Supplements are just that, a supplement to the diet. To be utilized properly, their consumption must be coordinated with food. With herbal preparations, the time of day is often the key to creating the benefit desired.
I use a supplement schedule sheet in the office with headings for: upon awakening, breakfast, 10 AM, lunch, 3 PM, dinner, at bedtime. Despite these headings, patients frequently ask “when to I take these?” So here are some general guidelines.
Fats should be taken with meals and the meal should contain some fat as well. This includes fish oil, flax seed oil, black current seed oil, lecithin, Co Q10, and PS. Fats do not enter the blood stream through the digestive tract like other foods. Instead, they are absorbed into the lymphatic system or GALT (gut associated lymphatic tissue) then dumped into general circulation near the heart. This provides the heart with plenty of fat for fuel. However, if fatty supplements are taken without other fats, absorption is dramatically diminished.
Studies on the fatty herb Boswellia show the blood values are 500% higher when taken with other fats. This increased absorption is required for a therapeutic effect. When I first used Boswellia in my practice I saw no obvious benefit until I learned to recommend it with other fats. Today it is one of the most common anti-inflammatory products I utilize.
Most supplements should be taken with meals. This includes whole food supplements and many fractionalized supplements as well. The small multiple dosing keeps the blood values high in the same way that small frequent meals keep the macronutrients available. If in doubt, take the supplement with meals.
Probiotics should be taken immediately after meals, despite what the directions on the bottle may say. The harsh acidic environment of the stomach will kill most probiotics. However, when food is present, the pH of the stomach rises and the probiotic can ride the food bolus down through the digestive tract to the colon to propagate.
