You read that right, I’ve been taking my vitamins incorrectly. TLDR: preferably with a meal.
For years now I’ve been waking up first thing in the morning and taking a multivitamin, an omeprazole, and a cup of coffee. I made that a routine so I wouldn’t forget. Years. I’ve been doing this many years.
Well, having gotten a diagnosis of osteoporosis, I’m now questioning everything I do. And once I realized that calcium supplements are calcium carbonate, and discovering that it won’t absorb without acid. And realizing it won’t work for me because of omeprazole lowering my stomach acid… I’ve start wondering about other possible bottlenecks in vitamin/mineral absorption. Looking into the vitamins that are important for bone building, I notice some are fat soluble. That lead me to ask: do I need fat in my stomach to absorb those vitamins?
And it turns out, yes you do. Taking vitamins on an empty stomach as I have will just make the fat soluble ones pass right through you.
I found it so hard to believe that I’ve been taking vitamins wrong I decided to check the bottle and read the instructions. And there it is right there…. Preferably with a meal.
Wow. I’ve really have been doing it wrong this whole time.
