Should I take vitamin supplements with food?

Is it important to take vitamin supplements with food? The answer is yes and no. Food helps with the absorption of the vitamins; however, the vitamin supplements may still work, if only to a lesser extent.

It is suggested that vitamins like A, D, E, and K, which are fat soluble vitamins, have some sort of fat, animal or vegetable in your stomach to be absorbed properly. The absorption of vitamins B and C don't seem to be affected as much by the amount of food in the stomach, but taking vitamin B without food can cause an stomach upset so it is still recommended to have at least a light meal. On a side note, vitamin B requires an acidic stomach to properly absorb so taking antacids or other acid inhibitors may decrease their absorption.

Certain types of food to eat before taking your supplements may not be as good as others. For instance, milk and spicy foods can make the stomach upset. Taking vitamin supplements with a heavy greasy meal or one high in fiber may actually decrease the benefits that are received since the meal hinders the absorption of the vitamins.

The timing of the day to take vitamins usually is of little importance. It is best to space out the vitamins throughout the day as much as possible in order to get the maximum benefit.

Also, make sure to also read the directions on the label to see if there are any other instructions so that you get the best from your supplements.

What are vitamins and how do they work?

What is a vitamin?

A vitamin is a small molecule that your body needs to carry out a certain reaction. Your body has no way to create vitamin molecules itself, so the vitamin molecules must come in through food that you eat. The human body is known to need at least 13 different vitamins. These vitamins are divided into fat soluble and water soluble.


List of vitamins

Water Soluble
B1 - Thiamine
B2 - Riboflavin
B3 - Niacin
B5 - Pantothenic acid
B6 - Pyridoxine
B7 - Biotin
B9 - Folic acid
B12 - Cyanocobalamin
Vitamin C - Ascorbic acid

Fat Soluble
Vitamin A - Retinol
Vitamin D - Calciferol
Vitamin E - Tocopherol
Vitamin K - Menaquinone


How are they used?

A lot of people think vitamins can replace food, but they can't. They should be taken with a meal so that they can be properly assimilated. Vitamins regulate metabolism, help convert fat and carbohydrates into energy, along with many other functions of the body. For example, one use of Vitamin C is in the formation of collagen. Without vitamin C, collagen cannot be produced and the first signs of this are very weak blood vessels and loose teeth. The body is able to store some vitamins while other vitamins need to be constantly re-supplied.