When is it better to take vitamins in the morning or evening? How to take vitamins so as not to harm your health

Good afternoon

As I promised a long time ago, I dedicate this post to my favorite vitamin - so to speak - vitamin C. It was no longer possible to delay writing this post.

Surely, many of you, like me, are now faced with colds of varying degrees of severity. Plus, my dear grandmother is also lying flat, and no antibiotics are helping her. She simply adores them, despite all my lectures about their harm... Until yesterday, she didn’t even want to hear about any vitamins - they say, “all this is empty, and where am I at my age... if and antibiotics don’t help(!)" - and they may not help for a simple reason: the causative agent is a VIRUS. A for viruses antibiotics don't work in principle, but they successfully undermine the functioning of the entire immune system as a whole - and this, as you understand, only aggravates the situation and delays the moment of recovery.

So I decided today to start describing vitamin C and its use in life. In the hope that my grandmother will also read this and begin to actively take it not only during illness, but in general ALWAYS.

As it turned out, it was not in vain that I postponed this matter until the weekend, because the topic turned out to be MORE than extensive! Of course, I know about the benefits of vitamin C, and I drink it myself every day. But! When I got into my database, I sat on it for over an hour - This vitamin has so many POSITIVE EFFECTS on health.

So, let's get straight to the point.

Brief information about vitamin C

Vitamin C in life is NOT synthesized by our body on its own, so it is VERY IMPORTANT to ensure its supply from the outside - with food or in supplements from the pharmacy.
It is a cofactor (auxiliary factor) in many processes in our body. For example, it participates in the synthesis of collagen and kartinin, is a powerful antioxidant (protects cells from oxidation)
Promotes proper absorption of vitamin E, because prevents its oxidation.
Thins the blood. This is why you should read the instructions carefully to other medications you are taking (if any). And also, if you are about to have surgery, it is better to hold off on taking extra vitamin C. In such situations, I would recommend about 500 mg per day for an adult.

Positive effects of vitamin C on our health

(data based on studies conductedin the worldto date):

Everything said above has been CONFIRMED by scientific research on humans.

Besides in laboratory studies(without human testing), vitamin C has been shown to prevent the following diseases (at higher dosages):

genetic mutations
birth defects in children
cancer
atherosclerosis
formation of kidney stones
scurvy
oxidative stress (damage to cells through oxidation)
excess absorption of iron by the body
vitamin B12 deficiency
destruction of tooth enamel

My experience - This vitamin also helps me with headaches. He was simply my number one salvation during withdrawal symptoms, when I refused coffee:-). You drink 1 gram and after 15 minutes the pain subsides.

Now let's turn our gaze for the practical part of the question:

Vitamin C in life - how to use it correctly?

Let's start with dosages. I do not mean standards of MINIMUM required consumption, which are indicated on the packages as a percentage. This average norms for absolutely healthy people (who do not exist in nature after 10-15 years of life), who do not need to prevent anything, much less be treated. In this post I want to help with exactly the last two questions.

If vitamin C is taken orally (which is how it is available to us in everyday life), some people may experience side effects such as diarrhea and mild stomach pain. The norms given below are those doses that do NOT give such negative consequences(based on numerous studies). Those. they can be taken WITHOUT any fear at all.

Age	Dose in mg
babies up to one year old	no data - the vitamin must come from food and mother's milk
children 1-3 years old	400
children 4-8 years old	650
children 9-13 years old	1.200
teenagers 14-18 years old	1.800
adults over 19 years old	2.000

If there are no symptoms of vitamin C deficiency, then you can slowly increase the dose up to 10 grams for an adult. For a child - according to age, 5 times his norm from the table above.

It is better to take vitamin C with or immediately after food. It is better to divide the daily dose into 3-4 doses. This way it will be evenly supplied to the blood and act continuously.

Vitamin C in citrus fruits

Very it is important to combine vitamin C intake with bioflavonoids(a class of water-soluble plant pigments found primarily in vegetables and fruits that contain vitamin C - especially citrus fruits). Bioflavonoids increase the effectiveness of vitamin C. Therefore, when buying vitamin C, pay attention to the composition.

Often they sell preparations not just with synthetically synthesized vitamin C, but with plant extracts, for example, based on rose hips or acerola. That is why, in addition to tablets with this vitamin, it would be good to stock up on its natural sources.

Which ones?

