Never Combine These 2 Supplements Without Checking With Your Doctor First, Experts Warn
Ideally, we get all the nutrients we need through diet. But for most people, that just doesn’t happen, which is where vitamins and supplements come in to fill in the gaps. An estimated 75% of people in the U.S. take dietary supplements, according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition. If you take multiple supplements, you may think it’s easiest to take them at the same time each day, one and done.
Unfortunately, that’s not something doctors recommend. When it comes to supplements, timing matters. There are two supplements in particular that doctors wish people would stop taking together. Keep reading to find out what it is and for advice for a better way to take them.
And remember: Supplements are not approved by the FDA, so you should always check with your doctor before taking a new supplement.
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2 Supplements That Should Never Be Taken Together, According to Doctors
If you take a magnesium supplement and a calcium supplement at the same time, you’re wasting your money. “When taken together, they compete for absorption in your gut. It’s safe to take them together, so it’s not a risk, but it is an unwise use of your dollars,” says integrative medicine doctor Dr. Lamees Hamdan, MD.
Dr. Stephanie Nielsen, PharmD, CNN, CFGP, a pharmacist and functional genomics practitioner at The DNA Company, agrees. “Calcium and magnesium use the same absorption pathways in your intestines. Think of it like there are only so many Ubers headed to a concert. If all the cars are full or headed in the wrong direction, you are not getting picked up,” she says.
Related: Want to Improve Your Brain Health? Experts Agree This Is the Most Important Supplement to Take
Dr. Nielsen explains that when calcium and magnesium are both taken in doses greater than 250 milligrams, they compete for the same transport “vehicles,” keeping with her aforementioned analogy. This, she says, can lead to unpredictable absorption of one or both.
Like Dr. Hamdan, Dr. Olakan Otulana, MBCHB, a general physician at Cassiobury Court, says that taking magnesium and calcium supplements together isn’t necessarily dangerous, but he adds that what is dangerous is someone not getting enough of these two crucial nutrients, which they may be relying on the supplements for.
Instead of taking magnesium and calcium together, all of the experts recommend spacing them out. Dr. Otulana suggests taking the calcium supplement in the morning because some people find it energizing and taking the magnesium supplement at night because it can have a relaxing effect and support sleep. If you’re a coffee drinker, another reason to take magnesium at night is because coffee can block the absorption of it, according to Dr. Hamden.
Related: 8 Facts You Didn’t Know About Supplements
One Other Supplement Stack Doctors Say To Avoid
Besides calcium and magnesium, Dr. Otulana says that iron and zinc supplements should not be taken at the same time.
“Iron and zinc also compete for absorption in the digestive tract. If you take them together, particularly at high doses, they can interfere with how much of each your body absorbs. This is especially important if you’re taking them to treat a deficiency because you want to make sure your body actually gets the dose it needs,” he shares.
Dr. James Vu, MD, MPH, a resident physician at East Jefferson General Hospital LCMC Health, says that it’s especially not a good idea to take iron and zinc together on an empty stomach. Instead, he recommends taking them separately, both with food. “Food helps reduce competition between the minerals, allowing your body to absorb them more efficiently,” he explains.
Dr. Otulana adds that vitamin C helps with iron absorption, so it’s an especially good idea to take iron supplements with foods like citrus fruits, cantaloupe, bell peppers, broccoli or Brussels sprouts, which all contain vitamin C.
When it comes to taking supplements, Dr. Hamden says that it’s a misconception that the bigger the dose, the bigger the benefit; she emphasizes that this is not true. “Each supplement has a dosage that works the best, so more doesn’t mean that it works better. Formulating supplements really is an art because many of them work better together. When stacking them, you need to lower the dosage of each individual one because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” she explains.
Dr. Vu adds to this, saying it’s always a good idea to talk to your primary care physician before starting or changing a supplement routine.
It may be tempting to knock back all your supplements at once, but the safest and most effective way is to talk to your doctor about timing, including what can be taken together and what can’t. That way, you’ll get the maximum benefit possible.
