By Jaye Kenzie-SHWR

Taking vitamins can significantly support your nutritional needs, provided they are taken correctly.

When people don’t take vitamins the proper way, they don’t see improvement,” says family medicine doctor Rodolfo Perez-Gallardo, MD. “Your body can’t fully absorb vitamins unless you know the best time to take them.”

Dr. Perez-Gallardo says it’s less about time of day and more about syncing the habit with your eating and drinking schedule. He explains how.

When is the best time to take vitamin C and vitamin B12?

Vitamin C and vitamin B12 are water-soluble vitamins, which means you need water to absorb them. “Take water-soluble vitamins on an empty stomach with a glass of water,” recommends Dr. Perez-Gallardo.

And since it can be energizing, Dr. Perez-Gallardo says that the best time to take vitamin B12 is in the morning, so it won’t affect your sleep.

When is the best time to take vitamin D and other fat-soluble vitamins?

Fat-soluble vitamins require fat for your body to absorb them. They include:

• Vitamin A.
• Vitamin D.
• Vitamin E.
• Vitamin K.

For maximum absorption, the best time to take vitamin D and other fat-soluble vitamins is after you’ve eaten foods that contain fat. And you don’t need much: Dr. Perez-Gallardo says even small amounts of low- or whole-fat milk or yogurt will do the trick. So will eating food cooked with oil.

When is the best time to take multivitamins?

Multivitamins can be trickier: They often contain both water- and fat-soluble vitamins. “The best time to take a multivitamin is with food so any fat can help with absorption. You can also drink a water-based beverage to wash it all down,” notes Dr. Perez-Gallardo. “But the drawback is that your body won’t absorb the water-soluble vitamins as well as fat-soluble ones.”

The reverse is true when you take a multivitamin on an empty stomach with water — your body can’t properly absorb the fat-soluble vitamins. You could also end up with an upset stomach. So, for full absorption, Dr. Perez-Gallardo recommends taking water- and fat-soluble vitamins separately.

Should you take vitamins?

Before you start a daily vitamin habit, Dr. Perez-Gallardo emphasizes that not everyone needs them. “If you eat a nutritious, balanced diet, you do not need these supplements. The best source of vitamins and minerals is a plate that is one-quarter fruits, one-quarter vegetables, one-quarter protein, such as fish and poultry, and the other quarter grains.”

If you can’t eat this way at least one meal a day, you may benefit from taking vitamins. Doctors may also recommend taking vitamins if you:

• Eat a vegetarian diet.
• Eat less than 1,200 calories daily.
• Have a medical condition, such as cancer, that makes it hard to eat nutritiously.
• Have a chronic intestinal condition that causes malabsorption, including celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
• Have alcohol use disorder.
• Had gastric bypass surgery.
• Had a partial colon resection, especially if doctors removed part of your ileum (where vitamin B12 is absorbed in your intestine).

“But talk to your healthcare provider first,” says Dr. Perez-Gallardo. “Your provider can check your levels to see if and where you are deficient, then get you what you need.”