Main sources of vitamin C in food:

rose hips (berries)
cilantro, parsley, dill
citrus
bell pepper (especially red)
black currant
curly cabbage and all types of cabbage IN GENERAL
chilli
strawberry
tomato juice
spinach
potato
blueberry
onion and garlic

Symptoms of vitamin C deficiency:

Early symptom: fatigue (when you’ve had enough sleep, but constantly want to sit on the sofa - not to be confused with laziness :-)
Later symptoms (similar to scurvy): poor or slow wound healing, hair loss and dental problems, swelling, joint pain

In principle, this vitamin is quite common in food, so deficiency is rare. But! Our task is not just to prevent its shortage, but to prevent DISEASES! And if there are already diseases, then cure them.

Therefore, food alone is not enough here.

Many people who take vitamins and supplements simply pop a handful of pills in their mouth first thing in the morning. But experts say it's not the best time to take some supplements, so it's important to know when to take them to get the most benefit.

"It's best to get all your nutrients from food," says Dr. Ellen Kami, a medical school instructor and author of Nature's Medicine Box. - But, of course, there is a large amount of scientific evidence supporting the use of supplements. There may be times when your diet lacks essential nutrients due to toxic growing conditions, chemicals used to create genetically modified crops, or simply bad habits.”

“Calcium will likely be absorbed, but will interfere with magnesium absorption,” she says. - And if you take iron supplements, avoid ferrous sulfate. Take iron chelate instead.” Other experts offered some more helpful tips:

Water-soluble vitamins. B vitamins and vitamin C, as well as other water-soluble vitamins, should be taken in the morning, preferably separately from food. "Take all water-soluble vitamins before breakfast," advises Dr. Robert Silverman, a registered clinical dietitian with the American Clinical Board of Nutrition.

Fat-soluble vitamins. It is best to take fat-soluble vitamins with food. These include vitamins A, D, E, K, as well as minerals, iron and magnesium.

Magnesium. Taking magnesium with food reduces the side effect of diarrhea, and taking fat-soluble vitamins with food prevents stomach upset.

SAMe , CoQ10."If you are taking a supplement SAMe, it should also be swallowed with food, advises Silverman. “CoQ10 needs to be taken with oil, so choose avocado or almond oil to help with nutrient absorption.”

Calcium. Silverman recommends taking calcium in the evening because it promotes muscle relaxation.

Fish oil capsules. Popular omega-3 fatty acids in capsule form may slow the absorption of other medications and nutrients, so these supplements should be taken with food and not combined with other medications.

DHEA (DHEA). Dr. Holly Leipes of Life Extension suggests taking hormones, including DHEA, in the morning.

Antioxidants. Lipoic acid, a powerful antioxidant, should be taken in the morning as it works best on an empty stomach. But since an empty stomach can be either half an hour after eating or two hours later, then everything is relative.

Supplements that increase mental performance. Brain-boosting vitamin supplements or combinations, such as Cognitex, should be taken in the morning.

Digestive enzymes. They should be taken with the largest meal of the day, usually lunch.

Sleeping pills. Sleep supplements, including L-theanine, inositol, or melatonin, should be taken in the evening.

Experts also advise people taking multivitamins to spread their dosage throughout the day. And since we are all different and may be prescribed certain medications, it is always best to discuss supplements and medications with your doctor.

Little is known about when to take vitamins. As a rule, it is recommended to take all vitamins (or inject them) in the morning. But every rule has exceptions.

For example, it is better not to take vitamin E at night, as it increases heart rate. The same applies to vitamin C (ascorbic acid), an antioxidant that makes the body work actively, improving metabolism.

The exception is colds, flu, ARVI, when vitamin C is taken both day and night.

B complex vitamins are taken several times a day, including in the evening, as they contain small doses of each vitamin.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine), especially benfotiamine (the fat-soluble form of the vitamin), is overly relaxing. And it is surprising that the instructions for such a drug as milgamma or benfogamma do not say that it should not be taken before driving, or when performing work that requires increased attention. It is better to take vitamin B1 at night so that the body has time to absorb it and recover.

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) can be taken at any time of the day. It has almost no side effects, except for the urine, which is colored bright lemon or light ocher.

Vitamins B4 and B8 (choline and inositol) are usually taken with food. They both normalize liver function. At night, the liver should rest, so it is better to take these vitamins not before bed, but earlier.

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is a natural diuretic, so should not be taken at night or before long trips. For example, before going to work by car, when there are traffic jams.

