Marion Freijsen A blog about Sports, Fitness & Health

Timing your supplements!

Following my blog yesterday on B Complex, I got an immediate response from Jody de Groot on when to take these supplements to get the best result… so here goes!

There are many schools of thought on when to take supplements and I think some of this will be down to personal preference as much as anything else. But there are a number of things that might be good or even fun to know…

In general it is best to spread out your vitamins and mineral intake during the day – that way you have a better absorption rate. Also bear in mind that vitamins may need certain other food components in order to be optimally absorbed – so for instance A, D, E and K are all fat-soluble and require some fat in the stomach for best absorption. So take these with a meal instead of on their own.

On the other hand, Vitamins B and C are water soluble and therefore can be taken at another time. Another note, those that smoke or drink even a “normal” quantity of alcohol may need C more then those that don’t do either. So either you eat more fruit or you take a supplement.  For B you require a slightly acidic environment, so perhaps take this with your orange juice or other fruit juice (I take pomegranate which has the extra benefit of having a lot of anti-oxidants) for an extra C-boost.

With regards to minerals – I find that taking Calcium/Magnesium citrate is best of all before going to sleep. The minerals actually will help you sleep more deeply as they are a natural muscle relaxant and calm the mind.

Having said all of that – never forget that if you eat healthy foods, and get plenty of vegetables, fruits, lean meat, fish, grains and pulses – you actually shouldn’t need to take a lot of supplements at all. I just use supplements for those areas where I know myself to be deficient (and have it measured from time to time to make sure I know if it changes) like magnesium (which you deplete if you exercise hard regularly) or where I can simply use a boost – such as with vit. B complex in wintertime. Start with better eating though and then take supplements – they are not called “supplements” because they should replace healthy habits!!