Maybe you pop a dailyvitaminor dietary supplement in order to boost your health. That’s fine, as long as you’re taking the right dose at the right time. After all, you are likely paying out-of-pocket for vitamins, so getting the biggest bang for your investment is important. Timing of your vitamin intake can help you obtain maximal benefits from these supplements.
Basic supplement facts
Many claims on supplements may not be backed by clinical studies.
If your diet is optimal, you could likely pass on taking most vitamins or supplements.
Vitamins and supplements are not innocuous:excessive dosescan cause harm.
It is reasonable to take a general multivitamin to “fill in gaps” in your diet.
Many of us may need individual vitamin supplementation, e.g.,vitamin Dandcalciumare two of the vitamins that address needs that many of us need to meet.
The following is a basic guide for the best times and ways to consume vitamins:
TheB vitamin groupincludes thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, niacin, biotin,vitamin B-12,folic acidand pantothenic acid. If you are taking any of theseB vitaminsthey can all be taken at the same time.
Best time to take the B’sis in the morning on an empty stomach. These vitamins can also energize you — another reason to take them early in the day and not at night.
Water soluble vitaminsincludevitamin Cand most of the B vitamins. Many of these are not naturally produced in the body or stored, which is why it’s important to track food sources or take supplemental vitamins.
Best time to take water soluble vitaminsis in the morning (see the guide for the B’s above) on an empty stomach (wait 30 minutes before eating) but divide doses if you are on any high dose selections. You can also take them two hours after a meal.
Fat soluble vitaminsare typically stored in the body’s liver and fatty tissues. So we should get enough of these vitamins including vitaminA,D,EandKfrom foods. If you do supplement, make sure you are taking the correct individualized dose. Fat soluble vitamins should be taken in divided doses, since excessive doses taken at once can be harmful or toxic. Cooking should not destroy these vitamins sourced from foods.
Best time to take fat soluble vitaminsis with the evening meal since they arebetter absorbed when accompanied by some fat in foods,like a healthy olive oil-based salad dressing on your greens.
Prenatal vitaminsare basically multivitamins that include calcium, iron and folic acid in addition to the usual blend of vitamins.Ironin particular should be consumed on an empty stomach, and won’t absorb properly in the presence of dairy. It’s better absorbed if accompanied by vitamin C (a small serving of orange juice, for example).
The best time to take your prenatal vitaminis before lunch with a small sip of orange juice.
Calciumsupplementsare often recommended for women, especially those at risk of developing osteopenia orosteoporosis(dieters,perimenopausal更年期妇女,孕妇)。胃acid produced when you eat helps with optimal absorption of calcium carbonate. Take a maximum of 500 mg of calcium at one time. That means if you’re told to take 1000 mg daily, divide it into two doses.
The best time to take calciumiswith a meal.
Multivitamin choiceshould be tailored to age, gender and specific health needs or gaps in an individual’s diet. Abasic multivitaminincludes a range of vitamins and minerals. If you’ve been prescribed a prenatal vitamin, you should discontinue your daily multivitamin unless your doctor indicates otherwise.
对大多数人来说,最美好的时光daily multivitaminis with their morning meal.
Some vitamin “don’ts":
Don’t combinevitamin Ksupplements with the blood thinnerCoumadin.
Don’t “double up” on prenatal vitamins.
Never take any vitamins or supplements when pregnant or nursing without talking to your doctor first.
Be aware of how manyvitamin-fortified foodsyou eat daily and tally up the various vitamin doses that are added to these foods.
Stop takingbiotinif you are undergoing thyroid testing.
If you are motivated to embrace healthy eating habits that will help meet general health goals then consider having at least two servings of dairy foods (choose those with lower levels of saturated fat) daily in order toboost your calciumintake. Also aim for a “prescription” of 10 (combined) total servings of fruits andvegetablesdaily. Eat a variety of colors so you benefit from a variety of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.Steaming is bestwhen choosing a cooking method that will not significantly impact thenutrients in vegetables. Remember to have a bit of healthy fat when consuming fat-soluble vitamin-rich foods. These habits alone will help you to close the vitamin gap in your diet.