Jun 19, 2024

Boost Your Nutritional Intake.

Pairing Vitamins & Minerals

This week’s health tip is a spin off from last week when we talked about pairing calcium with vitamin D to get the best health results. I’ve always wondered, yet never researched if there are other vitamins and minerals that complement each other or work more efficiently with or without food.
Starting with AARP, I learned that some physicians recommend buying individual vitamins addressing deficiencies rather than taking a multivitamin which is generic in nature and overall performance. They suggest that a more customized direct approach gives our bodies the needed personal nutrition, offers better absorption vs. taking vitamins and minerals that have adverse reactions to others, boosts our immune system, and therefore has more significant benefits.
I must preface our discussion by reminding everyone that the FDA does not approve dietary supplements for safety or effectiveness, Therefore, before purchasing or taking any dietary supplement, read the label carefully and talk with a health professional.
Quote from the FDA: Dietary supplements can play a role in improving or maintaining your overall health. Some supplements can help you meet your daily requirements of essential nutrients. Dietary supplements can also have health risks, interact with medications, or interfere with
lab tests.

I’ve listed a few common vitamins or minerals for today’s discussion:
Vitamin A supplements – are primarily for those with poor diets, pancreatic disease, eye disease or measles. Those here in the U.S. will most likely get enough vitamin A from our food supply. Foods rich in Vit A are spinach, dairy products, liver, and foods rich in beta-carotene such as green leafy vegetables, carrots and cantaloupe. Beta- carotene converts into Vit A. PRECAUTION: Before taking vitamin A supplements, we should consult our PCPs. Even a one-time single large dose of Vit A supplement can be harmful.
There are 8 B vitamins. The B complex supplement contains all 8. Most of us get enough B vitamins from our diets since it’s in almost everything we eat. A few food sources are meat, seafood, poultry, legumes, seeds, eggs, dairy products, and leafy vegetables.
PRECAUTION Some B vitamins counter-act with certain underlying conditions and medications. Some Vit B supplements are not easily absorbed; therefore, should be taken on an empty stomach. Other water-soluble vitamins like Vitamin C, folic acid, AND iron are also better absorbed on empty stomachs. ClevelandClinic.com states that if anyone experiences discomfort taking these vitamins on an empty stomach, eating a light snack like crackers or a smoothie is advisable.
There should be a 2-hour space in between the consumption of Vitamin B and C. So, we shouldn’t take them together.
Iron supplements with a glass of water or orange juice should be taken at least 30 minutes before eating. Mixing iron with calcium or foods high in calcium is counterproductive.
Fiber is better consumed with water or added to a smoothie.
Vitamins A, D, E, and K should be taken with fat from a meal for our bodies to absorb. Healthy alternatives for meals are avocados and/or nuts.
Vitamin K is required for blood clotting and goes hand -in hand with Vitamin D and Calcium.
We use Vitamin E to support our immune systems, Omega 3s build cell membranes and Selenium is essential to support our metabolism, immune system, and thyroid function. All 3 work together! Whereas Vit K should NOT be paired with Vit E since they are in competition for the same nutrients resulting in abnormal blood clotting.
Conclusion: Most experts will tell you that a healthy diet should be our priority when it comes to meeting our nutritional needs, however there are some instances when supplementing may also be beneficial to boost our nutritional intake.

Leatha Foreman #1233 6/19/24