Medical Questions » Vitamins Questions » Question No. 1515
| Question: | I take my supplements during breakfast. Can tea interfere with their absorption? |
| Answer: | Tea does interfere with the absorption of supplements because it contains methylxanthines and tannins -both of which will render minerals less absorbable. So as you take your supplements with breakfast, have your tea at least half an hour before. Or, even better, try rooibusch tea from South Africa, which tastes a lot like regular tea but doesn' t contain any of the compounds that interfere with absorption.
It is best to take vitamin, mineral or essential fatty acid supplements while food is in your digestive tract, so this can mean 15 minutes before or up to 30 minutes after eating. However, individual amino acids are best taken on an empty stomach, although some compete for absorption better than others. Tryptophan, for example, competes poorly and is best absorbed when taken alone and eaten with carbo-hydrate, such as a banana. But lysine competes far better so it' s less important to take it separately. As a general rule, take supplements with food. |
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