Look after your supplements and your supplements will look after you...

Product labels can tell you which nutrients and active ingredients are included, and the amount of nutrients per daily intake. The label also provides details of contraindications (or when the product should not be taken) and storage. It is important to take notice of these things because it can impact on how effective the supplement will be and whether it is suitable for you.

But what about the information which isn’t included on the label, such as; when should you take them, first thing in the morning or when you remember? Should they be taken before, with or after food? Can you crush a tablet and is it ok to keep them in your bathroom cabinet? Should you always stick to the directions and best before date? And what exactly does RDA mean?

Directions

Regularity is an extremely important factor in determining when to take supplements especially for long-term ailments or symptoms, or to prevent disease and promote longevity. Many people like to take their supplement in the morning, so that it becomes part of their breakfast routine. Before bed, or first thing in the morning, put all your daily supplements into a little dish and keep it in plain sight on your kitchen counter (out of reach of children
and pets).

Another effective timesaver is to sort out a week or two’s worth of daily supplements in a special tray with 7 or 14 small partitions. To ensure your supplements are taken at the best possible time of day:

Take Vitamins and Minerals with meals, when your digestion is most active, for maximum absorption and to lessen the possibility of gastrointestinal upset.

Spreading your supplements throughout the day (such as, at morning and evening meals) is best, but if you think you won’t remember, taking supplements at one time during the day is fine.

Take supplement drinks before or between meals for best effectiveness.

If a supplement like Garlic, Glucosamine or Green Lipped Muscle Extract tends to upset your stomach, take it just before meals to reduce possible discomfort.

Stimulating supplements such as Ginseng and Spirulina are best taken in the early part of the day, not before bedtime.

B Vitamins and Vitamin C are watersoluble which means that they stay in the body for a short period of time, about two to four days. Your body begins using these vitamins the minute they’re absorbed through your digestive system and they need to be replenished regularly. Therefore it is even more important to remember to take them every day. Fat soluble Vitamins A D E and K, read more