Dr Amir Khan reveals when to take supplements

Dr Amir Khan with bottle of supplements open — (Image credit: Getty Images / Dr Amir Khan)

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When to take supplements

Wondering when to take your supplement line-up? With doctors encouraging everyone to at least take vitamin D every day until April and the brain health benefits of creatine hard to ignore, it's creating quite the queue in the medicine cabinet.

Dr Amir Khan, a GP and woman&home's own resident doctor, as well as being a frequent guest on This Morning and Lorraine, took to Instagram to share with his followers the exact order we should take our vitamins, minerals, and other supplements, as well as the foods to avoid having them with.

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If you are taking an omega-3 fatty acid supplement or a multivitamin, these should also be taken with food. That includes vitamin A, D, E, and K.

Magnesium is a supplement you should take in the evening, says Dr Khan, thanks to its sleep-inducing benefits. "It's probably best taken in the evening as it can have a relaxing effect on you, so it can help you sleep. That one, an hour or two before bed."

Finally, one of the doctor's "favourites" - creatine. This is one of the most extensively researched supplements in the world, created originally to help gym-goers gain more muscle. It's since been recognised as one of the best for women over 50 to gain and maintain muscle mass and cognitive wellbeing. We naturally make creatine in the body, so supplementing it helps boost these stores.

"That's an easy one," the doctor says. "Take it whenever, wherever."

When to take supplements

Morning, before breakfast: Iron + vitamin C, never with tea or coffee
After breakfast: Vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids and other fat-soluble supplements
In the evening: Magnesium
Any time: Creatine

Why shouldn't you drink coffee or tea with iron?

Drinking tea or coffee alongside your iron supplement could render it useless, research shows. The plant compounds (polyphenols and tannins) in these morning beverages make it harder for the body to absorb the iron supplement by binding to the iron in the stomach. In some cases, it can make it up to 90% ineffective.

If you have any concerns or questions about when to take your supplements or the foods/drinks to avoid taking them with, speak to your doctor.

Grace Walsh is woman&home's Health Channel Editor, working across the areas of fitness, nutrition, sleep, mental health, relationships, and sex. She is also a qualified fitness instructor.

A digital journalist with over seven years experience as a writer and editor for UK publications, Grace has covered (almost) everything in the world of health and wellbeing with bylines in Cosmopolitan, Red, The i Paper, GoodtoKnow, and more.

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