Getting the most from your vitamins
Vitamins can improve your health and help prevent disease by filling gaps in your diet -- if the supplements get absorbed into your body.

How you take your supplements can make a difference. So don’t down all of them together. Different vitamins, minerals and herbs are absorbed better or worse depending on when you take them and what you take with them.

• Fat-soluble vitamins E, A, D and K are digested best when taken with a fat-containing meal because they’re transported by fat in the body.

• Amino acids, such as glutamine, for intestinal health; tyrosine, for thyroid health; and 5-hydoxytyptophan, for depression and sleep; are best taken 90 minutes before or after meals so they don’t compete for absorption with protein and other amino acids.

• For immunity and healing, zinc works best when taken by itself on an empty stomach.

• Adequate vitamin D is essential for optimal calcium absorption. Vitamin D is not a true vitamin because individuals with adequate exposure to sunlight do not require this dietary supplement. However, natural diets typically do not contain enough vitamin D, and exposure to sunlight or eating foods supplemented with vitamin D are necessary to prevent deficiencies.

• If you’re taking an iron supplement, eat foods high in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, tomatoes and strawberries. Vitamin C greatly increases the absorption of iron. If you drink tea, drink it between meals because the tannins in tea inhibit iron absorption. Alternatively, add milk to the tea. The calcium in milk binds with the tannins.

None of this means you should ditch your multivitamin and minerals. That’s still the best way to get most of what you need in one dose.

Experts recommend taking multivitamins with food because they can cause gas if taken on an empty stomach. B-vitamins, the bulk of what’s in a multi, are energizing, so take them with your morning and midday meals for an energy boost.