
Everyone talks about nutrients, but do you know when they are well absorbed? For a high soaking of vitamins, it is not necessary to invent new diet menus. It is enough to add the corresponding nutrient to one of the nutritious products:
- Calcium plus vitamin D
- Vitamins from the B-complex group together
- Vitamin C and iron
- Beneficial fats and carotene
Nutrition is not just about the food you eat. It is also important how you consume it. And it’s essential to have absorption of vitamins from the food you consume. For this, there is nothing better than knowing how to combine products and supplements to increase their bioavailability.
Then it will fill your body with trace elements many times faster. In this way, you can increase your immunity. And you can strengthen the body’s functionality. Besides, it can improve food taste and make your diet more varied.
Factors Negatively Affecting the Absorption of Vitamins

Vitamins can’t compete with caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. So, if you consume any of these products, the absorption rate of vitamins decreases. The following cases can also be the reasons for this:
- Alcohol and antibiotics negatively affect the presence and work of B and E vitamins in the body.
- Anticonvulsants remove vitamins D and K from the body.
- Irregular, unbalanced, monotonous nutrition is another way to deficits. If a person eats the same foods, their body receives the same vitamins.
- Approximately three to four cups of coffee daily kill group B and PP vitamins.
- Rigid diets create a risk of deficiencies. And this also includes such a type of nutrition as veganism. In this case, without meat and other nutrients, a person lacks fat-soluble vitamins. And without them, any assimilation of food happens badly.
- Low absorption of vitamins can also be the cause of some diseases. These can be viral diseases, stomach pain, and specific allergic reactions.
What helps vitamins to be absorbed?
First, to increase vitamin absorption, you should avoid the above. Secondly, you should follow the next:
- Learn the combination of vitamins and trace elements with each other. In pairs, some of them work much more efficiently. For example, vitamin C is better absorbed with B vitamins.
- The absorption rate of vitamins usually decreases with age. So, you should pay attention to vitamin health support after 35-40 years.
- Remember that not fresh products quickly lose their vitamins. If you leave a vegetable salad in the refrigerator for two days, you will not get nutrients from it.
What Are the Nutrients That Help the Body Absorb Vitamins?
Product connectivity is really important. How many vitamins your body will receive depends on this. The main combinations of products to increase vitamin absorption include:
- Eating unsweetened cereals with vegetables, greens, and vegetable oils is better.
- You should not combine legumes with animal products.
- It is better to eat fruits 30-40 minutes before food or as a separate snack.
- You can combine raw and heat-treated vegetables with almost all kinds of products.
Your body has specific transport systems for the soaking up of vitamins. It transports them from the esophagus to the stomach. Those nutrients that come from the diet are absorbed mainly in the small intestine.
But sometimes, this process does not go well. Thus, to saturate the body with all the food benefits, you should combine certain products and supplements. Here is the list of nutrients to help your body increase vitamin absorption:
1. Yogurt and banana
You’ve probably heard of inulin if you’ve ever had stomach problems. It helps balance the levels of ”good” bacteria in the digestive system. Inulin also benefits bones by improving calcium absorption:
- That is, yogurt is rich in calcium.
- A banana is an excellent source of inulin.
- Thus, it is not only delicious but also a helpful combination.
Sources of calcium: | yogurt, milk, cheese, broccoli, cabbage. |
Sources of inulin: | onion, garlic, chicory, asparagus, bananas. |
2. Liquid supplement drops
Each person has a different body. And each has other mineral and antioxidant absorption properties. Thus, if nutrients are not absorbed during meals, consider liquid supplements. They have around 98% absorption rate, compared to 3-20% of capsules and tablets.
Its composition can become a source of your health. The content of vitamin C and ashwagandha provides you with all the health benefits.
And the biggest advantage is that the liquid formula provides instant results. It releases free radicals from the body, thereby speeding up the absorption of vitamins:
- Take food supplement drops for immunity if you want to improve your health. These drops will help soak all the nutrients from your diet. They contain many adaptogens. Accordingly, you will speed up the recovery of your immunity.
- If you need to fix a problem with an emotional state, take food supplement drops for mental health. They contain vitamins beneficial for brain activity. It can help avoid stress, anxiety, depression, and improve concentration.
3. Turkey meat with a green salad
Studies show that meat containing vitamin B12 is helpful for the nervous system. And lettuce leaves contain vitamin B9. Together, vitamins B12 and B9 form a harmonious pair.
They work together to support some of the most fundamental cell division and replication processes. Thus, their common use better absorbs supplements and vitamins:
- A deficiency of one of these vitamins can cause one form of anemia. It leads to an increase in red blood cells.
- A lack of vitamin B12 can cause neurological problems. They can range from tingling sensations to memory impairment and anemia.
- With such diseases, the soaking up of minerals is significantly reduced. So, it is necessary to maintain their balance.
4. Green tea with lemon
Green tea is rich in antioxidants. And lemon has a lot of ascorbic acids. By mixing these two nutrients, you can absorb supplements and vitamins better.
Lemon enriches tea with ascorbic acid. It has anti-inflammatory properties. Together with the tannins that make up the tea, lemon kills bacteria:
- The flavonoids included in the tea composition perfectly complement the action of vitamin C. They contribute to the production of hyaluronic acid.
