The greatest time to take your nutritional vitamins is no matter time you will truly stick to shifting ahead. After all, consistency is vital when it comes to an impactful complement routine. “We have daily micronutrient requirements, not weekly or monthly, for an entire array of essential vitamins and minerals, including those all-important B vitamins,” vitamin scientist Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN explains.
Some nutritional vitamins are water soluble, whereas others are fats soluble (i.e., nutritional vitamins A, D, E, and Okay). B nutritional vitamins are water soluble by nature. So you would possibly assume that you’re going to reap essentially the most advantages taking your B complicated on an empty abdomen with a splendidly hydrating glass of water, proper?
While that may be a high-quality apply (even perhaps very first thing within the morning for ease of routine), Ferira says it is a vitamin misnomer that water-soluble nutritional vitamins require an empty abdomen and water.
“Yes, B vitamins are soluble in water, that’s their biochemical design. Thankfully, the body and its cells and organs are made up of lots of water. That’s why daily hydration goals are so important,” she says.
“In fact, B vitamins’ water-soluble nature means they dissolve with ease, absorb with ease, and excrete with ease (i.e., when our body has gotten its fair share). It also means they don’t store in our adipose tissue, aka body fat, so you have to be even more cognizant of replenishing them daily,” Ferira says. “You can take B vitamins on an empty or full stomach, with water or any beverage that delights you.”
Another vitamin knowledgeable we chatted with prefers to incorporate “B complex supplements an hour before or two hours after a meal, though it can be taken with a meal if you experience queasiness taking it without food,” notes registered dietitian Jess Cording, M.S., R.D., CDN.
And if you take medication, always check with your doctor before integrating a B vitamin complex. As Cording notes, B vitamins may impact your ability to absorb certain medications, and therefore, should be spaced away from them sufficiently. That’s where personalized nutrition and supplement timing comes in.
Speaking of supplement timing, it’s important to differentiate between an exclusive B complex (i.e., only Bs), versus a multi-nutrient complex that also features some B vitamins. “If the supplement you are taking only has B vitamins in it, then there is no specific indication to take with or without a meal,” echoes registered dietitian Brigitte Zeitlin, MPH, R.D. and founder of BZ Nutrition. If, however, your B complex also contains zinc, you’ll definitely want to pair this supplement with a meal, as zinc may cause queasiness on an empty stomach.
Indeed, some people are more sensitive to supplements than others. While B vitamins are generally known to be gentle on the stomach, everyone is unique. “If your B vitamin complicated is definitely woven right into a complete multivitamin/mineral complement, aka a multi, then it is truly far more probably that a number of the minerals would possibly contribute to abdomen unease if taken on an empty abdomen very first thing within the morning,” shares Ferira.
If that’s the case, you would be better served by pairing your B complex-infused multivitamin with a meal. “In reality, the limiting issue of a multivitamin for optimum absorption are the fat-soluble nutritional vitamins anyway, so most individuals would profit from taking their multi with or quickly after a meal or snack,” Ferira provides.