COMPATIBILITY OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS

Compatibility of vitamins. If you decide to take vitamins you can choose a complex or individual vitamins and minerals. Of course more convenient will be to drink one tablet which has everything you need but would this be beneficial for you? The intake of minerals and vitamins separately allows not only to comply with their compatibility but also to avoid an overdose of these vitamins and minerals that you receive anyway in a sufficient amount with food.

Our body is like a chemical factory in which simultaneously take place many different processes. For all these processes are needed various elements that we receive from the outside - proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. For their absorption and optimal use by the body is important to know which substances combine well with each other and which not. Some vitamins and minerals hinder their mutual absorption and some help each other. Furthermore, certain vitamins and minerals in general cannot be absorbed and utilized by the body separately.

We shall examine how good or bad is the combination between the most common vitamins (A, B₁, B₂, B₃, B₅, B₆, B₉, B₁₂, C, D, E, K) and minerals (iron, magnesium, manganese, copper, calcium, silicon , selenium, phosphorus, zinc).

COMPATIBILITY CHART FOR VITAMINS AND MINERALS

For convenience I have compiled this cross reference chart for the compatibility of the most common vitamins and minerals. Using the table is quite simple:

- "Compatible" means a good combination of vitamins and minerals that work together perfectly and help their mutual absorption and/or enhances the effect of them.

- "Non-compatible" means irrelevant combinations that should be avoided. The effect of taking these vitamins and minerals together will be minimal or even negative. You need to take them individually, with an interval of 4-6 hours.

- "Neutral" stands for neutral combinations. These vitamins and minerals may be used both together and separately.

1. Good compatibility between vitamins and minerals

Which vitamins and minerals combine well with each other?

Concurrent administration of well compatibilizing vitamins and minerals provides effect at times greater than the effect of their administration separately. Synergism (mutual assistance) in this case means that 2 + 2 = 10 instead of 4. Vitamins and minerals could react together in the process of having a meal or when they are already in the stomach by aiding their mutual absorption as this is called pharmaceutical interaction and when this effect is enhanced due to their involvement in the same process then we have - pharmacological interaction.

Vitamin A (retinol)

Good compatibility with vitamins C and E and minerals iron and zinc

- Vitamins C and E protect vitamin A from oxidation
- Vitamin E improves the absorption of vitamin A but only in those cases where vitamin E is not in large quantities. The large amount of vitamin E in turn deteriorates the absorption of vitamin A
- Zinc improves the absorption of vitamin A by taking part in its transformation into the retina.
- Vitamin A enhances the absorption of iron and affects the use of the stock of iron present in the liver.

Vitamin B₂ (riboflavin)

Good compatibility with vitamins B₃, B₆, B₉ and K and the mineral zinc

- Transition of vitamin B₃, B₆, B₉ and K in an active form becomes with the involvement of vitamin B₂
- Vitamin B₂ increases the rate of absorption of the zinc

Vitamin B₃ (PP, niacin, nicotinic acid)

Good compatibility with iron, copper and vitamins B₂, B₆ and H

- Copper and vitamin B₆ improve absorption of vitamin B₃

Vitamin B₅ (pantothenic acid)

Good compatibility with vitamins В₁, В₂, В₄, В₉, В₁₂ and С

- Vitamins B₁ and B₂ significantly improve absorption of vitamin B₅
- Vitamin B₅ alleviates the absorption of vitamin B₄, B₉ and C

Vitamin B₆ (pyridoxine)

Good compatibility with vitamin B₂ and minerals copper and zinc

- Vitamin B₂ helps vitamin B₆ to switch into active form and magnesium improves its ability to penetrate into cells
- Vitamin B₆ reduces the loss of zinc from the body

Vitamin B₉ (folic acid)

Good compatibility with Vitamin C

- Vitamin C assists the storage of vitamin B₉ in the tissues of the body.

Vitamin B₁₂ (cobalamin)

Good compatibility with vitamins В₅, В₉ and calcium

- Calcium helps the absorption of vitamin B₁₂ in the body

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Good compatibility with vitamins А, Е, В₅ and В₉

- Vitamin C dramatically improves the absorption of iron (useful for all kinds of anemia)
- The antioxidant action of vitamin C improves the action of carotenoids, vitamin E and flavonoids
- Vitamin C restores the activity of vitamin E
- Vitamin C facilitates the storage of vitamin B₉ in the tissues
- Vitamin C helps the absorption of calcium and chromium

Vitamin D (calciferol)

Good compatibility with calcium and phosphorus

- Vitamin D enhances the metabolism of phosphorus and calcium in the body

Vitamin E (tocopherol)

Good compatibility with selenium and vitamin C

- Selenium enhances the antioxidant action of vitamin E
- Vitamin C restores the functions of vitamin E in oxidation

Vitamin K

Good compatibility with calcium and vitamin B₂

- Vitamin K helps calcium for building of bone tissue
- Vitamin B₂ is required for the transition of vitamin K in an active form

Calcium

Good compatibility with magnesium, boron and vitamins B₆, B₁₂, D, and K

- The vitamin-mineral complex as this (calcium, magnesium, boron and vitamins B₆, B₁₂, D and K) provide the best absorption of calcium and reduces its loss from the body. Magnesium should not be in large quantities because the result will be the opposite.

