Vitamin deficiency is a condition resulting from a long term lack of a particular nutrient. It is estimated that as many as 2 billion people suffer from one or more vitamin deficiencies worldwide. Depending on the nutrient and levels in question, deficiencies can have serious impacts to a person's health. Issues ranging from hormonal and enzymatic imbalances to delayed growth and development can all be side effects of a nutritional deficiency. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of what you put in your body.
Now that you’ve researched and discussed which vital vitamins and minerals need supplementation, it is important to take the next step and plan how and when you are going to include them throughout your day. Certain vitamins have natural tendencies for increasing or decreasing alertness, this can be used to your advantage. B vitamins typically give you a little pep, so they are best advised to take first thing in the morning. On the other hand, minerals such as Magnesium, Alpenigin, and L-Theanine have a calming effect and are recommended to take at night right before bed. Most practitioners will advise multivitamins be taken first thing in the morning. This is because our digestion typically slows down during sleep. Making nutrients taken at night, slower to absorb within the body.
We’ve all been warned of the dangers of too much coffee in our diet. And while this early morning pick me up seems like a great way to start the day (in moderation). The truth is it may have serious negative effects on your nutritional health, especially if you take your vitamins first thing in the morning. In fact, it has been found that the tannins in coffee can actually interfere with the absorption of many vitamins and minerals. In addition, coffee is a natural diuretic leading to increased urination, which means a lot of the valuable health boosters you're taking could literally be wasted down the drain. Instead, it is recommended to take supplements with water or orange juice. According to the Food and Drug Administration, highly acidic beverages such as grapefruit juice should also not be taken with supplements and medications since they can affect absorption levels.
In order to paint the perfect picture you must have a clean canvas on which to paint. The same can be said for your gut. Before your gut can properly absorb all the good nutrients your body needs, the gut barrier must be neat and free from obstructions. Fortunately, our body is full of important microorganisms that are ready for the job. Probiotics are a healthy community of microorganisms and live bacteria that live inside your body. These gut microbiota have numerous benefits for the body such as immune system support, reducing inflammation, reducing allergies, preventing and treating diarrhea caused by infections or antibiotics, and helping maintain a healthy balance in the gut. Having a healthy gut helps keep your body in working order and can affect almost every major body system. Probiotics can naturally be found in yogurt, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, pickles, miso and some cheeses. Prebiotics are another important component for establishing gut health. While probiotics are helpful bacteria, prebiotics are fibers that aren’t digestible, which allow the good probiotic bacteria to grow and cultivate in your body. Since these prebiotics cannot be digested, they travel down through the gut and become a bountiful source of rich food for healthy gut bacteria. Examples of prebiotics are whole grains, garlic, onions, soybeans, asparagus, bananas, dandelion greens and artichokes. By supporting the gut microorganisms can aid in digestion, immune health, and other important digestive issues.
For additional digestive support, Essential Digestive Enzymes can help contribute to the natural food breakdown. Our Digestive Enzyme Supplement contains some of the most beneficial enzymes used by the body to help break down food and assist with nutrient absorption. Breaking down molecules such as fats, carbohydrates and proteins into smaller particulars allows the gut to more easily absorb and transport the necessary minerals found in food throughout the body. This can improve digestion and help support digestive disorders. Plant based enzymes have been shown to survive stomach acid better, so they are preferred. Our Digestive Enzymatic blend contains 10 of the most important digestive enzymes such as Bromelain, Lactase, Invertase, Lipase, Pipain, Lucoamyase, Amylase, Maltase, Cellulase, and Neutral Protease. People with food intolerances and can’t break down certain foods, should find this complex particularly helpful.
Another important determining factor for nutrient absorption is fat soluble vs water soluble vitamins. Fat soluble nutrient examples are vitamins A,D,E and K, whereas water soluble vitamins account for all other vitamins. Fat soluble vitamins are defined as nutrients that are absorbed by fat compared to water soluble vitamins which are not stored in the body and can be dissolved in water. Excessive levels of fat soluble vitamins are stored in the body, where they can inadvertently cause harm, so their levels should be closely monitored. Fat soluble vitamins are slower to dissolve, and the surplus is stored in the liver. In excessive levels, vitamin toxicity can occur. By comparison, excessive levels of water soluble vitamins are typically excreted through the urine. This is why urine can appear brightly colored after ingesting water soluble nutrients.
In order to achieve proper absorption with fat soluble nutrients, best practice is to take these vitamins with fat. Drinking milk, eating yogurt, or adding avocado to your morning toast are great ways to incorporate fat to your morning routine and help boost the effectiveness of fat soluble nutrients. For water soluble nutrients it is not necessary to take them with food for absorption. However, some vitamins such as iron, might benefit from being taken from food since it can prevent nausea. In most cases taking vitamins with food is best for achieving the max benefit. But there are exceptions. For amino acids, herbal supplements or enzymes an empty stomach is preferred. Most professionals agree these supplements should be taken on an empty stomach at least 30 minutes before a meal or 2 hours after eating for best results.
Besides knowing what foods to take or not take with supplements, it is also important to note which supplements should not be taken together. Calcium and iron for example can compete with each other when they are out of ratio. Calcium has actually been known to inhibit the proper absorption of iron. As a result, it is recommended to take iron in the morning and Calcium in the evening. Zinc and Magnesium have also proven to have a competing relationship at certain levels. Since these dueling compounds can compete for absorption, it is best advised to take Zinc earlier in the day to support immune system health, and Magnesium at night to help with sleep.
Furthermore, in order to maximize the effects of your vitamins it may also be necessary to take certain nutrients together. For example, vitamins D3 and K2 are highly regarded as a fantastic symbiotic pair. Vitamins D3 and K2 work together in harmony to help your body with the absorption of calcium and assist with bone density. Double Wood’s Vitamins D3 and K2 Liquid Drop complex is unique because it uses MCT oil so there is plenty of fat present for proper absorption. This means our blend can be taken with or without food, if preferred. Another favored combo is vitamin C with iron. Iron is an essential nutrient used for creating hemoglobin, a hormone which carries oxygen from the lungs to various parts of the body. Unfortunately iron can come with some uncomfortable side effects such as muscle pain, nausea or headache. Taking iron with vitamin C has not only been found to increase the release of iron in the body, but it can also lower the presence of some of these unfortunate side effects.
In addition to supplements it is important to fill your plate with a rainbow of different whole foods. We’ve mentioned the importance of ingesting fat along with fat soluble vitamins such as D, K, A and E. Fortunately, there are some fatty foods that already contain these essential vitamins. Foods such as almonds, egg yolk, and butter are all high in fat, and conveniently contain fat soluble nutrients as well. Almonds contain vitamin E, butter contains vitamin K and egg yolks contain vitamin D. When consuming foods, especially those high in nutrients, it is important to chew your food slowly. Studies have shown that individuals that chew their food slowly are more likely to absorb fat and energy from their meal, than those who eat quickly. Chewing slowly also proves to be better for digestion in that it breaks down food and activates the enzymes in your mouth needed for ingestion. It is also beneficial to eat as many raw fruits and vegetables as possible. Cooked foods will typically contain less vitamins and minerals as compared with uncooked foods.
Regardless which vitamins you take it is always important to ensure the products are of the utmost quality. All of our GMO free and 3rd party tested so you know you are getting the highest standard materials on the market. In addition all our products are made in the USA and come with a money back guarantee so you can buy with confidence. Be well!