Is it okay to take multiple supplements at the same time?

Dietary supplements only help improve health and cannot replace medicine. However, many people tend to use them incorrectly.

What happens when you take multiple supplements at the same time?

Tens of millions of Americans take vitamins and supplements as part of their pursuit of health. However, experts warn that not all vitamins and supplements can be taken together. Some combinations are not only ineffective, but can also cause health problems.

These potential dangers range from vitamin deficiencies to organ damage. The most dangerous combination is red yeast rice extract and niacin, a component of vitamin B3. The former is supposed to be good for the heart, while the latter helps the body convert food into energy. Taking the two together will only harm the liver.

Todd Sontag, a family medicine specialist at Orlando Health Physicians Associates in Florida, points out that there is not enough evidence to prove that red yeast extract supplements are good for heart health. There have been several cases where red yeast extract supplements have caused serious liver damage.

Another common risk is that taking several different vitamins or supplements at the same time will cancel out each other's original effects, causing a potential vitamin or mineral deficiency. Taking magnesium and calcium supplements at the same time is an example.

Dr. Tod Cooperman, president of ConsumerLab, recommends taking magnesium and calcium supplements at least 2 hours apart.

Magnesium helps convert food into energy and calcium absorption is essential for bone health, but together they create a “competition.”

Calcium is also incompatible with potassium, a mineral important for heart health, and zinc and copper should not be mixed together.

The National Health Service (NHS) warns that too much zinc can interfere with the absorption of copper, a mineral the body needs to produce blood cells and support bone health, which can lead to copper deficiency and weak bones. Experts recommend taking both supplements at least 2 hours apart to minimise the risk.

Many vitamins that are absorbed with fat during digestion, known as fat-soluble vitamins, should also not be taken together. These include vitamins A, D, E, and K. If you need to supplement these, make sure to take them several hours apart during the day for maximum absorption.

Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body, and iron is an important nutrient for red blood cell production. People who like to drink tea should avoid taking iron supplements at the same time. Tea and coffee contain caffeine and tannin, a type of polyphenol that inhibits iron absorption. In addition, some other drinks that also contain tannin, such as beer and wine, should also be limited when taking iron supplements.