Vitamins are essential for proper body function and optimal health, and you can get them through food sources or supplements. But what’s the best time to take vitamins? When electing to add supplements into your routine, it’s important to do your due diligence and understand the best ones to take for your personal circumstance and the best times to take them. Since all vitamins are different, you want to ensure that you are getting the most out of them that you possibly can.
There are also certain times in life that are more important to take specific vitamins that have less to do with a time of the day. As you move through life’s various stages, your vitamin routine may have to change as you do. We require more, or less, of certain things at certain ages and circumstances, and it can be a common mistake to think that what you have always done is still the best route to take amidst these changes.
The best time to take fat-soluble vitamins
Fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed with fats and fatty acids and stored in the body’s fatty tissues.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D provides an incredible line of defense against the weakening of bones, teeth, and muscles. Additionally, it can act as a supplement for the lack of sun exposure. Vitamin D absorption is at its highest when it has a healthy fat to latch on to. It is best to take this vitamin supplement alongside meals or snacks that are high in good fats. The time of day matters less than the method in which you take it to promote optimal absorption.
Vitamin E
Here is another member of the essential fat-soluble vitamins family. It is a strong antioxidant. Vitamin E strengthens your immune system and supports healthy blood flow throughout the body. If you eat a balanced diet, you are likely getting enough vitamin E. However, you can always take vitamins to control and ensure that your specific daily needs are being met. So long as you have healthy fats in your meals throughout the day, you can take these vitamin supplements at any time.
Vitamin K
This is another fat-soluble vitamin that you likely get enough of through food. However, since it is crucial for both bone and heart health and helps promote healthy blood clotting (from wounds, etc.). Vitamins D and K work well together. While you do not have to take vitamin K specifically when eating a meal or snack with healthy fats since that is the case with vitamin D, you can take these two fat-soluble vitamins together.
The best time to take water-soluble vitamins
As the name suggests, water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. The name can be your reminder that these dietary supplements do not have to be taken with food, only with water.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is somewhat of a jack of all trades. It provides specific benefits such as immune health and collagen production, but this is one of the vitamins you can count on to boost your overall immune system. You can take vitamin c morning or night, and you can, but you do not have to take it with food. If you find that your gut reacts negatively to a vitamin C supplement, avoid taking it on an empty stomach and consider taking it alongside food to prevent any significant disruption in the gut.
B vitamins
There are eight different B vitamins to consider. Some supplements provide the option to take them individually, or you can take a B vitamin complex supplement which often includes all eight vitamins.
B vitamins play a significant role in your energy supply and how your body metabolically functions. It is best to take these in the morning so that you reap the highest level of benefits, but that is not a must-do. B vitamins do not have to be taken with snacks or meals, but it is fine to do so. The best time to take vitamins that do not have strict usage suggestions is when you can consistently remember to take them.
Some research suggests that taking b vitamins on an empty stomach but with water gives your body the best chance to absorb these nutrients since they exist in the gut with only water at the time you take them. Each of the eight types also operates under different names, so if you go the route of individual supplements, make sure that you know the pseudonyms for each strain.
The best time to take calcium supplements
If your diet lacks calcium, you should highly consider a supplement. Calcium is technically a mineral, but it can be treated as a vitamin. You do not want to overdo it, but a supplement is worth considering since you need it to maintain healthy, strong bones and teeth.
Calcium carbonate and calcium citrate are the two forms of this mineral. Calcium carbonate should be taken with food since it works well in tandem with stomach acid. While calcium citrate does not need these acids, so it can be taken on its own at any time.
An important time in life to pay attention to calcium levels as a woman is when you are postmenopausal. Working to prevent osteoporosis in the aftermath of a hormonal change such as menopause can help your body age gracefully, and with the strength it needs.
When is the best time for prenatal vitamins?
Prenatal vitamins have the ‘pre’ in them for a reason, to suggest and encourage usage before pregnancy occurs. These are important to take throughout pregnancy, but a woman should start taking them before pregnancy occurs to receive the most benefits from them. When you are hoping to conceive, you will want to make sure that you are doing everything you can to have your body accept and hold onto the pregnancy; prenatal vitamins can help.
Folic acid is another great support for pregnant or soon-to-be women. Since folic acid works diligently to support the neurons needed for proper brain function, using mineral supplements can help prevent defects while supporting healthy development right from the start.
There is no time of day that is superior to another. Please pay attention to how they make your body feel. If you feel sick, try to avoid taking them on an empty stomach. The best time, in this case, is the time that you are going to remember to take them. Creating a habit for yourself during this stage of life will help you keep up the good work when your mind is being pulled in many other directions.
Can I only take a multivitamin instead?
Yes, you can. However, they are not a cure-all or a quick fix to negate the fact that there is a best time to take specific vitamins. These pills often have both water and fat-soluble vitamins, so it is best to treat them as supplements with more stringent rules than those that are laxer. Taking these in tandem with food containing fat and a glass of water covers all your bases.
Using a multivitamin instead of individual vitamins is entirely dependent upon your unique needs. Of course, taking a multi is not going to be a bad thing to introduce into your routine. However, it may not get you to where you need to be regarding specific goals. To be sure that you are taking the correct dosage and combination, consider asking your physician before starting any new supplement routine.
You should also familiarise yourself with what to look for in a good vitamin composition and brand. Not all multivitamins are created equal. If you spend your money on them, you should research which brands are geared more towards beneficial ingredients and which ones have only used good marketing.
Why should you care about the best time to take vitamins?
Simply put, you should care about the best time to take vitamins because if you are spending the money on the supplement and being diligent to take it as part of your routine. You want to reap the most benefit from the vitamin, as that’s why you’re taking it in the first place. Vitamin supplements for both fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins are commonplace, and you must know what you are putting into your body.
Learning to read labels and understand the benefits will be a great compliment to your knowledge of the best time to take certain vitamins and minerals. Even more so, if a trusted medical professional has advised you of your choosing to add in more of a specific vitamin, you do not want your efforts to be in vain.
You also want to do everything you can to prevent any discomfort in taking vitamins. Especially since sometimes this discomfort can lead people to assume they are having an adverse reaction to the vitamin itself and discontinue use altogether. Knowledge is power, and the more time you dedicate to understanding the delicate balance of creating maximum absorption, the better success you will have.
