Taking Supplements with Food or on an Empty Stomach?

Once you figure out the supplements you need to take and why you need to take them, you need to figure out when you should take them. Some supplement labels will recommend to you the best time to take them - with food or without.

However, some may not. This is because for the most part it simply doesn’t matter if you take dietary supplements with food or without. Meaning, it makes no difference what time and how you take vitamin C (for example) because it has the same effects all day long.

On the other hand, some supplements do work better when taken on an empty stomach or with food. Here are some of those supplements:

Hydrochloric acid. You should take these always at the beginning of a meal. These supplements are normally taken by those that have trouble producing a sufficient amount by their stomachs when they eat. If you take hydrochloric acid without food in your stomach, it can cause a type of warm, burning sensation that will be felt in your stomach.

Iron. For the most efficient absorption, you should take iron on an empty stomach. If you are simply taking iron as part of a multi-vitamin, it shouldn’t make much of a difference. Taking iron for anemia should be done on an empty stomach, separated from calcium and vitamin E.

B complex vitamins can cause mild nausea. To avoid these side effects, you should take any supplements involving vitamin-B with a light meal. It should be light because a greasy meal has the ability to interfere with absorption. The exceptions to this rule are folic acid and B12, which shouldn’t be taken with anything and should be consumed on an empty stomach.

Bromelain and other proteolytic enzymes can possibly work best on an empty stomach. These enzymes digest proteins and are frequently used in higher quantities to help fight inflammation.

Taking bromelain with food may cause them to be nothing but digestive enzymes.

Bioflavonoids and phytochemicals are best absorbed into your body when it has an empty stomach. These have many therapeutic benefits which are more effective when digested on an empty stomach.