Absorption Of Vitamins: Vitamins and minerals are important nutrients that the body needs to function properly.
You must get these nutrients from your diet every day because the body cannot make them on its own or in sufficient quantities. Diet should be the main source of nutrients you need.
Absorption Of Vitamins, Otherwise, you will need a supplement. Since purchasing a supplement is usually expensive, making sure to use it correctly is very important. For this reason, in this article we will talk about ways to increase the absorption of vitamins and minerals so that you can get the most out of taking nutritional supplements.
Why Is It Important To Increase The Absorption Of Vitamins In The Body?
The digestion process begins with chewing food and saliva secretion in the mouth. After swallowing, the food moves towards the stomach; That is, where the secretion of acid causes food to break down into smaller particles. Finally, these particles are transported to the small intestine where the vitamins and other nutrients contained in them are absorbed. After absorbing the nutrients, the remaining particles go to the large intestine.
People with digestive disorders and malabsorption syndrome and those who have low stomach acid or have undergone bariatric surgery usually have difficulty absorbing vitamins and minerals in food or supplements. Other people may also experience this problem due to improper use of supplements.
Most experts consider improper diet or poor absorption of vitamins and minerals as important causes of nutritional deficiencies. If the human body cannot absorb nutrients well, its vital functions will be disturbed, this can cause many health complications. Research shows that the lack of essential nutrients is associated with an increased risk of various diseases such as Alzheimer‘s, heart disease, certain types of cancer, etc.
How To Strengthen The Absorption Of Vitamins And Their Effectiveness In The Body?
Knowing how to increase the absorption of vitamins and minerals is not only effective in maintaining health, but also helps you get the most out of your supplement. Here are some simple ways to improve absorption of supplements.
1. Take Supplements With Food
When you eat, a series of digestive processes begin in the body, all of which help absorb nutrients. On the other hand, taking the supplement with food minimizes the possibility of nausea.
Of course, there may be one or more exceptions to every rule. Here, iron is an exception that should be mentioned. Iron is better absorbed on an empty stomach. However, if you have digestive problems, you can eat it with a small amount of food.
2. Take Fat-soluble Vitamins With Fatty Foods
Vitamins E, D, A and K are better absorbed when taken with a small amount of healthy fat. Therefore, it is recommended to use them next to high-fat foods. For example, you can eat these nutrients with nut butters like peanut butter, olive oil, or avocado.
The effect of fat on increasing the absorption of different vitamins is different. A study on a group of men showed that taking a vitamin D supplement with a high-fat breakfast could increase vitamin absorption by 32 percent.
3. Learn About Supplement Interactions With Medications
You should not ignore your other medications while taking the supplement. Because they may interfere with vitamins and minerals in different ways; this means that they reduce the absorption of each other or enhance the effects of each other, which can cause poisoning or serious complications. For example, calcium interacts with thyroid medication. These products compete for absorption and therefore should be taken several hours apart.
Because there are too many potential interactions to list, it’s always best to consult your doctor about taking different medications and supplements at the same time. In addition, it is recommended to read the label of dietary supplements carefully. In many cases, drug interactions are mentioned on the product label.
4. Take The Right Nutrients Together
Different vitamins and minerals are great on their own, but some work better in combination. Because they improve each other’s absorption or function, which maximizes their health benefits.
For example, since vitamin C increases iron absorption, it should be taken alongside it. Taking vitamin A with vitamin E is also ideal, because these 2 nutrients together form a powerful antioxidant complex. It is also recommended to take calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K in combination. Because vitamin D and vitamin K can increase the absorption of calcium in the body.
5. Know The Nutrients That Should Not Be Consumed Together
Some vitamins and minerals work better when taken separately. For example, zinc and copper in the body compete to bind to the same receptors and reduce each other’s absorption. Calcium and iron prevent each other’s absorption.
6. Do Not Neglect Probiotics
How your body absorbs vitamins and other nutrients depends significantly on the health of your gut. Therefore, ensuring the balance of intestinal flora is very important. People usually think of all bacteria and other microorganisms as harmful, but in fact many of them are beneficial for health. There are billions of beneficial bacteria in the human digestive system, all of which help to digest food and can even eliminate infections.
Probiotics are live species of bacteria that add to the population of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract. Probiotics are abundant in fermented foods like yogurt and kefir, but you can also take them in supplement form.
Also Read:
What Is Vitamin A? The 7 Best Benefits Of Vitamin A For The Body
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