When Should You Take Your Vitamins?

Learn when to take your vitamins and minerals for maximum benefit

Most people who take nutritional supplements grab a handful and toss them all down the gullet first thing in the morning. But if you’re going to the trouble to learn about your essential nutritional needs—and spending hard-earned money to buy the right supplements—it only makes sense that you also learn when to take them so you will get the most benefit.

This list will guide you as to which vitamins and minerals should be taken before meals, after meals, and between meals. However, due to the vast number of combination vitamins, use this as a general guide only.

Before Meals

• Multivitamin or multimineral formula
• Digestive aide for the gallbladder
• Vitamin B complex
• Individual B vitamins
• Vitamin C complex
• Individual minerals (calcium, potassium, etc.)
• Iron supplements
• Lecithin
• Manganese
• Protein powder (unless used in diet for blood sugar, weight loss, etc.)

After Meals

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• Chlorophyll (oil soluble)
• Choline
• Digestive enzymes (pepsin, HCL, etc., all those except for the gallbladder)
• Herbs used to aid digestion (comfrey, pepsin, etc.)
• Inositol
• Iodine (unless instructed otherwise)
• Most oils or oil-based nutrients (linseed oil, evening primrose oil, wheat germ, etc.)
• R.N.A. (ribonucleic acid)
• Yeast products (Brewer’s yeast tablets, lactic acid yeast, etc.)

Between Meals

• Chlorophyll (water soluble)
• Glandulars and similar tissue extracts
• Most herbs (except for those used in digestion)
• Phosphorus
• Sodium products

More Dr. Williams Advice on Nutritional Support and Overall Wellness

• Why you need supplements for optimum nutrition
• Multivitamin dosage recommendations
• Foods everyone should be eating