Nicotinic acid (NA), or its other form (nicotinamide), can be taken both in the morning and at night. In the morning, nicotinic acid should not be taken because it causes severe redness (hyperemia) and heat in the upper torso. Going to work in a subway that looks like the “leader of the redskins” is not very decent. Nicotinamide does not cause such side effects.

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) can also be taken in the evening, but it affects everyone differently. You need to watch the condition.

Folic acid (vitamin B9) can be taken at night, as it has many side effects that are simply undesirable during the day. For example, folic acid can cause dizziness, short-term memory loss, mild depression, and also negatively affect the skin. The phenomena are short-term and pass quickly.

Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) should not be taken at night, as it causes headaches, dizziness, agitation, accompanied by tachycardia and even skin problems.

Biotin (vitamin H) can be taken at any time.
Lipoic acid, as well as drugs based on it, are taken before meals, since the substance is a hepatoprotector. It is not critical to take it in the evening.

As for vitamin complexes, these contain all known vitamins in one tablet, which act completely differently, and therefore the complexes should be taken only in the morning.

Vitamins add not only years to your life, but life to your years!
Patrick Holford, author of books on healthy eating

On the one hand, there is an opinion that a lack of microelements can not only lead to vitamin deficiency, but also cause a number of diseases - from colds to cancer. On the other hand, studies are regularly published that indicate that vitamins are not a panacea. Even the popular belief that vitamin C prevents colds is controversial.

At the same time, it is difficult to turn a blind eye to the fact that corporations benefit from the popularization of vitamin preparations. And what can an ordinary person do when a specialist in a white coat writes something illegible on a receipt, assuring that this will help improve well-being?

True, you can hear a lot of positive reviews about taking such drugs, even from your friends. The easiest way is to try. But it’s worth taking something into account so that at least you don’t harm yourself.

1. Assess whether you are at risk

If you are lucky enough to get enough sleep every day, eat a varied diet of only the freshest and highest quality foods, it is enough to be in the fresh air and sun, you glow with happiness and health, then chase people like me to the neck of everyone who recommends you change something in your life .

But it's more likely that you're not one of those people. Most people today are still unable to pay enough attention to their nutrition.

Perhaps you want to get rid of excess weight. No matter how much you talk about eating a balanced diet, you will avoid fats and bread if you fit into smaller jeans. Students during a session or those who travel to work on the other side of the city for two hours each way are not at all concerned with the quality of the products: they grabbed something on the go - and that’s it. But the stress on the body during such a life is enormous.

2. Determine what you are really missing

If you decide to independently determine which vitamins and microelements you lack, you will have to study the issue in detail. The widespread belief that for good vision you need vitamin A, ascorbic acid will save you from, and calcium will ensure the strength of bones and teeth, is very superficial.

You can resolve the issue in one of two ways:

Study the symptoms of a lack of vitamins and microelements in the body. This will give you a more accurate idea of your condition.
Getting tested is the easier and faster way.

alexraths/Depositphotos.com

3. Analyze your diet

You shouldn’t indulge in foods rich in essential substances and take medications at the same time. For example, 100 grams of hard cheese already contains half the daily requirement of calcium. Beef liver covers the recommended daily dosage of vitamin A with 30 grams. 200 grams of broccoli contains 2-3 times the daily requirement of vitamin C. But to get the daily requirement of vitamin B6, you will have to eat about 200 grams of walnuts (more than 1,300 kcal) or 400 grams of millet (more than 1,500 kcal) or chicken (more than 800 kcal).

4. Understand a little biochemistry

It should be taken into account that vitamins are fat-soluble and water-soluble. The first ones include A, D, E and K, the second ones include the rest. It is also important to understand that microelements are absorbed from salts. As a rule, the method of administration indicated in the instructions for the drug (on an empty stomach, during or after a meal, with water) ensures effective absorption. In the case of products, this works when you add sour cream to carrots: without vitamin A, it will pass you by.

javiercorrea15/Depositphotos.com

To absorb some microelements, vitamins are needed: for calcium - D, for iron - C, for magnesium - B6, and so on. Therefore, if you eat a lot of cottage cheese, but you still don’t have enough calcium, you may be lacking vitamin D.

However, it is important to consider that, for example, vitamins A, D, E, B 12 can accumulate in the body. This means you shouldn't overdo it. At the same time, high dosages of substances that do not accumulate in the body are not so dangerous. Therefore, do not be alarmed if the drug contains 200–300% of the recommended amount. Some manufacturers compensate for poor absorption of substances in this way.

