Most of us know we should eat a balanced diet, with a mix of all the major food groups. But you may not know that you absorb more of some nutrients if you eat them in certain combinations of two or more together in the same meal.
These pairings may not be crucial for those who are getting a balanced diet, but they matter more for people who have restricted diets in some way.
This includes people trying to lose weight, vegetarians and vegans, or those who cut out certain food groups for health reasons. For these people, “pairing of nutrients can become more important” according to Rebecca McManamon, clinical director at Urban Dietitians.
Government surveys of what British people eat and their blood vitamin and mineral levels show that large numbers are classed as deficient in certain nutrients – even though they may not yet be showing any symptoms.
For people who take a daily multivitamin tablet, the advice is to do so with a meal, partly due to the benefits of combining nutrients.
But when it comes to getting your vitamins and minerals directly from food, here are the pairings that help you absorb more.
Iron and vitamin C
Iron has many different uses in the body, with the best known being its incorporation into haemoglobin in red blood cells, which transport oxygen through the blood.
Lack of iron often leads to tiredness and anaemia, a condition where people don’t have enough healthy red blood cells.
A third of women are deficient in iron; it is a particular problem for women and girls who menstruate, because iron is lost from the body with every period.
Meat is a good source of iron, so iron deficiency can be a problem for vegetarians, vegans and those who limit red meat.
Iron is also found in various plant-based foods, like leafy greens, nuts and seeds, but in a different form – called non-heme iron – that is less easily absorbed than the heme iron found in meat.
Gut cells have a transporter molecule that absorbs heme iron into the body, but it cannot bind to non-heme iron.
For people who eat little or no meat it is therefore advised to maximise absorption of non-heme iron, which can be achieved by consuming vitamin C alongside iron.
Red meat is a good source of easily absorbable iron (Photo: Moment RF/Getty)This is because vitamin C chemically reacts with non-heme iron and turns it into a form that is more easily absorbed.
In practice, this could mean combining something like citrus fruit or a juice drink with your chosen source of iron, whether that be meats like steak or plant-based options like spinach.
“Vitamin C is only effective when you take it at the same time,” explained Dr Carrie Ruxton, dietitian with the Health and Food Supplements Information Service.
“Hacks include taking a multimineral supplement or iron tablet with a glass of orange juice or a platter of fresh fruit.”
Fat and certain vitamins
Vitamins A, D, E and K are soluble in fat or oil, but not water. That means they are less easily absorbed if consumed within a very low-fat meal.
Vitamin D deficiency is a particular problem in the UK because during winter, UV rays are too weak for our skin to manufacture vitamin D through the action of sunlight.
About a fifth of Britons are therefore deficient in this vitamin, so adults are advised to take a vitamin D supplement between October and March while children should take one all year round.
“Many of us consume enough fat at meals containing the fat-soluble vitamins that a conscious decision to pair a fat-rich food and [a vitamin source] is not necessary,” said McManamon.
But it could become a problem for someone on a low-fat diet or if they take a vitamin tablet on an empty stomach, she said.
Zinc and animal protein
Zinc is a metal that is within more than 300 different bodily enzymes – so it is vital for countless crucial bodily functions including cell growth and repair, immune defences and fertility.
It is found in many different kinds of meat and other animal foods like eggs and dairy, as well as some plant foods such as legumes and wholegrains.
However, the proteins in animal-based foods help its absorption as these proteins have more amino acids containing sulphur, which bind to zinc and aid its uptake in our bodies.
Meanwhile, plant foods contain compounds called phytates, which bind to zinc and block it from being absorbed. Phytates, which are sometimes called “anti-nutrients”, also block the absorption of iron and calcium in a similar way.
For people who eat meat, zinc deficiency is rarely a problem.
“Studies have shown that adding relatively small amounts of animal protein to legume-based meals can increase the amount of zinc absorbed,” said Dr Emma Derbyshire, director of Nutritional Insight.
For those who don’t eat meat, however, beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils can be “sprouted” – a process which breaks down their phytates – by keeping them in a moist container for a few days.
Legumes like beans, chickpeas and lentils can be ‘sprouted’ to help with zinc absorption (Photo: Lourdes Balduque)Vitamin D and calcium
Vitamin D does a number of jobs in the body, including helping regulate the immune system and metabolism.
Perhaps its best known role, though, is ensuring we have strong bones and teeth. It does this by aiding the absorption of calcium from the gut.
“In the absence of vitamin D, it doesn’t matter how much calcium you eat in your diet – you would only absorb a fraction of it,” said Ruxton.
Vitamin D is important to aid calcium absorption (Photo: Moment RF/Getty)In this food pairing, the vitamin D and calcium don’t need to be eaten within the same meal, Derbyshire said.
“Maintaining an adequate vitamin D status enables the body to absorb and utilise calcium effectively over time,” she added.
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