When is the best time of day to take vitamins?

A fellow caregiver asked...

When is the best time of day to take vitamins?

Expert Answer

Beth Reardon, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., is Caring.com senior food and nutrition editor and the director of integrative nutrition at Duke Integrative Medicine. As a practitioner of integrative nutrition, Reardon takes a holistic approach to wellness, recognizing that the foundation for optimal health and healing begins with a health-promoting diet. As a practitioner of integrative nutrition, Reardon takes a holistic approach to wellness, recognizing that the foundation for optimal health and healing begins with a health-promoting diet.

So the short answer to your question regarding the best time to take vitamins is "When it is convenient or when you will best remember them!" The long answer is not much more complicated than that, however there are some instances when it may make a difference. For example, if one dose is actually divided into three tablets, you will want to space them with your meals throughout the day. Iron is easily interfered with so it is best taken on an empty stomach, particularly if you eat a high fiber cereal in the morning. Fiber may inhibit the absorption of some vitamins in part because it limits access to the wall of the intestine. If you take a B vitamin or B vitamin complex you may want to take it in the evening before bed and after supper, because they are often literally difficult to stomach. Otherwise taking it with food will help to avoid the nausea which is quite common. Calcium and Magnesium are wonderful sleep aids due to their calming effects so taking them before bed is a good "“ but not essential strategy. Probiotics and digestive enzymes, not vitamins per say rather supplements, are generally taken 20 "“ 30 minutes prior to a meal. You will find that most vitamins are best taken with food, particularly the fat soluble vitamins like A, E, D, K and CoQ10 (vitamin-like). These all require some time of fat in order to be properly absorbed. Similarly a form of calcium known as calcium carbonate should be taken with food sometime during the day or as I mentioned in the evening. The single best piece of advice is to have a strategy and stick to it, and certainly read the label first for any dosing instructions. The more of a habit it becomes, the one less thing you have to remember during the day. To your health!
Beth

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