Iron

Good compatibility with copper and vitamins A, B₃ and C

- Copper and vitamins A and C significantly improve the absorption of iron (important in anemia)

Phosphorus

Good compatibility with Vitamin D

- Vitamin D enhances the absorption of phosphorus

Copper

Good compatibility with vitamin B₆ and iron

- Copper in small amounts improves the absorption of iron

Magnesium

Good compatibility with calcium and vitamins of group B (except B₁)

- Magnesium contributes to the absorption of vitamins of group B (except B₁) and calcium

Zinc

Good compatibility with vitamins А, В₂ and В₆

- Zinc improves the absorption of vitamin A by taking part in its transformation into the retina.
- Vitamin B₂ increases the bioavailability of zinc and vitamin B₆ prevents the loss of zinc from the body

2. Bad compatibility between vitamins and minerals

Which vitamins and minerals DO NOT combine well with each other?

In some combinations of vitamins and minerals they can destroy each other or to suppress their properties. Such vitamins and minerals is advisable to be administered separately with a break of 4-6 hours.

Vitamin B₁ (thiamine)

Poor compatibility with vitamins B₂, B₃, B₆ and B₁₂ and the minerals magnesium and calcium

- Excessive use of vitamin B₁ is dangerous because this gives rise to allergic reactions. Joint acceptance of vitamins B₁ and vitamin B₂ may enhance allergic reactions.
- Vitamins B₂ and B₃ completely deplete vitamin B₁
- Vitamin B₆ prevents the transformation of vitamin B₁ in a biologically active form.
- Magnesium and calcium interfere with the absorption of vitamin B₁ while significantly reduce its solubility in water.

Vitamin B₂ (riboflavin)

Poor compatibility with the minerals iron and copper

- Iron and copper slow down the absorption of vitamin B₂.

Vitamin B₅ (pantothenic acid)

Poor compatibility with copper

- Copper reduces the activity of vitamin B₅.

Vitamin B₆ (pyridoxine)

Poor compatibility with vitamins B₁ and B₁₂

- Vitamin B₆ impedes conversion of vitamin B₁ in active form
- Vitamin B₁₂ contributes to the destruction of vitamin B₆

Vitamin B₉ (folic acid)

Poor compatibility with zinc

- Zinc and folic acid (Vitamin B₉) together form an insoluble complex which interferes with the absorption of both of them.

Vitamin B₁₂ (cobalamin)

Poor compatibility with iron, manganese, copper and vitamins A, B₁, B₂, B₃, B₆, C and E

- Under the effect of iron, manganese, copper and vitamins A, B₁, B₂, B₃, B₆, C and E vitamin B₁₂ becomes inactive

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Poor compatibility with B₁, B₁₂ and copper

- When a man ingests Vitamin C, B₁₂, copper, vitamin B₁ in separate tablets and at different times thus could be reached the marginal maximum of their concentration in the blood which reduces the possibility of development of negative interactions.

Vitamin E (tocopherol)

Poor compatibility with magnesium, zinc, copper and vitamin D

- To increase the degree of absorption of vitamin E should take it apart from magnesium, zinc, copper and vitamin D

Vitamin K

Poor compatibility with vitamins E and A

- Vitamins E and A prevent the penetration of vitamin K in the cell

Calcium

Poor compatibility with sodium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, zinc as well as excessive amounts of magnesium

- The large amount of magnesium, iron and phosphorus leads to calcium deficiency
- Calcium by itself prevents the absorption of these minerals

Iron

Poor compatibility with zinc, magnesium, chromium and calcium and vitamins E and B₁₂

- Zinc, magnesium, chromium, calcium interfere with the absorption of iron
- Iron interferes with the absorption of vitamin E, vitamin B₁₂, calcium and manganese

Phosphorus

Poor compatibility with calcium and magnesium

- The excess of magnesium and calcium leads to a deficiency of phosphorus in the body

Copper

Poor compatibility with zinc and vitamins B₂, B₅, B₁₂, C and E

- Copper prevents the absorption of vitamins B₂, B₅, B₁₂, C and E
- Copper also prevents the absorption of zinc
- In large quantities copper deteriorates the absorption of iron while in small quantities by contrast has a beneficial effect

Manganese

Poor compatibility with calcium and iron

- Calcium and iron impair the absorption of manganese

Magnesium

Poor compatibility with vitamins B₁ and E, phosphorus and manganese (and also in large quantities with calcium)

- Magnesium deteriorates the absorption of vitamins B₁ and E
- Phosphorus and manganese impair the absorption of magnesium in the body
- An increased amount of magnesium leads to a deficiency of calcium and phosphorus

Zinc

Poor compatibility with vitamin B₉, calcium, iron and copper

- Calcium, iron and copper prevent the absorption of zinc from the organism
- Zinc and vitamin B₉ together form insoluble complex which worsens their absorption