My mom always made me take my vitamins before school every morning. Sound familiar?
If you ask me, that's one of the many reasons she was such a great mom! She truly cared about my health and making sure my body was getting the vitamins and minerals it needed.
This also had me thinking ... Was there a reason she had me take vitamins in the morning?
If there was, it wasn't because that's the best time to take vitamins. It was more likely the best time for her to hold me accountable to taking them!
I say this because the morning isn't necessarily the best time to take your vitamins.
If there is a "best" time to take your vitamins, it's when your body can fully absorb them. This will still depend on a few things though, including the specific vitamins you take.
Rest assured, if you came here today to learn about the best time to take your vitamins, you came to the right spot. The best time for you can, and likely will, look different for you.
I'll make sure you have all the information you need to know exactly when the best time to take your vitamins is and why!
Why Should You Take Vitamins?
Now, why are vitamins important? If you're taking vitamins already, you probably have a good idea ... But for a lot of us, we've been told it's because it's good for us. Do we actually need vitamins though?
Some people will argue that you don't need vitamins if you eat the right foods. While this may be true, only 12.3% of adults eat enough fruits and 10% eat enough vegetables to meet the recommended daily amount (1).
On top of that, fruits and vegetables are far from the only foods that have vitamins and minerals. You would have to eat quite a wide variety of different foods every day to account for all the essential nutrients your body needs.
Because of this, and possibly for other reasons too, vitamin deficiencies aren't uncommon. Vitamin A, D, folate, and magnesium are just some of the common deficiencies you'll hear about (2).
So, why should you take vitamins? Well, I'd argue you should take them as an insurance policy. At least, this is how I think about my daily multivitamin.
They can help make sure all your bases are covered when it comes to the nutrients your body needs to operate at its best.
This is also what makes vitamins and minerals important. They are involved in and are responsible for thousands of chemical processes that take place in your body every day.
Vitamins can also help improve your overall health and wellness by filling in any nutrient gaps you may have (3).
I think of vitamins as the nails, bolts, and screws that hold your house together!
Now, let's get back to when the best time to take your vitamins is. First, that will depend on the vitamins you're taking. There are different types that can be grouped into two main categories.
What Are The Different Types of Vitamins?
There are two different categories of vitamins that we need to discuss.
There are fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins. Both types of vitamins are necessary for your body to function at its best.
At the same time, there technically is a "best" time to take these different vitamins.
So, let's talk about the difference between them and how they can help! Then, we'll get into the best times to take these vitamins.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins that dissolve in fats and oils. That means in order to use these vitamins, your body needs to have fats present.
So which vitamins are fat-soluble? Vitamins A, D, E, and K. But what do each of them do for your body?
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a vitamin that can help support ocular, reproductive, and immune health. They also play a role in healthy growth and development (4).
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is also known as the sun vitamin because that's one of the best ways we can get it! Vitamin D can help support your immune system, mood, bone health, and even disease management and prevention (5).
Vitamin E
Vitamin E has shown to help improve skin health, your immune system, and can help with cellular repair (6).
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is a vitamin that can help improve bone health, cognitive health, and even heart health too (7).
Water-Soluble Vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins are a little bit different. Instead of needing fat, they are best absorbed when water is present.
So which vitamins are water soluble? Vitamins B and C are!
Vitamin B
Vitamin B has eight different types. So, there is a lot that can go into these vitamins. Vitamin B can help with energy levels, brain function, nerve function, and even cellular health (8).
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the major players in improving your immune system. It can even help with disease prevention. For example, vitamin C can help decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and even all cause mortality (9).
But now that you're familiar with these vitamins, what are the best times to take them?
When Is The Best Time To Take Vitamins
With all that being said, you're probably still wondering when the best time to take vitamins is.
Well, the best time to take your vitamins is with a meal. But why is this? It’s because when you are eating a meal, I am confident in saying that you will be eating foods with fat and drinking water.
That way, you can get all of those nutrients utilized and absorbed properly. This will help you get the most out of your vitamins!
It doesn't matter whether that meal is breakfast, lunch, a snack, or dinner. What does matter is that you are eating a meal where fat and water is present.
If you do that, you can be confident that you're getting the full benefits of your vitamins.
Make Your Mother Proud ... Take Your Vitamins!
When it comes to vitamins, there are so many that you can take. So, which ones will be best for you? Well, most of the time, I’d recommend a high-quality multivitamin.
I say this because multivitamins can provide your body with a wide variety of vitamins. They can also provide your body with minerals and other essential nutrients for whole body health!
If you have specific vitamin deficiencies you're looking to address ... That's when I'd recommend taking individual vitamins and minerals to fill these voids.
For example, my vitamin D can dip low from time to time. That's why I often find myself supplementing with a high-quality vitamin D supplement.
If you're looking for a good multivitamin, or individual vitamins to fill in any gaps you may have ... We have you covered!
At 1st Phorm, our mission is to help real people earn real and long-term results with their health and fitness. That's why we provide nothing other than the highest-quality products to support your goals.
Personally, I use Micro Factor, which is our complete daily nutrient supplement. Not only will you get a multivitamin in Micro Factor, but also essential fats, fruits and veggies, a probiotic, antioxidants, and CoQ10!
Micro Factor also comes in convenient, on-the-go packets or as a delicious flavored powder you can mix in water and enjoy with a meal!
You can also shop all of our vitamins here, and we're more than happy to help you determine which ones would benefit you most!
So, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out.
We have a full team of NASM Certified Personal Trainers and Nutrition Coaches right here in St. Louis, Missouri who are happy to help out. Just give us a call at 1-800-409-9732 or send us an email at CustomerService@1stPhorm.com any day from 6 AM to 10 PM Central.
References:
(1) Lee, Seung Hee et al. “Adults Meeting Fruit and Vegetable Intake Recommendations - United States, 2019.” MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report vol. 71,1 1-9. 7 Jan. 2022, doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7101a1.
(2) Kiani, Aysha Karim et al. “Main nutritional deficiencies.” Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene vol. 63,2 Suppl 3 E93-E101. 17 Oct. 2022, doi:10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2022.63.2S3.2752.
(3) US Preventive Services Task Force et al. “Vitamin, Mineral, and Multivitamin Supplementation to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.” JAMA vol. 327,23 (2022): 2326-2333. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.8970.
(4) McEldrew, Emily P., et al. “Vitamin A.” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 10 July 2023.
(5) Grant, William B, and Micael F Holick. “Benefits and requirements of vitamin D for optimal health: a review.” Alternative medicine review : a journal of clinical therapeutic vol. 10,2 (2005): 94-111.
(6) Medina, Jacquelyn. and Vikas Gupta. “Vitamin E.” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 8 May 2023.
(7) Simes, Dina C et al. “Vitamin K as a Diet Supplement with Impact in Human Health: Current Evidence in Age-Related Diseases.” Nutrients vol. 12,1 138. 3 Jan. 2020, doi:10.3390/nu12010138.
(8) Hanna, Mary et al. “B Vitamins: Functions and Uses in Medicine.” The Permanente journal vol. 26,2 (2022): 89-97. doi:10.7812/TPP/21.204.
(9) Xu, Kedi et al. “Vitamin C intake and multiple health outcomes: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.” International journal of food sciences and nutrition vol. 73,5 (2022): 588-599. doi:10.1080/09637486.2022.2048359.
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