DON’T SWIG THEM DOWN WITH A CUPPA!

ALWAYS swallow supplements with a big glass of water: fluid intake is important to ensure that they are washed into your stomach and small intestine. It also ensures that water-soluble nutrients, such as B vitamins and vitamin C, are dissolved and fully ready for absorption when they do arrive there.

But skip the coffee, tea or energy drinks with caffeine, as caffeine can interfere with the absorption of nutrients. It is also a diuretic, meaning you could excrete the water-soluble vitamins before your body can absorb them.

It’s best to wait for an hour after drinking coffee before taking supplements, too.

And don’t eat nuts just before taking minerals. Phytic acid — a form of phosphorus found in plantbased foods, such as bran, beans and nuts — binds to minerals in the gut, including iron, calcium and magnesium, creating phytates.

Our bodies can’t break down phytates, meaning that any minerals bound to them won’t be absorbed well. But studies show this only affects the absorption of nutrients eaten at the same meal, so eating nuts a few hours later is fine.