But you need to rely on microelements with caution. Excessive consumption of one of them may lead to decreased absorption of the other. For example, calcium reduces the absorption of magnesium and iron, and zinc reduces calcium.

5. Don’t skimp on your health

There is a much deeper level in chemistry than the trade name of a substance. If the same word is indicated in the composition of a drug, this does not mean that the substances are identical. What matters is the method of production, raw materials, purity - these data are not on the packaging.

In the case of preparations containing the entire spectrum of vitamins and minerals, price can play a decisive role. You've probably heard that some vitamins and minerals are not absorbed when taken at the same time. Manufacturers have solved this problem by creating tablets in which the components are arranged in layers (try cutting a tablet). This naturally complicates the production process and increases the cost of the final product. It is not a fact that the price of a cheap analogue has not been reduced due to simplified production.

Conclusion

You may well try adding a couple of drugs to your diet if you feel that you are missing something, and evaluate the effect yourself. However, you should not treat them like candy, as was customary in the Soviet Union with yellow balls or ascorbic acid.

One day last fall, a woman wrote to my blog with harsh criticism. When I questioned her, it turned out that in the distant past of perestroika she took high doses of synthetic vitamins and the consequences of this intake affected her worldview...

Any negative experience always affects our perception of reality. For example, as a child I was poisoned by pea soup and have been avoiding it ever since... My husband once accidentally drank a bite instead of water from a cup. Since then he has not eaten anything pickled. I understand this woman's reaction when she comes across a blog talking about the positive effects of vitamins on the body. These are personal phobias. I take no offence. But this woman gave me an idea - to make a so-called “warning post” telling about the nuances of taking various supplements.

What, with what and why so. And although I have already written about the dosages of individual substances, this was. Since then, new information has appeared - or rather, it has been processed to the point where you can tell people about it :) Moreover, I am constantly asked the same questions...

So I'll put it all together in a few posts. As always, everything didn’t fit into one.

There are seemingly banal things that people still ask about...

Vitamins do not accumulate in the body, but are consumed daily. That is, even if in the summer there are kilograms of fruits/berries, they will not survive inside us until winter :) And those frozen not in factory conditions will lose more than 70% of vitamins, because in a regular freezer we cannot recreate the “shock freezing” technique, which takes It freezes the product in a few seconds, preventing the vitamins from leaving it... That is, frozen fruits and vegetables (your own) can be considered rather as a source of fiber in winter and taste, but not vitamins.

The amount of vitamins consumed depends on many reasons - health status, the presence of chronic diseases, gender, age, worldview, and the ability to get everything you need from food. Absolutely healthy people only need to take multivitamins, calcium and lecithin with fish oil. We add the rest for ourselves to correct individual conditions. And even fish oil (omega3) is not needed if we eat good fish 3 times a week. Of course, you need to take as much as possible from food! What if she doesn't exist?

Proper nutrition is an expensive pleasure, so people choose what to buy: a piece of meat to feed the whole family or healthy food: vegetables, fruits, nuts, dried fruits, etc.... I somehow calculated how much I need to eat to replenish only calcium from food: 2 packs of low-fat cottage cheese and 200 grams of heart, as well as several bowls of salad from beets, carrots, green leaves and broccoli with a dressing of crushed nuts and herbs per day.

Typically, the diet is dominated by porridge, pasta, potatoes, cabbage, meat, fish, milk, cottage cheese, and cheese. No fresh fruits or vegetables... And juices from boxes... You can survive in such conditions only with vitamins and microelements.

"You can drink nothing at all. There are a lot of people who have never drank anything - and they don’t get sick. They are lucky - the body works like a clock, absorbs everything, copes with everything on its own. Not everyone is so lucky. And it’s easy to check how you belong to the group. Stop drinking everything for one and a half to two months. And look at yourself. If you continue to shine with health, you don’t need to drink anything at all! and all sorts of other symptoms - will you continue the experiment after this and continue to keep your body on a starvation diet?”

These are not my words, these are a quote from my beloved doctor - a general practitioner and clinical pharmacologist...

Let me generalize Some features of taking different substances:

It is increasingly better to take amino acids on an empty stomach.
- Fat-soluble vitamins can be taken at once for the entire daily dosage.
- Water-soluble vitamins and minerals should be drunk in fractions: 2-4 times a day (group B, vitamin C are eliminated from the body especially quickly, so during illness the latter is drunk every 2-4 hours)
- It is better to drink minerals separately from fats (fish oil, vitamin E, etc.), since when combined with fats they form poorly soluble compounds
- Minerals can be mixed with hot food (example: effervescent magnesium).

