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The benefits to taking your vitamins with meals are not only real, but taking them with food can actually increase their effectiveness. There are two main reasons that it is beneficial to take vitamins with food, one has to do with your own comfort, the other has to do with the actual workings of the vitamins once they are digested.

In terms of comfort, many people report symptoms such as heartburn, indigestion, nausea, and upset stomach when they first start taking their vitamins. Many also complain of a chalky aftertaste and a higher occurrence of bloating and gas. The reason? Because many people in today's high paced world are too busy to eat a good meal and since vitamins are associated with the first meal of the day, these individuals simply pop the pills in the morning on an empty stomach. But if they just took their daily vitamins with any amount of food, preferably at the same time every day, then most of the symptoms of discomfort and gastrointestinal disturbances would disappear and they would cease to have these problems. The food helps give the stomach something to digest other then a small, chalky pill.

As for actual health benefits of consuming food with your vitamins; it has been determined that nutrients are better delivered throughout the body when combined with food and drink. Since eating naturally stimulates one's digestive tract, taking a vitamin during this time of increased digestive activity also increases the absorption rate and amount of vitamin that is actually absorbed. Also because of the food acting as a stimulant on the digestive system, the body knows to prepare for breaking down and dispersing nutrients throughout the systems of the body. Think of the food as not only an activator of your body's digestion, but also as a vehicle through which vitamins and their benefits can travel more readily throughout your body.

In closing, try to take your vitamins at the same time of day each day with at least some food and drink. Be careful not to take more then one multi-vitamin a day as taking too much of a vitamin can actually do more harm then good. Heres to good health!

Learn more about this author, Maxwell Payne.
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