Confused about what to take when? A few simple tips can maximize nutrient absorption - specially from bone - preserving calcium supplements. Just don't worry too much if you can't follow all the rules - most experts say you'll still ab-sorb more than you'll lose. "That's why, for many people, the best time to take vit-amins is simply the time of day when it's easiest to remember them faithfully," says Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of Age - Proof Your Body (William Morrow, 1998). Here are Prevention's tips to get the biggest payoff possible. 

Multis. Take with a meal, and make sure the meal includes at least a little fat (about 5 g - the amount in 1 teaspoon of margarine) to help you absorb fat-soluble vitamins. A, D, E, and K. Drink some fluid to help multis dissolve. 

Vitamin E. Take with a meal or snack with a little fat, as with multis. 

Vitamin C. Take half at breakfast, half at dinner to keep blood levels high throughout the day. 

Calcium. Take 500 mg or less at a time to maximize absorption. Take calcium carbonate with a meal or snack for best absorption; calcium citrate may be taken between meals. Cereals high in wheat bran reduce calcium absorption. A calcium supplement before bedtime may limit calcium loss from your bones while you sleep. 

Iron. Taking iron supplements or a multi with iron at the same time as calcium supplements will reduce iron absorption. If iron is a con-cern, take calcium supplements at a different time. (But don't take iron supplements unless you are diagnosed with iron deficiency.) 

Prevention October 1998 Page 44 
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