DO NOT administer all at once, 2-3 drugs for adults every 4-6 days, and for children 1-2 drugs every 4-7 days. We need to give the body time to adapt.

about the appointment time various additives:
It is better to take vitamins and microelements in the morning/afternoon, iron at lunch, and for those who drink chromium, also at lunch. If you drink zinc and chromium at the same time, it is better at different times: zinc in the morning, chromium in the afternoon. Calcium and zinc are also taken half an hour apart. 600 mg of calcium is thought to reduce zinc absorption by 50% when taken concomitantly.

It is better to drink vitamin C, rutin, calcium, chondroprotectors in the evening, and iodine in the morning (it is absorbed better in the morning and adds energy). Magnesium at any time, but preferably in the evening. Lecithin, fish oil - at any time, but during meals, like all fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K).

Coenzyme can be eaten in the morning (for energy) and before bed - since intensive recovery occurs during sleep. For best absorption, coenzyme is taken with meals. You can simply snack on a piece of cheese, yogurt, bread and butter - so that there is at least a small fat content in the food for better absorption.

Daily dose Lecithin It is better to divide into 3 doses and eat 1 teaspoon with any food that contains fat - cheese, meat, milk, etc. This is a recommendation from an experienced gastroenterologist - this dose is suitable for both children and adults.

But iron, for example, zinc, chromium and a number of other microelements cannot be washed down with milk. You risk not getting poisoned, but simply not absorbing the doses of microelements you take.

Absorption of calcium and phosphorus occurs better in an acidic environment, and iron and magnesium alkalize the environment, so it is traditionally believed that magnesium and calcium should not coexist in the same capsule or in one dose. If calcium and magnesium are in one tablet, then a little bit of both will be absorbed. If you eat everything separately, then magnesium is better, then calcium an hour later, and better in the evening.

If we drink iron, then it is advisable not to drink magnesium and calcium on these days. Or drink iron in the morning, and calcium and magnesium in the evening as usual.

Remember that multivitamins should be taken strictly AFTER a meal (and preferably a heavy meal), since they usually contain zinc, which often causes pain on an empty stomach. Almost all herbal extracts are usually best taken 20 to 30 minutes before a meal, including Indole-3-Carbinol, which people often drink with meals.

Amino acids They are better absorbed if you give them 10 to 30 minutes before eating. But if you have something urgent that requires you to take an amino acid (for example, herpes has jumped up), then drink when you can, something will still be absorbed. Amino acids that you can drink after meals - Glutamine, Arginine. In general, I will write a separate post about amino acids :) There are a lot of them and I would like to describe everything in detail, as we love...

Probiotics Ideally drink on an empty stomach before bed. Overnight they will make our intestines as healthy as possible. But since we do not live in an ideal world, nothing critically bad will happen if you drink a probiotic 40-60 before a meal or at the end of a small meal, 20-30 minutes after it. But if you eat a probiotic with food, it is more likely to be used to digest food than to restore the intestines.

And I would not recommend drinking a probiotic at the beginning of a complex meal, especially where there are proteins (if there is no atrophic gastritis). The fact is that when digesting proteins, we actively produce stomach acid, and if the probiotic capsule is not acid-resistant, then it will open in the stomach under the influence of acid before reaching the intestines. And one more thing - some people have the highest levels of stomach acid early in the morning (before 10 am), so it is also better not to drink probiotics during this period of time (again, if the probiotic is not protected from acid). Also, they should not be drunk with something hot, or washed down with sour juice (lemon, orange, salad with vinegar).
The probiotic should have a pH of 2 to 8 if it is in powder.

When taking probiotics for a long time, you need to change them every month and a half, and not drink the same ones all the time... Change formulas, composition, types of bacteria... Or take breaks of 10-15 days every month.

Oral contraceptives Of course, they disrupt metabolism, but more importantly, they increase the need for certain vitamins and minerals: especially group B (B9, B6 (2-10 times), B1 and B12). Also, taking OK reduces the level of vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium. But it increases the content of copper and vitamin A, vitamin K.
Taking this into account, it is worth choosing multivitamins (without copper, less A and K, but more C, B-group and zinc with magnesium).
The largest deficiency occurs in folic acid and B6 (2-10 times), so it may be worth drinking them separately. The usual norm of B6 is from 30 to 100 mg, in this case it is worth going along the upper limit of the norm. You can take the cheapest options - B6 from Thompson (though they sell out quickly), and B9 in its simplest form. But, if possible, then the herb contains B6 in active form (like B9).

