The Two Supplements Experts Warn You Should Never Take Together
People take vitamins to enhance their health, but when done improperly, they can do more harm than good. When it comes to nutritional supplements, timing, dosage, and how you combine them play a role in your health outcomes.
How calcium interferes with iron
Calcium is essential for bone health, muscle function, and nerve signaling. Iron is crucial for oxygen transport and energy production. They’re both among the most common supplements, but taking the two together can dramatically affect how well the body absorbs them.
When taken together, the two minerals end up competing for absorption in the digestive tract. Iron already gets absorbed less efficiently than other nutrients, but when calcium is present, it interferes with the body’s transport pathways, which are used to absorb iron.
Even relatively small doses of calcium can reduce iron absorption by 40–60%, essentially making the iron supplement significantly less effective. This consideration is especially important for people who rely on iron supplements because they have anemia. This includes pregnant or menstruating women and vegetarians.
How iron interferes with calcium
On the flip side, high levels of iron can also affect how well the body absorbs calcium. While the effect is less dramatic, it still may reduce calcium’s availability. When taken simultaneously, both minerals compete, and neither is absorbed optimally.
This is especially problematic for people who take calcium supplements because they’re at risk of osteoporosis. The consequences of this poor absorption may not be immediately noticeable, but over time, the impact can add up. Calcium deficiency may lead to weakened bones, muscle twitching, or increased risk of fractures.
How to avoid these consequences
If you’re someone who would benefit from taking both calcium and iron supplements, don’t worry; you don’t have to choose between them. You just have to ensure you’re taking them at the right times.
To avoid them interfering with each other, take them at least two hours apart. This gives your body enough time to process one mineral before introducing the other. It’s also important to be aware of hidden sources of calcium, such as dairy or fortified foods, when taking iron pills.
It’s recommended to take iron in the morning on an empty stomach for better absorption, and calcium later with a meal. If you use a multivitamin, check the label as some brands combine both minerals in the same tablet.
Why is it important to consider supplement interaction?
The way nutrients interact inside the body can change how well they’re absorbed, how effectively they work, and how safe they are to take together.
“Many [nutrients] share absorption pathways and alter enzymes that process and clear medications,” medical director of Mochi Health, Jennifer Warren, told Health.com. “These interactions can lead to dangerous complications, including failure of effectiveness of medications, nutritional deficiencies, and other side effects.”
Warren advises to always double check with your doctor before introducing nutritional supplements to your diet.
KEEP ON READING
