Best time to take Vitamin D

We try to get our vitamins and minerals from the fruits and vegetables, meats and fishes that we consume on a daily basis. For most of us, we get the maximum amount of daily recommended vitamins and other nutrients from these items that form part of our daily diet. However, it is not always enough, and often we find ourselves suffering from a deficiency of some vitamin or mineral or the other. It is in times like these that we need to increase our intake of the food containing these particular nutrients, and also take supplements, if possible. Yet, it is not so that we will benefit equally any and every time we take the vitamin supplements, as there are specific times when they are the most beneficial. In this article, we will discuss the best time to take Vitamin D.

best time to take vitamin D

In the morning

Although Vitamin D deficiency is linked with sleep disorders, it is not a good idea, according to some, to take it at night. That is because Vitamin D interferes with the functioning of melatonin, the sleep hormone, and thus disrupts your sleep pattern. So, it is likely that taking vitamin D supplements immediately before bed will leave you even more wide awake. It is best to take the supplements sometime in the morning, and let the effects seep in slowly throughput the day. Since it reacts inversely with melatonin, it will keep you awake throughout the day, and induce sleep at the right time, at night. Of course, your intake time will be different if you have a different work schedule.

With breakfast

Taking Vitamin D in the morning also makes sense because it is ideally taken with a considerable amount of food. For most of us, the breakfast is the largest meal of the day, or at least it should be that way. Hence, it makes sense to include foods with Vitamin D in your breakfast menu, and take a supplement right after you have finished your breakfast. It is not a very good idea to take Vitamin D supplements on an empty stomach since they need the stomach acid for absorption, and secretion of stomach acids into an empty stomach can trigger the onset of ulcers.

During sleep deficiency

If you are suffering from sleep disorders, you know that you are probably suffering from a deficiency of vitamin D. usually, a sudden onset of sleep disorders such as light or disrupted sleep, bouts of insomnia, and difficulty in falling asleep are triggers that point at a Vitamin D deficiency. So, if you have been a healthy sleeper all along, and are suddenly experiencing changes in your sleeping pattern, you can begin the treatment procedure by increasing your Vitamin D intake. You can take it as a supplement, and you can also increase the amount of foods containing Vitamin D in your daily diet. For best results, combine both.

Of course, it is important to keep in mind that although there have been several studies about the effectiveness of Vitamin D if taken at certain times of the day, nothing has been conclusively proven as such. Doctors will usually prescribe a time depending on the patient’s structure, lifestyle, and constitution. For some people, for instance, taking Vitamin D supplements can induce nausea, and taking them right before sleep can help in alleviating the feeling. Ultimately, it is what your body permits and requires.