What's the Best Way to Take Supplements, and When?
Written by Leslie K. Hughes
The supplement industry is a huge one. And when we say huge, we mean a $140.3 billion industry that is only continuing to grow.
Personal health and wellness have become major topics of discussion over the last few years, and you can see that reflected in the growing popularity of supplements.
More information than ever is available to people about the necessity to get all the vitamins and nutrients you need. And some people find it easier and more convenient to take a supplement as opposed to taking the time to ensure the food they eat contains all of the vitamins and nutrients required to live a healthy life.
In addition to that, some supplements are difficult or impossible to get from foods, so supplements are the only option.
What are supplements?
Before we dive deeper into the details of supplements, let’s start with some basic things like what supplements are.
Supplements are herbs, amino acids, enzymes, and more that are meant to enhance your diet. They can look like the protein powder you add to your smoothie, the probiotics you take every morning, the fish oil you pop during the day – the list goes on and on.
Supplements come in all shapes and sizes including capsules, powders, tinctures, tonics, and more.
It is important to note that supplements should not be the only thing you rely upon for a healthy life. Your healthy life starts with your diet and regular exercise, and then, if you are still struggling, you can add on some supplements.
In short, supplements do not serve as a replacement for a healthy diet or regular exercise.
What supplements are the most popular?
You could go crazy with cupboards full of supplements you think you should be taking, but there are just a few key staples in supplements that you should turn to first before going to deep into the supplement world.
Vitamin D. You would be amazed at how many people are vitamin D deficient. Even those living in sunny, warm places that you would expect to be getting plenty of natural vitamin D need a little boost. This vitamin is key for helping with depression as well as strengthening your immune system and your bones.
Protein powder. The amount of protein you need in your diet varies from person to person, but if you are a vegetarian or vegan, chances are good that your protein sources as not as ample as those who eat meat. No matter what your dietary preferences are, protein powder is a great supplement to add to your routine. It helps with muscle recovery and may help maintain a healthy weight.
Probiotics. It seems that gut problems are more prevalent than ever, and there are several reasons why that may be. One of them is that your gut bacteria is off, and the best way to correct that is by taking probiotics. This supplement helps to prevent and treat gut issues as well as help your immune system and your skin.
Those three make up just a small piece of the supplement world, but they are where you should start in your supplement journey.
What’s the best way to take supplements?
There are a variety of ways that you can incorporate supplements into your daily life.
One option is to get your supplements in powder form and add them to your smoothie, your coffee, your tea, or any other drink that you think you can drink down with supplements in them.
This is typically a more efficient way to get supplements. Taking one scoop of protein powder is thought to be equivalent to taking more than 30 capsules to get the same amount of protein.
However, there are some supplements where the capsule form is enough, and you don’t have to take 30 to get the amount your body needs.
One such example is ashwagandha. Because the serving size of this supplement is less than protein powder, and because ashwagandha typically doesn’t taste as good as a chocolate protein powder, most people opt to take this supplement in capsule form.
Capsules don’t agree with everybody, however. Some people find their body reacts poorly to whatever material is used to make the supplement capsules, but more research needs to be done to determine whether it is the capsule material, or potentially due to taking too many supplements.
Some people swear by tinctures to avoid any issues with powders or capsules, and simply add them to their drink of choice. This may result in some issues for those who don’t enjoy the flavor of the tinctures, but others seem to prefer this method.
What it really comes down to when deciding what way to take supplements is a matter of personal preference.
When is the best time to take supplements?
Each supplement is different when it comes to the ideal time to take them to ensure maximum absorption by your body.
It is important to follow the directions provided when it comes to dosage as well as when to take them. Some supplements are best taken on an empty stomach, while others do best when taken with meals.
Fat-soluble vitamins are a category of supplements that need fat in your body to be properly absorbed. Thus, these vitamins are taken with food.
Water-soluble vitamins need water to be absorbed, so you take these vitamins with water.
In addition to that, some vitamin combinations optimize the efficacy of each. One such example is vitamin C and iron. You want to take the two of these together because vitamin C helps your body absorb iron. That means you get more out of taking your iron supplements by pairing them with vitamin C (and you get the added bonus of additional vitamin C in your body, which is always good).
Before taking any supplements, consult with your doctor to determine whether they will affect any of the current medications that you’re taking because some of them do not work well together.
To ensure that the supplements you want to take are best for your body, and won’t have any bad reactions with other medications you’re taking, talk to a Sameday Health doctor today.
