Have you experienced upset stomach when taking vitamins? It’s a fairly common complaint, but fortunately there are things you can do to prevent this from happening.
1. Take With Food
Most vitamins can, and should, be taken with food. Taking them on an empty stomach can wreak havoc in some people (this author included). I often take my supplements during my meal.
2. Spread Them Out
Some people can take gobs of vitamins at once, with seemingly no ill effects. If you’re not one of these people, you may want to spread out taking that handful of vitamins throughout the day. Many people are also more sensitive in the morning than later in the day.
3. Check the Ingredients
Not all supplements are created equally. There could be a specific ingredient that is bothering you. Different people are sensitive to different vitamins. Calcium, Vitamin C, and Iron are common culprits. Especially iron. If you get plenty of iron in your diet, find supplements that don’t contain it.
4. Remain Standing!
Laying down or going to sleep after a hefty dose of vitamins is a recipe for discomfort. If you have acid reflux, this is especially the case.
5. Try Food Instead
Many supplements contain vitamins you can get in common foods, so you may want to see if you can increase intake of those foods and forego the extra supplements. While you won’t get some of the more exotic herbs in food, most of your common vitamins are in lots of foods.
6. Try Liquid or Chewable
Not all vitamins must be swallowed. There are liquid vitamins, tinctures, sublingual (dissolved under the tongue), spray vitamins, and chewables – all of which could be a less harsh option for your tummy. The downside is that these are often more expensive.
7. Switch Brands or Capsules
Sometimes different brands of vitamins may affect people differently. I’ll admit, I’ve tried dollar store vitamins before, and have vowed not to do that again! Trying different brands or different types of capsules could make a difference.
8. Don’t Take with Dairy
Not only can dairy products negatively affect absorption of vitamins, it could also be a harsh combination for those with sensitive stomachs.
9. Take Coated Vitamins
One of the many purposes of coatings on vitamins is to prevent upset stomach and to make them easier to swallow. Check your arsenal of supplements and see if you have any of the uncoated variety that you can replace with coated ones.
Have you found other ways to avoid upset stomach when taking your vitamins? Let us hear from you in the comments below.
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