8 replies to this topic

[osris]

Does taking water soluble vitamins with food lessen their potency?

 

For example, will taking vitamins C and B (including niacinamide) be a waste of money if taken with food, seeing as they are water soluble, and taking them with food is said to make them less bioavailable... or whatever the correct term is?

 

I just found out about this, after taking these vitamins with food for years!!!!!

 

 

Edited by osris, 04 February 2022 - 08:25 PM.

[kurdishfella]

B vitamins are found in food like meat though so why would it? maybe depends on the food. Vitamin C is found mostly in veggies .fruits and so on , so perhaps taking that with something like meat would interfere but then again I doubt it since it is water soluble just like the b vitamins. potency mostly refer to the substance while it is already in the blood  so the more  correct term would be bioavailability.  But yeah bioavailability could affect overall duration effect if less is absorbed.

 

If you have celiac maybe taking it with diary would affect it.

Edited by kurdishfella, 04 February 2022 - 11:41 PM.

[osris]

I agree with your logic, but the majority of online stuff about how to take B in particular emphasises that an empty stomach is better. 

 

See:

 

"Fat-soluble vitamins absorb best alongside food (ideally with a decent amount of fat), while water-soluble vitamins have to dissolve in water in order to be absorbed. Since vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin, it should ideally be taken on an empty stomach, along with some water. This goes for all other B vitamins as well."

 

https://vegfaqs.com/...r-without-food/

 

And:

 

"Water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins B and C, are better absorbed when taken on an empty stomach."

 

https://cnalifestyle...nd-donts-282176

 

And:

 

"Vitamin B12 will be absorbed better on an empty stomach. This is due to the interactions it has with certain foods that can decrease its absorption with those foods."

 

https://www.iamgoing...ke-vitamin-b12/

 

And:

 

"Vitamin B12 is best taken on an empty stomach. It is better to avoid taking B-12 with certain foods. Food may interfere with B-12 absorption, leading to the intake of a much smaller quantity of the overall dose."

 

https://www.epainass...n-empty-stomach

 

However the quote just mentioned goes on to say:

 

"Other vitamins are best taken with foods, for example, vitamin C which on empty stomach cause nausea or acid sensitivity."

 

So C is ok to take with food according to that quote, but not B, even though they are both water soluble.

 

But as you say, if B and C are already in food, why the need for an empty stomach? 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by osris, 05 February 2022 - 01:20 AM.

[pamojja]

But as you say, if B and C are already in food, why the need for an empty stomach?

 

It depends. In an ideal world one would get all nutrients from foods, and there would be no toxins in it either. Which isn't the case with our industrialized world and many ills rapidly increasing due to that.

 

So the recommentation for example with fat-solubles to take it with fat is to increase and optimize absorbtion in the circumstance of lack.

 

With watersolubles this is less of an issue. However, specially Vitamin B12 is very poorly absorbed through the stomach, and there are many contitions including age which drastically worsen it even more. Therefore I would prefer sublingual longzenges in this particular case.

 

Then there are the many cases of specific deficiencies, where only pharmacological therapeutic doses could make a tend, and therefore absorbtion to be increased additionally beneficial.

 

Amino acids too compete in absorbtion, therefore if one wants specific therapeutic effects from one of them, better to take in isolation.
 

Some minerals might not be well tolerated on empty stomach and are then better taken with food.

 

Vitamin C is on one hand an essential vitamin in minute amounts, but also a great therapeutic for certain diseases at mega-doses. In fact my favorite, since it help me overcome a walking-disabilty from a stenosis at my abdominal aorta.

 

So with no disease you'll be fine taking vitamins, minerals and amino-acids with food. I took vitamin C always 20 minutes before meals for better absorbtion, in average 25 gram per day for the last 13 years. I could of course also just doubled that dose to make up for less absorbtion when taken with food.

[osris]

So as a rule of thumb, should B vitamins and Vitamin C be taken on an empty stomach?

[pamojja]

Again, depends on your health situation. One way to find out, if you don't have any obvious health issues, is to test as many lab-markers you can get, to find out if there are areas where nutrients seem to be missing. For example, if one or more of the main B vitamins: B9, B12, B6, B2, choline or betaine are in lack - a too high homocysteine blood test would give indication for.

 

Also a CBC (complete blood count) could give indications. If everythings looks perfectly good, no need to take B-vitamins separate from meals. With the already mentioned exception of B12, which is best taken as lozenges (the longer it takes to melt in the mougth, the more is absorbed the sublingual route).

 

The rule of thumb where it might be more important are fat-soluble vitamins. They definitely need some fat for absorption. Most B-vitamins absorb well enough with food already.

 

Vitamin C in lack of lab-testing can only be found if beneficial by being better absorbed before meals by trying. If any health condition improves, keep taking separate to safe some on higher doses. If nothing changes because you're already in perfect health, then again take it whenever convinient for you.

 

Vitamin C also might give some digestive discomfort in some cases (flatulence). In that case take when better tolerated.

 

And adapt course if your health would change at any time.

Edited by pamojja, 05 February 2022 - 08:43 PM.

[osris]

"Most B-vitamins absorb well enough with food already."

 

Thanks, I'll use this as a rule of thumb, all things being equal.

[sensei]

If you are worried about absorption take liposomal formulations of those vitamins.

[kurdishfella]

Yes decreases absorption and thus potency. But in survival situations your body can change its gene code for how it absorbs things.