung cancer if you smoke or used to.
7. Essential nutrients can counterinteract with common medications. Traditional blood thinners and small amount of Vitamin K in a multivitamins can reduce its strength.
8.Taking over 1,000 mg of vitamin E a day can increase your risk for bleeding. If you are on thyroid medication, taking calcium, iron, or magnesium within 4 hours can reduce its strength.
General side effects from big doses of supplements are diarrhea, tiredness to kidney stones or organ damage.
N.B: Before taking any supplements, speak with your doctor, and if you feel unusual symptoms talk to your doctor about it.