Taking vitamins can be a smart health move. While MayoClinic.com says vitamin supplements should never replace healthy meals and snacks, supplements can sometimes be beneficial to make up for nutritional gaps in your diet. General multivitamin supplements are formulated to contain a safe and healthy combination of vitamins and minerals, but certain vitamin-mineral interactions are important to keep in mind. In addition, combining a multivitamin with extra single-vitamin supplements can lead to excessive dosages of some nutrients. Therefore, caution is necessary when taking vitamins together, and it's best to consult your doctor before beginning a vitamin supplement regimen.
Step 1
Ask your physician for vitamin recommendations. Depending on your diet, age, gender and health conditions, your physician might advise you to take different vitamin and mineral supplements. Remember to ask for specific instructions regarding the proper dose of any supplements recommended.
Step 2
If you take an iron supplement, take it with orange juice or another rich source of vitamin C. According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Sports Medicine, vitamin C aids in iron absorption. Taking these two nutrients together helps them work more efficiently.
Step 3
Take calcium and vitamin D together. Brown University Health Services says calcium is absorbed more fully in the presence of vitamin D, which is why most calcium supplements contain vitamin D too. If your calcium pill does not include vitamin D, you can take it with a glass of D-fortified milk to increase its absorption.
Step 4
Obtain your doctor's approval before adding any extra vitamin supplements to a daily multivitamin. You don't want to accidentally ingest too much of a nutrient by combining more than one supplement; however, some physicians now recommend taking extra vitamin D. Discuss your options with your health provider for best results.
Things You'll Need
- Vitamin supplements
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