It's also important to know which vitamins should not be taken together. These are the supplements that don't go together or go with food. Many people like taking magnesium at night, as it can promote a sense of calm and promotes muscle relaxation. But if you take magnesium, Erin Stokes, ND, recommends not taking it at the same time as your multivitamin, as it can interfere with the absorption of smaller minerals found in the multivitamin, such as iron and zinc.
In addition, it recommends refraining from taking calcium, magnesium or zinc together, as they will “compete for absorption”. For example, while it's safe to take vitamin D with vitamin B12, it's not recommended, says Dr. Virgilio Sanchez, a board-certified family medicine doctor at the Conviva Care Center in Miami, Florida. In addition, some vitamins can interfere with the effectiveness of medications and even exacerbate side effects.
For example, many vitamins for older people contain more calcium and vitamins D and B12 than younger people need. According to Dr. Sean Ormond, a doctor specializing in interventional pain at Atlas Pain Specialists in Phoenix, Arizona, fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the body's liver, fat and muscles and must be taken with fat from a meal for the body to better absorb and use them. However, some studies have shown that vitamin C could break down vitamin B12 in the digestive tract, reducing the absorption of B12. A small study of 60 male patients with coronary artery disease found that a combination of omega-3 and vitamin E had beneficial effects on serum insulin and insulin resistance.
The joint intake of certain vitamins can affect their absorption in the body, sometimes worsening the situation and other times improving bioavailability. Some providers suggest combining iron with vitamin C to maximize absorption, but the jury still doesn't know if this is true. That's because high doses of vitamin C can reduce the amount of vitamin B-12 that the body absorbs and metabolizes, he says. Whether you're taking a daily multivitamin to improve your overall health or depending on herbal supplements to fill nutritional gaps, it's important to be aware of potential interactions.
Airey states that “it's simply not efficient to take them together, as the body's ability to absorb vitamins will be reduced if taken together. In general, water-soluble vitamins can be taken together without food, and fat-soluble vitamins can be taken together with foods that contain healthy fats. That's because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is better absorbed with food, while B-12 is a water-soluble vitamin that should be taken on an empty stomach, says Dr. Your body absorbs some of its vitamins better with food, so you may want to take it with a meal or snack.
If you take a traditional anticoagulant, such as warfarin, only the small amount of vitamin K contained in an MVM can reduce its concentration.
