Can vitamins be taken together?
Most people use supplements to improve their health and prevent disease. In the United States, supplements are not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration. This means that vitamins do not have strict instructions or warnings about interactions with certain medications.
Therefore, you must pay attention to the supplements that you take, the time you take them, and the amount that you use.
The best time to take vitamins
Multivitamins can be taken at any time. The body absorbs vitamins better when they are accompanied with food , so it is better to take them with a meal. You should also avoid upset stomach when taking vitamins on an empty stomach.
Water-soluble vitamins, which the body does not store, should be taken on a daily basis, and this includes vitamin C and B: thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), and biotin (B7). , folic acid (B9), and cobalamin (B12), these vitamins can be taken with or without food, with one exception, which is that you will absorb vitamin B12 better when you take it with a meal, and if you also take vitamin C, keep two hours between these two vitamins .
As for the fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, and E, these vitamins must be taken with meals in order for the body to absorb them.
Can vitamins be taken together?
Vitamin C with Vitamin B12
Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant for the health of the immune system, vitamin B12 helps maintain the nervous system and the formation of red cells, studies have shown that taking these two supplements at the same time can reduce the amount of vitamin B12 that a person gets , so experts advise using these two types of vitamins At least two hours apart.
Vitamin A supplementation with foods rich in Vitamin A
Since vitamin A is a water-soluble vitamin, any excess of it is stored in the body, so you do not need to use vitamin A on a daily basis. Excessive intake of vitamin A can lead to muscle weakness and bone fractures with age, and it can also be harmful to fetuses. .
In the event of pregnancy and taking vitamin A supplements, you should avoid eating animal livers. These foods are rich in vitamin A, so there is no need to take vitamin A supplements, and the supplement should be taken only once a week in order to avoid excess.
Folic Acid (Vitamin B9) with Vitamin B12
While both types are beneficial to the body, consuming large amounts of folic acid or folate can mask the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, so you should consult your doctor to assess your vitamin levels before adding these vitamins to your daily schedule.
Vitamin E and Vitamin K
It is known that vitamin E supplements can lead to increased bleeding in some people, and since doctors prescribe a vitamin K supplement to help blood clot, taking vitamin E at the same time can counteract the effects of vitamin K.
Can vitamins be taken with other medicines?
In addition to the interactions of vitamins with each other, however, some prescribed medications can interact with supplements. If you use any prescribed medication on a regular basis, you should consult your doctor before adding any dietary supplement to your personal routine.
blood thinners
Vitamin A and vitamin K can have negative interactions with blood thinners, so their use should be avoided together. Some herbal remedies can also interact with warfarin, which include: cranberries, fish oil, garlic, ginkgo, ginseng, St. John's wort, Vitamin E, and milk thistle.
Medicines to treat heart disease
High doses of vitamin D can interact badly with medications to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as other medications used to treat heart disease.
St. John's wort is an herbal supplement that has been used for hundreds of years to treat mental health disorders, and it can interact with many medications that treat cardiovascular diseases and symptoms such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, if digoxin, verapamil, or any statin drug is used. In addition, black cohosh, which is an herbal remedy for gynecological problems, can reduce the effectiveness of statins.
Psychiatric medications
A person may experience some negative effects when mixing some supplements with antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications.
- Using ginkgo with trazodone can cause behavioral or emotional changes.
- Combining ginseng with monoamine oxidase inhibitors can cause manic symptoms.
- St. John's wort can cause drowsiness when combined with an SSRI
- St. John's wort can interfere with the absorption of benzodiazepines.
- Milk thistle may affect the quality of absorption of diazepam.
Other supplements and vitamins should not be mixed with each other
If you are taking iron supplements
Iron is better absorbed on an empty stomach. The supplement can be taken with water, or better, acid juice. Iron and vitamin C have a better combined effect. If that makes you feel nauseous, take them immediately after a meal. Iron supplements should not be mixed with calcium or other foods. Rich in calcium, these foods interfere with iron, and men and postmenopausal women should avoid iron supplements unless after consulting a doctor.
If you are taking mineral supplements
Large doses of minerals can compete with each other to be absorbed, calcium, zinc, or magnesium supplements should not be used at the same time, and these supplements are best taken with food, so if the doctor advises them, they should be taken at different times and with different meals, and not The mineral supplement should be taken at the same time as a combination of antioxidant vitamins, such as beta-carotene and lycopene.
Other tips for safety when taking supplements
Some supplements have proven effective, but other supplements, there is more research going on in order to evaluate their effectiveness, whether they are effective or not, they are safe to take, these instructions must be followed in order to maintain safety while taking supplements:
- Supplements should not be used as a substitute for a balanced diet
- You should consult a doctor about the amount of supplements that you can use if you are not sure, as a person may suffer from bad side effects after taking large amounts of some supplements.
- You must tell your doctor about all the supplements you are taking before undergoing any surgery.
- Government or nonprofit websites should be used to verify supplement claims
- The US Food and Drug Administration should be informed of any adverse reactions when using a supplement.
