4 ways to get the most from vitamins & supplements

Vitamins and supplements have become part of our everyday, but that doesn't mean you're getting their full nutrients. Here's four simple tips to can help you get the most from your pills.

• Popping your multivitamin any old time is about as effective as trying to put out a fire with a watering can.
• If your body can't absorb the vitamins and minerals in that horse-size pill, it's not doing you any good.
• To maximize absorption, take all vitamins and minerals with food.

• If you're used to taking a handful of vitamins and minerals with your morning coffee, you could be missing out on important benefits.
• It seems  that caffeine interferes with your body's ability to absorb calcium, manganese, zinc and copper, as well as vitamins C, A and B.
• Wait an hour before consuming anything with caffeine after taking your supplements.

• Gummi vitamins for children are a godsend for older adults and anyone with problems swallowing vitamins.
• They're also helpful if you get stomach irritation from a single large dose of several supplements.
• Instead of struggling with adult pills, take two children's vitamins in the morning and two at night.

• Vitamin D can protect against colon cancer, help maintain strong bones, reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and improve immunity and brain function.
• Researchers are also finding other benefits.
• Studies find many Canadians don't get enough of this vital vitamin because the sun is our primary source.
• Take vitamin D supplements if you're dark-skinned, elderly or don't get enough sunlight, which is most of us in the winter months.
• If this sounds like you, try to get an extra 1,000 IU per day from food or supplements. The rest of us should aim for at least 600 IU a day.
• You can get that with three glasses of vitamin D-fortified milk, one 250-millilitre glass (a cup) of vitamin D-fortified orange juice and 600 IU of vitamin D supplements.

The key to getting the most from vitamins and supplements is to eat them at the right times. That means without caffeine, in the proper dosages and with respect to the season.