Further, many are interested in how some vitamins and minerals competing for absorption in one tablet (or capsule) a multivitamin or other complex complexes.
I answer: this is done either through microencapsulation or in the form of layer-by-layer application of components. The antagonists are distributed in different capsules (the shell of which dissolves in the stomach at different times) or in different layers of the tablet, which also dissolve with a time delay. Vitamins are made in such a way that they dissolve slowly, layer by layer (therefore they cannot be broken or chewed unless the instructions provide for it).

In addition, if the vitamins in the complex are in active form, this significantly increases their chances of absorption. In active form, they walk, as it were, along a “preferential corridor.”
The same applies to minerals in chelated form (mixed with some amino acid). Our body REALLY loves pure amino acids (released from protein products), as these are its building blocks, so it absorbs them quickly. And the mineral “slips” for the company)

Well, thirdly, a little trick of vitamin manufacturers is to put them a little (or even a lot) more than the norm... B vitamins, if you noticed, are contained in slightly higher, but safe doses, compared to with the average pharmacy multivitamins. Thus, possible losses associated with enzyme deficiency, digestive problems, individual needs, increased consumption, and these phenomena of antagonism are taken into account. The content of other vitamins is increased proportionally.

All this ensures higher digestibility and better tolerability when taking multivitamin complexes.

The presence of certain enzymes, amino acids, herbs and probiotic (useful) bacteria in the composition of the multivitamin can also contribute to the preservation, enhancement/improvement of absorption. If I doubt that some supplement will be poorly absorbed, then I definitely supplement it with plant enzymes.

If you take individual minerals, then it is logical to space out competitors over time.
For example, it is difficult to find complex vitamins for smokers that would contain all the vitamins in the required dosages. In this case, you often have to buy separately zinc, selenium, group B, vitamin D... And of course it is recommended to take zinc separately from selenium in this case (with different meals).

Positive and negative interactions of vitamins and microelements

Iron and
* Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc reduce the absorption of Iron and can lead to iron deficiency
* Chromium - Negatively affects Iron metabolism
* Vitamins B2, C, Fluorine - Increase the bioavailability of Iron
* Vitamin A - Allows the use of iron reserves located in the liver
* Copper - greatly increases the benefits of Iron to the body

Calcium and
* Phosphorus - Reduces the bioavailability of Calcium, as well as the excretion (withdrawal) of Calcium in the urine
* Vitamin C - Promotes the absorption of Calcium
* Vitamin D - Necessary for the absorption of Calcium
* Vitamin B6 - Reduces the excretion of Calcium from the body
* Zinc - Reduces calcium absorption
* Vitamin K - Helps Calcium build bone tissue in the body, and also promotes proper blood clotting
* Boron - Stabilizes Calcium intake
* Magnesium - Promotes calcium absorption
* Iron - Competes with Calcium for absorption. When taking iron supplements, you must wait at least two hours from taking calcium.
* Sodium - High Sodium intake leads to increased calcium loss in urine
* Caffeine - On average, one cup of coffee reduces calcium retention by only 2-3 mg

Magnesium and
* Phosphorus - Reduces the absorption of Magnesium in the intestines
* Vitamin B6 - Increases the bioavailability of Magnesium
* Calcium - Reduces the absorption of Magnesium.
* Boron - Stabilizes Magnesium intake
* Zinc - Zinc supplementation greater than 142 mg/day in healthy adult men significantly reduced magnesium absorption
* Vitamin D - The active form of vitamin D (calcitriol) may slightly increase intestinal absorption of Magnesium.

Zinc -
* Vitamin B9 (folic acid) - Interferes with the absorption of Zinc due to the formation of insoluble complexes during transportation. Recent studies have shown that supplementation with a relatively high dose of folic acid (800 mcg/day) for 25 days did not change zinc status.
* Calcium, Iron, Copper - Reduce the absorption of Zinc in the intestines
* Vitamin A - Zinc is necessary for the conversion of retinol (Vit.A) in the retina.
* Vitamin B2 - Increases the bioavailability of Zinc
* Vitamin B6 - Reduces the excretion of Zinc in urine

Copper and Zinc (50 mg/day or more) - Reduces the bioavailability of Copper

Manganese and Calcium, Iron - Impair the absorption of Manganese

Molybdenum and Copper - Reduces absorption of Molybdenum

Chrome and
* Iron - Reduces Chromium absorption
* Vitamin C - Promotes the absorption of Chromium

