Multi-Vitamin or Magnesium Supplement? Ensuring Adequate Absorption of Both
Back in our Overviews of Magnesium and Zinc, we talked a bit about how these nutrients work together, with the latter helping the body absorb the former. But what we didn’t touch on then, was why it’s best to get your magnesium separate from a multivitamin.
It turns out that Magnesium is so mighty, it has a tendency to overpower some other nutrients, such as selenium and iodine, inhibiting their absorption (as we noted in the overview, it also helps the body regulate levels of Zinc). This effect means that your (or your kiddos) multi may not be as effective as possible, if certain nutrients included aren’t being utilized by the body in the full amount included.
Simply spacing out when you take certain nutrients can allow the body to effectively absorb one prior to the introduction of the other, so that one has been fully digested into the system before the other enters the body. Optimizing intake also means delivering the right dose as the body can only absorb so much of each nutrient at one time, extra is wasted and simply passes through.
If that sounds like a lot of science, don’t fret, most kids multi’s don’t include magnesium (another great reason to ensure they get it through Vitaminis) and many adult brands are starting to separate this out. Just another great reason to read the label, even and especially on your, and your kids, vitamins - and teach them to too!
