It's also important to know which vitamins should not be taken together. These are the supplements that don't go together or go with food. As stated above, with the combination of iron and calcium above, calcium will compete for absorption with other minerals. Since calcium can affect how the body absorbs iron, it can also affect the absorption of zinc and magnesium.
While it's OK to take them together in a multivitamin complex (which typically contains smaller doses of these minerals), it's best to space out these supplements if you take them individually. For example, many vitamins for older people contain more calcium and vitamins D and B12 than younger people need. That's because high doses of vitamin C can reduce the amount of vitamin B-12 that the body absorbs and metabolizes, he says. According to Dr.
Sean Ormond, a doctor specializing in interventional pain at Atlas Pain Specialists in Phoenix, Arizona, fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the body's liver, fat and muscles and must be taken with fat from a meal for the body to better absorb and use them. The body absorbs some of its vitamins better with food, so you may want to take them with a meal or snack. A small study of 60 male patients with coronary artery disease found that a combination of omega-3 and vitamin E had beneficial effects on serum insulin and insulin resistance. However, if you're taking more than one supplement, you might ask yourself, “What vitamins shouldn't be taken together? On the other hand, you might also be wondering, “What vitamins can I take together? Whether you're taking a daily multivitamin to improve your overall health or you're relying on herbal supplements to fill nutritional gaps, it's important to be aware of potential interactions.
Because it helps to take your vitamins at the same time every day to establish this healthy habit, take them at breakfast, lunch, or dinner, whichever works best for you. The joint intake of certain vitamins can affect their absorption in the body, sometimes worsening the situation and other times improving bioavailability. Water-soluble vitamins, including those in the B vitamin family and vitamin C, are found in water-based body tissues and should be taken with water and food. Some providers suggest combining iron with vitamin C to maximize absorption, but the jury still doesn't know if this is true.
If there are no known interactions between vitamins, it's OK to take multiple vitamins at once, Litt says. Because of this, fat-soluble vitamins are more easily absorbed in the presence of fat in the diet, so avoid taking them on an empty stomach.
