VITAMINS and MINERALS supplements - DO and DON’T
Read more: http://www.globalhealthlab.com/blogs/news
How you take a supplement can be just as important as which product you take -- both may impact how much of a nutrient your body actually gets.
A few important rules of consider:
- For example, some vitamins may be canceling each other, like Vitamin C neutralizes Vitamin B12. B12 is very popular prescription for elderly people that should be aware of such things, and always drink them separately with at least 2 hours difference. Since in 2010, Dietary Guidelines strongly recommend that people over the age of 50 get should take vitamin B12 from from fortified foods or dietary supplements, but rarely mentioning the fact, that it will not work along Vitamin C, or any citrus fruit, or even fresh orange juice.... Vitamin B12 depletion may occur in those who use alcohol excessively, who take antibiotics, use stomach-acid controlling drugs, including H-2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors, or who take Metformin to treat type 2 diabetes. Nicotine can also lower serum levels of B12. In addition, potassium supplements can reduce absorption of vitamin B12.
- Another study found that taking Vitamin D with dinner rather than breakfast increased blood levels absorption of vitamin D by about 50%.
- If you are taking Iodine supplement, in order to increase it absorption you might consider to take along with Selenium and Vitamin E (very likely that if person experience iodine deficiency, he/she might have selenium deficiency as well).
- The fat-soluble vitamins ( A, D, E and K) are likely to be better absorbed if taken with a meal that contains fats.
- Vitamin C, for example, can enhance Iron absorption from supplements and plant foods.
- If you take a large dose of a mineral, it will compete with other minerals to reduce their absorption. The mineral most often taken in large amounts is calcium. The dose is usually several hundred of milligrams, compared to doses of just a few milligrams or even microgram amounts (1,000 micrograms = 1 milligram) of most other minerals. So if you take a calcium supplement, take it at a different time of day than other mineral supplements or a multivitamin/multimineral supplement. Doses of magnesium can also be relatively large and should, ideally, be taken apart from other minerals. If you take high doses of zinc long-term, be aware that it can cause copper deficiency, so you may need to supplement with copper as well.
We would like to remind, that good natural perfectly balanced substitute to artificially synthesized Multi-Vitamins can be Bee Pollen or Royal Jelly that contains all the B vitamins, along with vitamins A, C, D, E and K and a range of minerals. Bee Pollen is a natural source of B-Complex vitamins and minerals including calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and more.
Information and image credit: consumerlab.com, womenworld.org