Reading time: 3 minutes
Dietary supplements: the different types and how to optimize their impact
We have a wide range of dietary supplements at our disposal, each offering different benefits for our health and well-being. But it's not always enough to simply swallow a dietary supplement and let it do its work. How and when we take the supplement in question can have a big impact on its effectiveness.
Vitamins are either water-soluble or fat-soluble: they dissolve in water or lipids (fats) and are therefore better absorbed when mixed with one or the other. To better understand this, imagine what happens when you mix olive oil and vinegar to make salad dressing. Vinegar and oil do not mix and are easily distinguished from one another. However, if you mix the same vinegar with water, the two combine to the point of becoming one. In the above case, the vinegar is water-soluble. This is important information because it helps determine whether a vitamin should be consumed with food or on an empty stomach.
What dietary supplements should I take with food?
Vitamins A, D, E, and K are best absorbed when consumed with a small amount of fat, such as full-fat yogurt, oily fish, or vegetables sautéed in olive oil. But as with all rules, there are exceptions. Vitamin C and the B complex vitamins are among them: they don't require the healthy fats in our diet to be absorbed by the body. In fact, B vitamins play a vital role in metabolism, so it's best to take them on an empty stomach. It's worth noting, however, that they are also well absorbed with food, and some people with sensitive stomachs may still prefer to take water-soluble vitamins with food.
What dietary supplements should be taken with water?
It's recommended to take probiotics with water, about 30 minutes before a meal containing fat. 1 The goal is to prevent the probiotics from being neutralized by all the other dynamics happening in your body during digestion. In short, taking probiotics before eating allows them to begin their work of balancing and supporting the health of your gut flora.
What about dietary supplements that contain both fat-soluble and water-soluble nutrients?
What if you take a vitamin cocktail? Does this mean you have to take all the vitamins it contains separately? Of course not. One solution is to take your vitamin cocktail with a meal, making sure it contains a reasonable amount of fat. Alternatively, if you want to consume water-soluble vitamins, take them first thing in the morning.
Calcium and magnesium are essential minerals that have a calming effect. That good old glass of warm milk before bed may not be so outdated after all. However, the body can only absorb a certain amount of calcium at a time, and experts believe it's best to spread out your intake and take no more than 500 mg at a time. 2
Difficulties with taking zinc, iron and calcium
It is best to take zinc before eating and not with calcium or iron, as they can compete for the same receptor sites. However, taking zinc (in most forms) in doses above a few milligrams often causes gastrointestinal problems on an empty stomach. Therefore, it is often best to take zinc with food, while avoiding taking it with iron or calcium. Iron should also be taken on an empty stomach and not at the same time as calcium. Unfortunately, iron supplements can cause gastrointestinal upset. A good option is to take iron with citrus fruits, fruit, or fruit juice rich in vitamin C, as vitamin C aids in its absorption. 3
What other factors affect nutrient absorption?
The biggest obstacles to nutrient absorption are often the usual enemies: caffeine, alcohol, and stress. Caffeine can decrease iron absorption by up to 80%. 4 But that doesn't mean you should skip your morning tea or coffee.
Instead, wait at least an hour between taking caffeine and your supplement.
Naturally, it's not recommended to wash down your vitamin cocktail with alcohol. Furthermore, excessive alcohol consumption can damage the lining of the digestive tract and reduce the number of digestive enzymes. 5 Stress keeps the body in a fight-or-flight mode, which isn't conducive to digestion because the body is then focused on managing stress instead of digesting properly. 6
These guidelines tell you when it's best to take different types of supplements. But to determine what's best for your body when it comes to food and supplements, it's best to experiment with this information yourself.
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22146689 [ ↩ ]
- Straub, Deborah A. “Calcium Supplementation in Clinical Practice: A Review of Forms, Doses, and Indications.” Nutrition in Clinical Practice, vol. 22, no. 3, 1 June 2007, pp. 286-296., doi:10.1177/0115426507022003286. [ ↩ ]
- medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007478.htm [ ↩ ]
- Garrison, Robert H., and Elizabeth Somer. The nutrition desk reference. Keats Pub., 1997 [ ↩ ]
- Somer, Elizabeth. The essential guide to vitamins and minerals. Harper Perennial, 1995 [ ↩ ]
- Mindell, Earl, and Hester Mundis. Earl Mindell's new vitamin bible. Grand Central Life & Style, 2011 [ ↩ ]