Phosphorus and
* Vitamin D - Improves the absorption of Phosphorus in the body
* Boron - Stabilizes Phosphorus consumption

B Vitamins and Magnesium - Promotes the absorption of B Vitamins

Vitamin A and
* Vitamins C, E - Full compatibility. Protects Vitamin A from oxidation
* Zinc - Improves the metabolism of Vitamin A, converts it into its active form
* it is believed that vitamin A receptors (not beta-carotene, we are talking about retinol) compete for the absorption of vitamin D. Therefore, it is recommended to limit the amount of Retinol when used together with vitamin D to 1/5. For example, when consuming 5000 IU of D3 - vitamin Retinol, there should be 1000 IU.

Vitamin B1
* Vitamin B2, B3 - Oxidizes, destroys vitamin B1
* Vitamin B6 - Slows down the transition of Vitamin B1 to its biologically active form
* Vitamin B12 - Strengthens allergic reactions to Vitamin B1. The cobalt ion in the B12 molecule destroys Vitamin B1

Vitamin B2
* B3, C, Copper, Zinc, Iron - Reduce the absorption of vitamin B2

Vitamin B5
* Vitamins B1, B2 - Increase the efficiency of using Vitamin B5 in metabolism
* Copper - Reduces B5 activity

Vitamin B6
* Vitamin B2 - Essential for converting Vitamin B6 into its active form
* Vitamin B12 - The cobalt ion in the B12 molecule destroys Vitamin B6
* Magnesium - Increases the amount of B6 that can penetrate cells

Vitamin B7 (Biotin) and
* Avidin (raw egg white) - binds Biotin and prevents its absorption into the blood. When heated, denaturation occurs (irreversible damage to the structure of Avidin). Boiled eggs do not interfere with the absorption of Biotin.
*Raw egg yolk is one of the best sources of biotin.
* Magnesium - Converts Biotin to active form

Vitamin B9
* Zinc - Negatively affects the transport of Vitamin B9
* Vitamin C - Promotes the preservation of Vitamin B9 in tissues

Vitamin B12 and
* Vitamin B1, C, Iron, Copper - Under their influence, Vitamin B12 becomes useless
* Calcium - Essential for the absorption of Vitamin B12

Vitamin C and
* Vitamin B5 - Improves the absorption of Ascorbic acid

Vitamin E
* Vitamin C - Restores oxidized Vitamin E
* Selenium - The antioxidant effect of both substances is enhanced. In the presence of carbohydrates (sweets, baked goods), selenium is almost not absorbed.
* Iron - Poorly compatible with Iron

In addition to competition, there is phenomenon of mutual enhancement of the action of components. For example, for optimal absorption of iron, you need to add vitamin C and folic acid (B9). In this case, iron and vitamin C should be in a ratio of 1:4-1:5, that is, if the tablet contains 80 mg of iron, then ascorbic acid should be 300-400. Accepted at the same time.

Women use up iron monthly, men do not. If women take iron, it is likely to be utilized. In men, excess iron appears and hemoglobin increases, and then iron accumulates and hemosiderosis develops.

Iron should not be taken during a cold with fever (increase the permeability and fragility of blood vessels) and during viral illnesses. Sometimes, a day or three before illness, the body itself lowers the iron content so that viruses do not get it)

If the infection is bacterial, then theoretically taking vitamins with microelements can help colonies of bacteria grow (they also eat goodness), but this does not last longer than 2-4 days (the height of the disease), after which you can safely drink. I don’t stop taking vitamins when I’m sick, because my appetite worsens, and I need to get nutrients from somewhere.
If a person constantly drank vitamins and stopped taking them for 4-3 days, that’s one thing. And another thing is that he didn’t drink at all, he is experiencing a huge deficiency of vitamins, and in this situation it is better to immediately start drinking complex vitamins, so as not to aggravate an even greater deficiency due to the disease.
Any other components of PUFAs, lecithin may not be worth drinking during illness, because the body is fighting infection, the process is very energy-consuming, and then there are all sorts of fats to digest. In this case, a person will have signs - lack of appetite, slow, sluggish digestion - then there is no need to load the body with food and other things. And if he eats relatively normally, then let him eat :)
Complex multivitamins may also speed up the elimination of the antibiotic (which may not be desirable) or weaken the effect of some antibiotics and antibacterial drugs. This is all very individual.

