Hope all of you are doing well this week. I have had a great question from many of you this week asking " Is it ok to take muliple supplements together ? " . Some supplements are better taken together for maximum absorption, and some best taken apart. So, I will try to explain some methods to make it easier for you.
Timing Your Multivitamin (MVM)
You can take your MVM any time you’d like. Your body absorbs some of its vitamins better with food, so you may want to take it with a meal or a snack. You’ll also avoid the upset stomach that you can get when you take it on an empty stomach. Not a breakfast person? Have it with lunch or even dinner.
When to Take Water-Soluble Vitamins
Water dissolves them, and your body doesn’t store them, so most must be taken every day. They include C and the B’s. Take them with or without food, with one exception: You’ll absorb B12 better with a meal. If you also use vitamin C, put 2 hours between them. Vitamin C can keep your body from using B12.
If You Take Iron Supplements
You absorb iron best on an empty stomach. Take it with water or, better yet, a citrus juice: Iron and vitamin C have a tag-team effect. If it makes you queasy, save it for right after a meal. But don’t mix it with calcium or high-calcium foods -- these interfere with iron. You won’t take in either one fully.
When to Take Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamins A, D, E, and K need to go with fat from a meal for your body to absorb and use them. But you don’t need a lot of fat -- or any saturated fat. The healthy plant-based kind you find in foods like avocado or nuts will do just fine.
If You Take Mineral Supplements
Large doses of minerals can compete with each other to be absorbed. Don’t use calcium, zinc, or magnesium supplements at the same time. Also, these three minerals are easier on your tummy when you take them with food, so if your doctor recommends them, have them at different meals or snacks. Don’t take any individual mineral at the same time as an MVM (Multivitamin) or an antioxidant vitamin formula, like one with beta-carotene and lycopene.
Supplements and Your Prescriptions
Even essential nutrients can interfere with many common medications. If you take a traditional blood thinner like warfarin, just the small amount of vitamin K in an MVM can cut its strength. Taking more than 1,000 mg of vitamin E per day can raise your risk for bleeding. And if you take thyroid medication, taking calcium, magnesium, or iron within 4 hours can cut its strength. Ask your doctor about how best to time it.
Nutrient Duo- Vitamin D & K2
In recent studies its been shown that vitamin K2 assists vitamin D, to get calcium into the bones and to keep calcium out of the arteries, organs, and joints. So, this is an example of 2 supplements that should be taken together for maximum benefits. ( You can read my full blog post from 5/15/2020).
Many companies have started combining these 2 supplements into one tablet .
Look for Quality Checks
Since the FDA doesn’t regulate supplements, look for brands that have been “verified” by one of the three companies that test supplements in the U.S.: Pharmacopeia, Consumer Lab, or NSF International. These testing organizations verify that what’s on the label is in the bottle in the right amounts.
As you remember, I have talked about this issue many times. Make sure you talk to your pharmacist or healthcare provider, to make sure your supplements are pure and medical grade. You can always join my dispensary at fullscript , and order medical grade supplements at a discounted price, under my supervision. I am also available to consult on nutrition and your supplement needs and questions by appointment.
Stay well and stay healthy. Dr. Naghmeh, Pharm.D.