- A slice of lemon increases the concentration of flavonoids in green tea. Thus, green tea and citrus are an ideal combination for a high absorption rate of vitamins.
- After you drink the tea, eat the lemon with the peel separately. Its peel contains even more valuable substances than the pulp.
5. Vitamin D + calcium
Bone health is vital for everyone. And calcium is responsible for their strengthening:
- When you have calcium-rich foods and enough vitamin D in your diet, your body will absorb it better.
- When you don’t have enough vitamin D, your body soaks only 10 to 15% of the calcium you consume.
- So, to absorb supplements and vitamins better, add these nutrients together.
Sources of vitamin D: | salmon, tuna, egg yolks, oily fish, red meat, and liver. |
Sources of calcium: | spinach, broccoli, nuts, legumes, and dairy products. |
6. Fresh vegetables and fats
Fresh vegetables are rich in vitamins. Some of them belong to the fat-soluble group. It includes vitamins A, D, E, and K:
- To absorb all these minerals, it is beneficial to eat vegetables at the same time as foods rich in fats.
- It means that any fresh salad will become even more healthy if you eat it with olive oil.
- Or you can add sour cream or any other fats for a high absorption rate of vitamins.
7. Vitamin C and iron
Nutrients that can help absorb supplements include vitamin C and iron:
- Low iron levels can lead to fatigue, weakness, and poor concentration. So, iron is necessary for the production of hemoglobin. It carries oxygen to your muscles and brain.
- Vitamin C is good for immunity and keeping your gums and heart healthy. Besides, it helps cells absorb more iron.
You can find iron in both plant foods and meat. But it is more difficult for the body to absorb iron from vegetable products. Thus, combining beans with a tomato containing vitamin C significantly increases vitamin absorption. This combination is especially relevant for vegetarians.
Sources of vitamin C: | citrus fruits, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, and strawberries. |
Sources of iron: | liver, shrimp, chicken. |
8. Carrot and avocado
Beta-carotene, which converts into vitamin A, helps to maintain health and youth. Vitamin A also plays a vital role in healthy immune and reproductive systems. But vitamin A has better absorption of vitamins when you take it with healthy fats:
- Thus, when you make a vegetable salad, add carrots.
- It is rich in beta-carotene and avocado. It is an excellent source of healthy fats.
- By mixing these nutrients, you will accelerate the improvement of your health.
9. Turmeric and black pepper
Turmeric has many health benefits. It is because curcumin is a powerful antioxidant polyphenol. It is in turmeric juice. And it has health benefits thanks to its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal properties.
But, a person’s body does not easily absorb curcumin. Thus, you need to take black pepper and curcumin to get all its benefits:
- Black pepper contains the bioactive compound piperine. It has anti-inflammatory properties.
- That it is the combination of black pepper and curcumin improves the soaking of curcumin up to one hundred percent.
10. Almond and orange
If you take certain supplements but can not soak them, these products will help you. They perfectly absorb supplements with nutrients in the body:
- Almonds contain many valuable substances, including vitamin E. Due to the content of unsaturated fats, amino acids, and minerals, it helps to improve brain function. Almonds also normalize the functioning of internal organs.
- As for the orange, it is no less helpful. One medium orange contains the daily dose of vitamin C for a person. It increases immunity at an incredible speed and also lowers blood pressure.
- Both vitamins play an essential role in immunity. By adding vitamins C and E to your diet, you give your skin a double supply of antioxidants. It actively fights free radicals.
- Vitamin E also contributes to the formation of red blood cells. While vitamin C helps in wound healing. By combining such nutrients that help absorb vitamins, you can improve the body’s functioning.
11. Olive oil and spinach
Eat spinach with a small amount of olive oil because:
- It contains a lot of protein, vitamins, and micro and macro elements.
- Besides, it has saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.
- There is also a lot of fiber and protein in spinach.
- And for your body to get all these nutrients, it is better to eat spinach with olive oil. Its Omega-9 fatty acid has an anti-carcinogenic effect on the body. It helps lower blood pressure and normalizes cholesterol levels in the blood.
- And by mixing spinach with olive oil, you will get all their nutrients at once. After all, it contributes to faster and more effective getting minerals into the body.
Summary
Taking vitamins to improve health is good and useful. But simply taking them is not enough for their action to be effective. For a great absorption rate of vitamins, you need to mix them with other products and supplements. Their correct combination will provide more effective body saturation with nutrients.
FAQ
When your body does not absorb vitamins, it manifests in specific symptoms. It includes weight loss, weakness, fatigue, abdominal discomfort, and nausea.
There are five main signs of nutritional deficiency:
1. Severe hair loss.
2. Irregular heartbeat.
3. Wounds are slow to heal.
4. Bone pain.
5. Your night sleep deteriorates.
Iron. It is the most difficult to absorb in the body among all vitamins. So, people quite often face its deficiency. To avoid this, take iron with vitamin C.
It depends on the functionality of the body. On average, absorption of vitamins occurs 3-6 hours after a meal. But if you have enough of them, they have resources.
Yes, certain medical conditions can affect vitamin absorption. They are celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and bariatric surgery.