You are what you eat! Or more accurately, you are what you absorb. Follow our 5 simple tips to help you absorb and utilise your supplements more effectively Healthy nutritious diet, exercise, rest and play – a recipe for health. Taking herbal medicine and supplementing your diet with vitamins and minerals can help fill the gaps and provide added health benefits… naturally.

1. Choose a form that can be readily absorbed

When it comes to minerals, not all absorb the same. The first step in getting the most from your supplement is to choose a form that can be readily absorbed and used by the body (bioavailable). Minerals are bound to a carrier molecule to transport them through the digestive system and around the body, and they don’t all perform the same. Organic minerals are well absorbed. They include Calcium citrate, Calcium glycinate, Iron glycinate, Magnesium glycinate, Magnesium amino acid chelate, Magnesium aspartate, Magnesium citrate, and Zinc glycinate. Inorganic minerals such as Calcium carbonate, Iron sulphate, Magnesium carbonate, Magnesium oxide, and Zinc sulphate are difficult to absorb through the gut. For more detail regarding mineral carrier molecules you can watch this video Tip: If your mineral is bound to glycinate, citrate or aspartate it’s an organic mineral supplement and will deliver greater bioavailability than an inorganic mineral. Consider Fusion Health Iron Advanced, Magnesium, Zinc and Calcium Advanced.

2. Look for cofactors

Vitamins and minerals need other nutrients called cofactors to help their absorption and utilisation by the body. Vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron, so taking a supplement that contains both makes sense. Iron also needs Vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12 & folic acid, which act as cofactors for red blood cell production and cellular energy (ATP) production. Vitamin D is another important nutritional cofactor for calcium absorption. Tip: Look for a supplement complex rather than stand-alone individual vitamins and minerals.

3. Avoid competition

Some supplements aren’t readily used by the body when taken together. Magnesium for example, competes for the same absorption pathway as calcium, so it makes sense to take magnesium and calcium supplements at different meals. Iron supplements are also best taken away from zinc. Tip: Drop by Mr Vitamins and ‘ask a Naturopath’ when to take your supplements for optimal absorption.

4. With or without food

Some supplements absorb better with a meal, such as Fusion Health Probiotic Advanced. Zinc is always best taken with food, as it can make you feel a bit queasy on an empty stomach. Some herbal medicines however are better on an empty stomach, in the absence of nutritional factors that can affect their absorption. Take all your supplements away from tea and coffee, as caffeine can affect the absorption of some nutrients. Iron and calcium supplements in particular, are best taken away from caffeinated drinks. Tip: Check your supplement label for specific recommendations on when to take your supplement.

5. Added extras for optimised absorption

There are supplements available that contain additional natural ingredients to optimise absorption. Piperine from black pepper and lecithin (Piperine Phospholipid Complex^TM) for example, have been found to help the absorption of CoQ10 from the digestive tract. Turmeric absorption can also be enhanced with the addition of piperine. Tip: Look for Bioenhanced supplements, for added absorption.

Mr Vitamins Recommends:

Highly bioavailable / Bioenhanced supplements are available from Fusion Health.