Taking a daily multivitamin is a quick way for you to add vitamins and minerals to your diet. Since some of the vitamins in your supplement are fat-soluble, you should take your multivitamin with some type of fat. Swallowing a multivitamin supplement with a glass of low-fat or whole milk helps your body fully absorb nutrients in your supplement. Since certain medications may interact negatively with your multivitamin, let your doctor know before you decide to take any over-the-counter supplements.
Multivitamins
Multivitamins can offer up to 100 percent or more of your daily value of vitamins and minerals in one simple dose. They come in easy-to-swallow pills, liquid drops, chewable tablets or gummies. A daily multivitamin should not be your only source of nutrients. Relying on a multivitamin as your primary source of vitamins and minerals causes you to miss out on fiber, antioxidants and other beneficial compounds that are found in whole foods.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Most multivitamins contain some or all of your daily vitamin A, D, E and K requirement. These vitamins are fat-soluble, meaning they need fat in your gut in order to digest and absorb efficiently. Fat not only helps absorb A, D, E and K, it is also essential to store these particular vitamins. If you don't have time to eat food with your multivitamin, drinking a glass of milk is a quick alternative.
Benefits of Milk
Avoid skim or fat-free milk when taking your multivitamin, since this type of milk does not provide the fat you need to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Have a glass of 1 percent, 2 percent or whole milk with your multivitamin to help it fully digest. Chasing your supplement with a glass of milk may also help prevent an upset stomach. If you have frequent bellyaches after taking your supplement, take it with a glass of milk to see if it prevents or relieves a sour stomach in your particular situation.
Other Considerations
Avoid supplements that go over 100 percent of your daily value, as these may be lacking in other nutrients, MayoClinic.com explains. For example, if your multivitamin provides 200 percent of B-12, it may have less than 100 percent of your daily value for folate, another B vitamin. Opt for multivitamins that contain 100 percent of your recommended daily value. Multivitamins usually do not have your entire daily requirement of macrominerals, such as calcium, since you need them in large amounts. Taking your multivitamin with a glass of milk helps pack more calcium into your diet that your multivitamin may not provide.
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