"Take your vitamins" or "get enough vitamins" are common refrains in the health world. Heck, your parents may have told you to take a vitamin daily as a child (Flintstone gummies, for the win, right?). However, taking vitamins alone may not be enough. When you take them—more specifically, what you take them with—can affect absorption.For instance, combining iron and calcium can (ironically) weaken your bones because the two compete for absorption, triggering imbalances that can put you at a higher risk for breaks, aches and pains.
How you take a particular vitamin can help or harm your metabolism, which, in turn, affects your risk of diseases such as high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity. Three doctors and a registered dietitian share why taking this one vitamin at the wrong time can mess with your metabolism. They also share tips to optimize your vitamin absorption and improve your metabolic health.Related: 5 Medications You Should Never, Ever Mix With Your Multivitamins Without Talking to Your Doctor
Why Taking This Vitamin at the Wrong Time Might Mess With Your Metabolism
Research and experts say it's best to take your vitamin D at the same time that you eat a meal or snack with some healthy fats, like omega-3-rich avocados.
"While vitamin D can still be absorbed without dietary fat, it is more efficiently absorbed when taken with fat," explains Vanessa Imus, MS, RDN, the owner of Integrated Nutrition for Weight Loss. "When you eat fat, the body releases bile [a fluid] and enzymes into your stomach to help break it down, so it can be more easily digested and absorbed. When vitamin D is taken at the same time, it can hitch a ride on those fats and be more easily absorbed."
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A quadruple board-certified physician agrees.
"You do not absolutely need fat to absorb vitamin D, but it may enhance absorption," notes Dr. Raj Dasgupta, MD, the chief medical advisor for Sleepopolis. "Without fat, some absorption will still occur, but your body will not be able to absorb as much. Most people only need a small amount of fat, but it is best to speak with your doctor first if you are concerned about vitamin D absorption."
You may have come here thinking we were going to give you a precise time of day to take a certain vitamin to improve your metabolic health. So, let's address that. Is it better to take vitamin D in the morning or at night for your metabolic health? It turns out, it doesn't really matter.
"The timing of vitamin D in terms of morning versus evening isn’t as important as there’s no specific time that applies to everyone," explains Dr. Brynna Connor, MD, a healthcare ambassador at NorthWestPharmacy.com. "However, what is important is that you take vitamin D with meals containing healthy dietary fats…since fats help improve the absorption and bioavailability of vitamin D."
For what it's worth, sleep can affect your metabolic health. The research on taking vitamin D before bed and sleep quality is mixed, with some studies indicating that it reduces melatonin production (the sleep-inducing hormone) and others suggesting that it improves your shut-eye quality.
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Why Vitamin D Absorption Matters for Metabolic Health
You've probably heard a decent amount about how vitamin D can support bone health. However, experts and researchers note that it may also affect metabolic health. For instance, Dr. Beth Oller, MD, a family physician, notes that low vitamin D levels have been linked to obesity (though more research is needed).
Other research notes that low vitamin D levels can put someone at a higher risk for metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol.
Dr. Dasgupta adds that low vitamin D levels can also weaken immunity and increase your odds of muscle injuries and bone fractures. Illness and injury can prevent you from exercising, and a chronically sedentary lifestyle makes it more likely that you'll develop metabolic conditions over time.
So, it's worth being mindful about consuming vitamin D with healthy fats. That way, you maximize your body's absorption, meet your needs and support your metabolism. A win-win-win.
Related: In High Doses, Cardiologists Say This Heart-Healthy Supplement May Be Doing More Harm Than Good
There's no hard-and-fast number. "Any amount of fat, even a small amount, will help improve absorption to some degree," Imus shares.
Dr. Connor notes that it's generally recommended that 25% to 30% of your calories come from healthy fats, "although these figures will vary from person to person based on individual health, dietary needs, and guidance/recommendations from your doctor." She suggests splitting that amount up over the course of a day. Any time you have some healthy fat in a meal or snack is a good time to consume your vitamin D (in food or supplement form).
"If you’re getting vitamin D from fatty fish, then you’re already pairing it with heart-healthy anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, which is optimal," Imus says. "If you’re taking a supplement, you can pair it with other foods that provide omega-3 fatty acids, like chia seeds, flax seeds or walnuts. Or, you can pair it with foods high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, such as avocado, olive oil, nuts or seeds."
Indeed, some foods, like fatty fish, contain a double whammy of vitamin D and healthy fats. However, Dr. Connor adds that cereals and milk may be fortified with vitamin D.
Related: Can You Get Vitamin D Through a Window? Doctors Explain Whether You Can Absorb Any of the Sunshine Vitamin Through Glass
What Depletes Vitamin D the Most?
"The most significant factor in vitamin D depletion is insufficient sun exposure," Dr. Oller shares. "This can be due to living at high latitudes, staying indoors or having darker skin."
She adds that some other common reasons for low vitamin D include:
Chronic medical conditions like Crohn’s disease and celiac diseaseBariatric surgeryIdney diseaseAgingTaking certain medicationYour family physician can order bloodwork to check your vitamin D levels, and the two of you can chart the best course for your metabolic and overall health together.
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Sources:
Dietary fat increases vitamin D-3 absorption. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.Vanessa Imus, MS, RDN, the owner of Integrated Nutrition for Weight LossDr. Raj Dasgupta, MD, the chief medical advisor for SleepopolisDr. Brynna Connor, MD, a healthcare ambassador at NorthWestPharmacy.comEffects of vitamin D on mood and sleep in the healthy population: Interpretations from the serotonergic pathway. Sleep Medicine Reviews.Vitamin D Supplementation and Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Intervention Studies. Nutrients.Dr. Beth Oller, MD, a family physicianUnraveling the complex interplay between obesity and vitamin D metabolism. Nature.Consensus Statement on Vitamin D Status Assessment and Supplementation: Whys, Whens, and Hows. Endocrine Reviews.Vitamin D: Production, Metabolism, and Mechanism of Action. National Center for Biotechnology Information.The Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Lipid Profiles: an Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses. Advances in Nutrition.Hence then, the article about taking this vitamin at the wrong time might be messing with your metabolism was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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