If you’ve taken vitamins and supplements, you are probably well aware of the instruction to always take your supplements with food or after a meal. While this is relatively common knowledge, the reason for this is not known to some. To learn more about why to take your vitamins and supplements with food, which vitamins need to be taken this way, and the benefits of making this a habit, keep reading.
Whenever we take vitamins, our stomach digests the contents and then it is sent throughout our bodies by our bloodstream. Our stomach acid is what breaks down the contents of everything that we eat, and whenever we eat food, additional stomach acid is produced in order to properly digest what we eat. If we have an empty stomach, our stomach acid production goes down in order to avoid damaging our stomach lining and to prevent health concerns such as stomach ulcers.
Whenever we consume food, there is a sizable portion being consumed and therefore it sends a signal to our stomach to create additional stomach acid. Whenever we consume a vitamin or supplement by itself, it is not a large enough portion to send a signal to our brain to create additional stomach acid and properly digest the vitamin.
Consuming vitamins and supplements without food has multiple negative reactions. Nausea can be a common side effect of taking vitamins without food. In addition to nausea, there can be less absorption of the vitamin by your body due to the lack of stomach acid to properly break down and digest the vitamin. This means that less of the “good stuff”, aka: the actual beneficial nutrients of the vitamin are being absorbed to be used by the body.
By taking your vitamins and supplements with food, you are maximizing the positive benefits of your vitamins in addition to preventing unwanted side effects such as nausea and potential vomiting.
It's important to note that not all vitamins need to be taken with food. Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K should be taken with a food containing fat, and other minerals like zinc and iron should also be taken with food for the reasons above. Why Not Natural's vitamin D3-K2 liquid and vitamin A are already delivered in MCT oil which is a fat, so they can be taken with or without fat.
Water-soluble B vitamins and vitamin C, on the other hand, are best taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach for maximum absorption. If you experience irritation or nausea, taking them with food is better than not taking them at all.
To check out some great vitamins and supplements, take a look at our D3-K2, vitamin B12, and other supplements in our shop today!
