Ways To Maximize The Effectiveness Of Food Supplements

Nutrients like essential vitamins and minerals are required for the human body to maintain proper functioning, fight diseases, and of course, to keep us alive. These nutrients are essential because they can’t be synthesized by the human body, thus humans have to resort to food consumption through a well – balanced diet. But the problem is, a lot of people are struggling, to get the daily dose of essential nutrients. Some don’t even come close to getting the minimal nutrients at all. That’s why food supplements come in. This ensures the nutritional gaps are filled in, especially for those who are experiencing deficiencies due to health condition/ strict dietary regimen. Which is the case for older adults and pregnant women that require more than the daily dose of essential nutrients.

Besides a healthy diet and exercise, here are some ways, you can maximize the effectiveness of food supplements that you are taking. But before going wild with food supplements, be sure to consult your board-certified physician or healthcare practitioner. So that he or she can prescribe/explain the necessary information whether you need to be taking food supplements or not.

Take it in the morning 

   

 Supplements at night, in theory, might sound like a great way to fully absorb the nutrients/supplements you have taken before you go to sleep. But it’s not. Unless it’s melatonin, which is a sleep aid hormone that helps the body fall asleep. Digestion slows down when you go to sleep, so it’s best to take your supplements in the morning where the body functions at its peak. Especially for B complex vitamins that can help with the metabolism of folic acid for pregnant women, to aid in preventing birth defects and proper development.

 

With Food or Not

• Take with food – Some supplements can be taken on an empty stomach. But some do best when it’s taken with food. Fat-soluble vitamins, like A, B, D, E, and K work best when they are taken together with a meal. Since they are fat-soluble, they absorb and transported similarly to other fat-soluble nutrients. Meals that contain fat can enhance the absorption of these nutrients. There is a study conducted that the fat in meals taken together with vitamin D-3, can enhance absorption.  Other nutrients that work best when taken with a meal are magnesium and iron. These nutrients when taken with a meal can decrease the chance of diarrhea and upset stomach.

• Take without food ( but be careful ) – In the case of water-soluble nutrients, like vitamin C, and B-complex, they can be taken on an empty stomach. But be careful thou and take note of the dosage. Some people can experience an upset stomach by taking large doses of vitamin C orally. In excess, water-soluble vitamins are filtered and excreted by the body through urination.

 

Know When to combine or Separate

• Take them separately – some nutrients work best when paired together or taken separately to avoid competition, thus leading to reduction absorption. Calcium and other minerals can reduce the effectiveness of nutrients like lycopene and astaxanthin, iron, and zinc. In addition, calcium can also reduce other minerals’ absorption in the body like magnesium. So it’s best to take it separately with other minerals. Chronic intake of Zinc, another essential mineral, reduces copper absorption in the long run. For those people on certain medications, it’s best to let your board-certified physician or healthcare practitioner give you advice. Because some nutrients can interfere with medications which can be dangerous.
• Take them together – while other nutrients don’t play well together, in the case of vitamin C and Iron, they do work well with each other. Vitamin C can enhance iron absorption in the body.

 

Summary

There are still a lot of studies that need to be done in order to know exactly how different nutrients ( vitamins and minerals ) interact with one another and how it behaves when it enters the human body. With so many supplements available in the market, it’s easy to get lost and take whatever is available. Thus leading to an excess in consumption. The thing about supplements, especially with vitamins, people should use it with caution. This is important if the person is under prescription medication or OTC (over the counter drugs).  So it’s best to completely seek out advice from your board-certified physician or healthcare practitioner.

This is A Blog Written by ZEALOUS NUTRITION

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