Vitamins - Maximum Absorption

[soulchild]

What do you all do to ensure that you're getting the most out of your vitamins? We have to make sure that they are not just get flushed out of our systems. I take a multi, EPO, and flax. Soon to be added are MSM and B-5. Here some things that I do:

-Take them throughout the day instead of all at once.
-Never on an empty stomache, usually right after a nutritious meal
-Sometimes I put one tsp. of ACV into one cup of water and drink that 10 mins. before a meal to help with digestion. There are also other health benefits from ACV
-I take half of my multi with my vitamins after lunch, and the other half of it after dinner.

This is a little excerpt from a site I found:
It’s best to take any supplement like flaxseed oil or evening primrose oil with a meal because they need co-factors (other vitamins and minerals) for assimilation. I don’t like to take these with a meal that contains a lot of saturated fat though. Saturated fats may interfere with the assimilation of the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

I know MSM works better with Vit. C and I think Biotin works better with B-Complex. Any others?

Article on biotin:
http://www.thehair.com/vitamins/biotin.htm

Here's an article on iron absorption: http://www.parentsplace.com/expert/nutritionist/qas/0,,239015_112955,00.html

I've never taken digestive enzymes but those must help to maximize nutrient absorption. If you take them, what brand do you use?

Please share any other info you may have or correct anything I've said. It's important that we get the most out of our vitamins and $$$

 

[soulchild]

The link on Iron absorption doesn't seem to work, here's the article:
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Taking an iron supplement during pregnancy is a wise idea. Because your blood volume expands by 50 percent when you are pregnant, you need extra iron to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body, as well as to your developing baby. Getting all the iron you need from food can be difficult, particularly because it isn't always absorbed well.

An iron supplement is best absorbed on an empty stomach, but for some, it causes stomach upset. If this is the case, then take it with food, or half an hour after a meal.

There are certain foods that will inhibit iron absorption so you should avoid taking the supplement with any of them, even though it usually takes large amounts of the offending food to interfere. Some of the basic foods that will do this are: oxalic acid found in spinach and phosphates found primarily in milk, dairy products and egg whites. Also many sodas, phytates in beans and tannins in tea and coffee can interfere with iron absorption.

Vitamin C will enhance the absorption of iron many fold. However, for it to do so, it must be taken simultaneously with the iron. Both vitamin C and iron must be present together in the intestine for the positive effect to occur. That is why it is a good idea to drink orange juice with your iron fortified cereal in the morning or to eat broccoli with your meat.

For maximum absorption of your iron supplement, the ideal way to take it is on an empty stomach, swallowed down with a glass of vitamin C-rich juice, such as orange juice -- or a vitamin C-enriched juice of any variety.

 

[dontspeakdefeat]

Thanks for the info!

 

[inthepink]

Great information -thank you!

I plan to take half of mine at lunch and the other half at dinner time.

 

[NubianAngel]

I can't take any suppliment on an empty stomach. It makes me throw up, at at least spend 30 minutes feeling pretty nauseus. I learned this the hard way after having some strange "morning sickness" when I first started taking multivits daily.

 

[northernbelle]

I take time-release vitamins, which prevents them from being flushed out as waste.

northernbelle

 

[Isis]

Thank you Soulchild! I eat pineapple with almost all of my meals to enhance absorption. I also take acidophilous (sometimes yogurt with live, active cultures) to make sure I have lots of "friendly" bacteria inside.

 

[soulchild]

I didn't know pineapple helps absorption.

 

[godzooki]

I think its the bromelain or papain in pineapple. also in papaya.