Supplement How-Tos

How to take supplements: 6 things you’re doing wrong

- By Lisa Turner

You may have a rock-solid regimen of vitamins, minerals, herbs and other supplements. But certain foods and nutrients can diminish (or enhance) absorption, and some combinations can be downright dangerous—so how you’re taking your supplements may be as important as what you’re taking. Here are 6 simple ways to optimize your supplement routine.

1 Don’t take multis with your morning coffee

The caffeine in coffee (or tea, for that matter) inhibits vitamin D receptors in the body, lessening absorption and impacting vitamin D’s bone-building and immune-boosting benefits. That morning coffee also blunts calcium uptake and, in high quantities, can deplete the bones of minerals.

Because caffeine acts as a diuretic that increases blood flow through the kidneys, water-soluble vitamins such as B and C can be transferred into urine before they’ve had a chance to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Plus, coffee’s laxative effects speed transit time through the intestines, which also decreases time during which nutrients can be fully assimilated.

Best advice: Drink your coffee or tea before breakfast, then take multis about 15 minutes after eating, when there’s still enough food in your stomach to prevent stomach upset and enhance absorption of fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamin D and K.

2 Take a separate calcium supplement