How and When to Take Vitamins (Morning or Night)
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Can I take all my vitamins together? Is it better to take vitamins in the morning or at night? I’m asked these questions all the time. Short answer: yes it matters when you take your vitamins and other supplements. In this article, I asked dietetic students Trista and Fang-Yu to share what the research says for the most common vitamins and other supplements that I see in my practice. To help you know the best time to take your vitamins. We also touch on if it’s okay to take all your vitamins at once (i.e. what vitamins should not be taken together).
Vitamins/ Supplements to Take with Meals
There are a number of reasons why you want to take specific vitamins and other supplements with food.
Stomach Upset
Some supplements cause stomach upset, nausea, and other gastro-intestinal side effects when you take them on an empty stomach. Pairing supplements with food may relieve your symptoms. This applies for:
Iron
Magnesium
Calcium
Prenatal multivitamins
Omega-3
Improved Absorption
You may have heard the saying “you are what you eat”. However, us in the field of nutrition say “you are what you absorb” because absorption is the real key to good nutrition.
The fat we eat in meals boosts absorption of fat-soluble nutrients, including vitamin D, those in multivitamins, and omega-3. For example, taking your vitamin D with a meal that contains fat can enhance the absorption of vitamin D by 32%. This applies for:
Vitamin D
Omega-3
Multivitamins (including prenatal vitamins)
Multivitamins contain both water- and fat-soluble nutrients and are best taken with your meal of the day that contains the most fat. Prenatal vitamins are also best taken with food. However, if it consistently makes you feel nauseous, the best time to take your prenatal multivitamin is dinner or with a bedtime snack.
Spreading out omega-3 in two doses (morning and night) may reduce acid reflux and unpleasant aftertaste (i.e. the fishy after-burp). Here’s another tip: keep your fish oil supplements in the freezer. Taking fish oil when frozen may reduce the fishy after-burp.
Vitamins/ Supplements to Take on an Empty Stomach
On the other hand, vitamin C and B-vitamins are readily absorbed with water, and don’t interact, so you take both before breakfast, or away from eating (i.e. 30 minutes before eating or 2-3 hours after eating).
Vitamins/ Supplements to Take Before Bed
One of the well-known effects of magnesium is that it can make you sleepy. So, taking magnesium before bed can be a wise call.
If a supplement makes you nauseous, such as prenatal multivitamins, take it before bed so that you sleep through any side effects.
Taking Multiple Vitamins/ Supplements
Some nutrients and food components reduce the absorption of other nutrients. If you have, or are at risk for nutrient deficiencies, take the relevant supplements separately and between meals. This is not usually needed for healthy individuals with a varied diet, since recommended intakes account for these nutrient interactions. However, avoid taking multivitamins with other vitamin or mineral supplements so they don’t compete for absorption.
Taking a vitamin-C supplement or eating a vitamin C-rich food or drink with your iron supplement can boost iron absorption. Note that tea and coffee can reduce iron absorption (by 50%), as can milk, calcium, and antacids, so time your iron supplement two hours after consuming these.
Psyllium (also known as Metamucil), Benefibre, and other fibre supplements can decrease nutrient absorption, so it’s a good idea to take your fibre supplement separate from other supplements.
Vitamins/ Supplements: Special Circumstances
Calcium absorption is greatest at doses of 500 mg or less, so if your daily supplement need exceeds this, it’s a great idea to spread it out in doses of less than (or equal to) 500 mg throughout your day.
The format of your calcium supplement matters. Calcium citrate can be taken either on an empty stomach or with a meal. Calcium carbonate is best taken with a meal since stomach acid is needed for its absorption. Spreading your doses out over the day and taking calcium with meals may also relieve gas and other gastrointestinal side effects. If you are at risk for deficiency, or are deficient in iron, choose calcium citrate and take it between meals to minimize calcium’s interaction with your iron’s absorption.
Probiotics can benefit the gut microbiome with or without a meal. However, some probiotics have a higher rate of survival when taken up to 30 minutes before a meal (e.g. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium). If you are taking antibiotics, take them a few hours apart from your probiotics.
Trista’s & Fang-Yu’s Bottom Line
The time doesn't really matter. The benefits of most vitamin and mineral supplements are cumulative. The best approach is to take them in a way that maximizes absorption but is convenient enough to remember and establish routine.
As always, check with your healthcare provider(s) before taking a supplement to ensure it does not interact with medications that you may be taking.
Kristen’s Bottom Line
Yes, the timing of your vitamins and supplements has an impact on their absorption. However, I agree with Trista and Fang-Yu. Choosing a time when you’ll remember to take them is the most important factor. Remembering to take your supplement every day, even if the absorption isn’t maximized, is far better than only occasionally remembering to take your supplement at the ideal absorption time. I experience the gastrointestinal effects from supplements. I’m talking about the nausea from multivitamins and the fishy after-burp from fish oil. Yuck! So, I know how life-changing it can be to follow the tips for minimizing these side-effects.
A big THANK YOU to dietetic students Fang-Yu and Trista for co-authoring this post.
Photo by Kayla Maurais on Unsplash
Check out this post to see what vitamins and other nutrients support your immune health.
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