Best Times to Take Vitamins and Supplements

6 min read

Wondering if you’re taking your vitamins and supplements at the best time?

Different vitamins and supplements get best absorbed into your body at different times depending on factors such as whether they are fat or water soluble.

To cut through the confusion, we have put together a handy guide on the best times to take vitamins and supplements.

What Are Fat-soluble Vitamins?

Best Times to Take Vitamins: Fat Soluble Vitamins

Fat-soluble vitamins are those that get broken down in fat and get stored in your body's fat tissues.

Generally speaking, you should take fat-soluble vitamins after a large meal; either breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's best if that meal consists of somehealthy fat (avocados, salmon, etc).

Fat-soluble vitamins include:

Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin K

Although it's rare, a deficiency in one fat-soluble vitamin could lead to a surplus in another one. When taking certain supplements, be sure to take the appropriate amount for you specifically for optimal health results.

What Are Water-Soluble Vitamins?

Best times to take vitamins: Water Soluble Vitamins

Water-soluble vitamins are the vitamins that get the best absorbed in your body with water. Your body digests, absorbs, and uses water-soluble vitamins faster than fat-soluble vitamins.

Leftover water-soluble vitamins leave your body in urine rather than being stored in your tissues so a constant supply of these is needed since they are quickly used and eliminated.

The Best Times to Take Vitamins

best times to take vitamins

Multivitamins

It’s best to take your multivitamin earlier in the day because it contains a mixture of different vitamins and minerals. You may experience a change in alertness after taking your multivitamin.

Remember, not all multivitamin supplements are created equal so read all the labels on your multivitamin properly before taking. Aim to take multivitamins shortly after you wake up with food and a full glass of water, since multivitamins contain a mix of both fat-soluble and water soluble vitamins.

B Vitamins

Always aim to take your B Vitamins such as B6 and B12 in the morning. B vitamins are known to give you a boost in energy and awareness. For most people, that means taking Vitamin B between 7 to 10 AM.

Vitamin C

You should take Vitamin C up to a few hours before a meal because it is a water-soluble vitamin. It will be best absorbed and most efficiently used if you take it on an empty stomach.

Try to take Vitamin C before or between meals.

Vitamin A

It’s best to take Vitamin A with a large meal containing healthy fats such as avocados, salmon, eggs, etc. so in the evening around 5 to 7 PM. Again, a dinner high in healthy fats is best.

Vitamin E

As with Vitamin A, it's best time to consume Vitamin E supplements is with a large meal containing healthy fats. Eating a meal will allow for the best absorption rate of the vitamin into your body.

Vitamin K

Try to take Vitamin K at the with a hearty meal as well.

The Best Times to Take Supplements

Magnesium

Take magnesium at night after dinner. Research has shown that magnesium may help with sleep.

Iron

It would help if you took Iron on an empty stomach whenever possible. Iron is a mineral that will absorb the best without food.

Try to take Iron in between meals and with a full glass of water.

Calcium

Take calcium supplements with or without a meal depending on the type of Calcium supplement. Calcium carbonate is usually recommended to be taken with a meal since this stimulates acid production in the stomach which improves the absorpion of this supplement.

On the other hand, calcium citrate is recommended to be taken with or without food since it does not need acid for its optimal absorption; making this a great option for patients who take antacids.

Either form of calcium is also recommended to be taken with Vitamin D for enhanced absorption. Your body will use it more efficiently if you take it in smaller doses since its absorption rate is quite low.

Omega 3

You should take Omega 3 fatty acids with a large fatty meal since they are fat-soluble.

Like omega 3s, fish oil supplements should be taken with a meal whenever possible as taking them with a meal will increase their efficacy. It’s probably best if that meal is dinner. Fish oil, like Omega 3s, seems to be most effective when paired with other healthy fats.

CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10)

You should take Coenzyme Q10 in the morning to avoid insomnia and other potential sleep-related side effects.

Best Time to Take Prenatal Vitamins

Since prenatal vitamins are a multivitamin, it’s best to take them earlier in the day and with food and a full glass of water to prevent stomach upset and to improve absorption of fat and water soluble vitamins that are contained in prenatal supplements..

Also keep in mind to maintain a healthy diet including healthy amounts of fiber, good fats such as avocados, salmon, eggs, etc.; as well as lean proteins.

Don’t worry too much about taking them at the exact best time if that is not possible. The most important thing about taking prenatal vitamins is taking them daily with consistency and regularity since their benefits add up.

If you want to learn more about prenatal vitamins, check out this article from HealthLine covering 7 ingredients that nutritionists say your prenatal vitamins should have.

Should You Take Vitamins with a Meal or Without One?

The short answer is it’s best to take fat-soluble vitamins with a meal when possible.

It would help if you ate a large, well-balanced meal with fat-soluble vitamins mainly because large quantities of fat-soluble vitamins can upset your stomach without food. Water-soluble vitamins, on the other hand, are best taken without a meal or on an empty stomach as they tend to function best when you have nothing but water in your stomach. These are general guidelines, but for best results, read the labels on your vitamins carefully for recommendations on taking them.

Do Vitamins Interfere with Sleep?

Different vitamins may have a positive or negative impact on your sleep cycle.

Vitamin D, E, and Melatonin all seem to help with sleep problems. According to scientists, combinations of vitamin B supplements have been shown in recent studies to be correlated with insomnia and sleep issues.

These factors are primarily dependent on how, when, and how much of a particular vitamin you decide to take.

For best results, make sure to choose specific vitamin supplements that work best for your diet and lifestyle.

Generally, if you eat a large dinner and a small lunch, you should take water-soluble vitamins in the morning and fat-soluble vitamins at night. Meals will allow your body to process each vitamin at the maximum absorption rate.

Risks and Considerations

Vitamins and supplements should be taken with care. The content, effectiveness and actual benefits can vary and they may be harmful if taken in large doses. Vitamins and supplements may also interact with medications you’re taking.

Check with your doctor to see if taking any vitamins or supplements will be beneficial to your health or if you have any medical concerns. Be prepared to discuss your diet as well to understand the amount of essential nutrients you’re already getting.

Bottom Line

That might be a lot to think about and we understand if you can’t remember all of that right now. You can bookmark this to refer back to. In short, take fat-soluble vitamins at night with a meal containing healthy fats and take water-soluble vitamins in the morning without a meal.

What vitamins are you taking? Any favorite supplements? Comment below!

If you want to learn more about fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins click here and if you want to find top-quality vitamins and supplements, take a look at our shop.