Replenishing the deficiency and filling the depot does not occur in the same way for different substances.

Chromium is replenished within a month and within a month and a half after discontinuation it begins to gradually fall.
Shortage vitamin C is replenished within a week, but 5 days after cancellation it begins to fall.
Vitamins Group B(practically everything) is replenished within 3 (usually), sometimes 7 days. Their level begins to fall within 3 days after discontinuation.
Vitamin A is replenished within 1-2 weeks, after cancellation it does not fall for 2 months on average.
Selenium the deficit is replenished within a month and then after discontinuation does not fall for another 2-3 months.
Zinc problem. The deficiency is quickly replenished within 1-2 days, but the level can drop just as quickly after discontinuation.
Potassium The deficit is replenished within 1-2 hours. It falls after abusing salty foods and then rises in healthy people within 24 hours without treatment. For those who have diseases of the cardiovascular system, the level of potassium after salt is on the trail. the day will not rise.
Iodine It is also replenished within an hour and leaves the body within 24 hours.
Calcium in the body (not in the blood - there is a rigid constant there) it is very difficult to replenish. With constant use for a month, the deficiency will be replenished, but replenishment in bones and teeth will take 1-2 years. If you stop drinking calcium, within a week the level of calcium in the body will drop (not in the blood!).
Magnesium citrate absorption from 20 minutes. In healthy, stress-free people, magnesium levels may not drop for months. For the “weak”, it may fall the next day after withdrawal.
Copper usually in excess and can maintain a normal level for months, if there is no iron deficiency anemia, then there is little of it.
Iron problematic.
Manganese, molybdenum in healthy people it is quickly replenished and does not fall for months; in patients the level drops a week after discontinuation.
Sulfur is replenished when taken within a month. In patients with diseases of the joints and connective tissue, with connective tissue dysplasia, this deficiency is not compensated for longer and the sulfur level drops within a month and a half after discontinuation.

I also have formulas maximum allowable amount of minerals per day depending on weight:

Calcium: 10-40 mg/kg body weight, divided into 4 doses throughout the day.

Magnesium: 20 mg/kg body weight, divided into 4 doses throughout the day.

Molybdenum: 10-40 mcg/kg body weight, divided into 4 doses throughout the day.

Selenium: 2-4 mcg/kg, divided into 4 doses throughout the day.

Vitamin C: 10-40 mg/kg per dose 4 times daily

Zinc: 1mg/0.454 kg person weight + 20mg divided into 4 doses throughout the day.

But I repeat once again - this is the maximum, it is not necessary to drink this much, but it may be necessary in specific situations.

At the end of the first post, I will answer one of the most frequently asked questions: where do the gigantic RDA percentages in multivitamins come from? Yes, if you noticed, in good multicomplexes, for example, group B is contained in slightly higher dosages... Thus, possible losses associated with enzyme deficiency, digestive problems, individual needs, increased consumption, and phenomena antagonism among this group (see above list of negative interactions of vitamins).

Unfortunately, for some reason people have a hard time understanding the simple explanation: RDA(recommended average daily level) is the minimum of a substance, the minimum without which a person gets sick and dies. For example, without 60-90 mg of vitamin C, a person has every chance of developing scurvy. But in order to be healthy, he needs not 60 mg, but tens and hundreds of times more of this vitamin...

A pregnant woman with mutations in the folate cycle is prescribed folic acid to bear a child - not at all according to the RDA (400-600 mcg), but 5-10 MG per day. For some reason, no one argues in these cases, no one is against MEGA doses. Nobody tells this woman that with such a mutation, she herself needs high doses of folate (and not only during pregnancy) - as a prevention of early strokes and heart attacks. To be completely pedantic, she also needs magnesium, B12 and B6...
But we must pay tribute, doctors, even sometimes without knowing the details, prescribe magnesium to maintain pregnancy, and often not even in capsules and tablets, but in injections and the dosages there differ significantly from oral forms. And so far no one has died from this, and even, on the contrary, many have retained the joy of motherhood)

You can write about RDA for a long time - about when and under what circumstances these standards were established (some during the First World War, since which some things had changed both in the world and in science), about how they changed and etc.
I will go deeper into this topic later, but for now I would like to draw your attention to the fact that RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) and UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level) are slightly different things. And you need to understand that the latter may differ several times from the first, but at the same time it cannot cause adverse health consequences.

In the second post, I will dwell in detail on the norms and dosages of individual vitamins, as well as the research conducted on them and the characteristics of their intake. Stay with us)