Multivitamins: when to take them?

Reading time: 6 minutes

You've bought multivitamins, and one question keeps coming up: when should you take them? Morning, evening, on an empty stomach, with a meal? Good news: the answer is simple, and it comes down to something you already do every day.

In short

• The best time: in the morning, with breakfast.
• The most important thing: take them every day, at the same time.
• A course, not endless use: a 500 ml bottle lasts up to 33 days.

The best time: in the morning, at breakfast

A multivitamin combines two families of vitamins with different needs.

Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E), like coenzyme Q10, dissolve in fat. They're better absorbed when taken with a meal containing a little fat: in one study, vitamin D3 taken with a meal containing fat was absorbed about a third more than with a fat-free meal (Dawson-Hughes et al., 2015; Mulligan and Licata, 2010). The same goes for coenzyme Q10 (Bhagavan and Chopra, 2006). A slice of buttered toast, a yoghurt or a few almonds is enough.

Water-soluble vitamins (C and B vitamins) dissolve in water. The body stores hardly any of them: that's why a daily intake matters (EFSA).

Breakfast ticks every box: it's a meal, it happens every day, and you have nothing to add to your routine. It's also the time we recommend on our product page.

Morning or evening: does it make a difference?

What counts first is consistency. A step repeated every day at the same time, and tied to an existing habit, becomes automatic: in a study on habit formation, it took on average just over two months for a new behaviour to happen without thinking (Lally et al., 2010). And the simpler a dose is, the better it's followed: a single daily dose is the one people stick to best (Claxton et al., 2001).

Morning remains our advice: it's when you're least likely to forget. But if you skip breakfast, take your multivitamins with the first proper meal of the day.

On an empty stomach or with a meal?

With a meal. That's when vitamins A, D and E are best absorbed, and many people find a supplement more pleasant to take with something in their stomach.

As for drinks: dilute your serving in a glass of water or juice, or take it as a shot.

With other supplements?

Do you also take our Liquid Probiotic? Take it when you wake up, on an empty stomach or 30 minutes before eating, then your multivitamins at breakfast. With Liquid Marine Collagen, you can take both on the same morning.

One rule applies to all supplements: if you take several, read the labels so you don't combine the same vitamin beyond the recommended amounts. If in doubt, ask your pharmacist.

How long should a course last?

Multivitamins are taken as a course, not indefinitely: prolonged use is not recommended. A 500 ml bottle lasts up to 33 days.

Many of our customers do their course in autumn and winter. There's a concrete reason for vitamin D: at our latitudes, from about November to February, the sun is too low for the skin to make it (Webb et al., 1988). Yet vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system. To find out more, read Vitamins in autumn and winter: the 5 to know.

Your morning, your multivitamins

Why liquid makes it simpler

The right time is no use if taking it is a chore. Yet more than one in three people say they have difficulty swallowing tablets or capsules (Schiele et al., 2013). That's why we chose liquid:

• Nothing to swallow: a serving is drunk as a shot, or diluted in your breakfast juice.
• A precise dose: the measuring cap measures each person's dose, adult or child from age 11.
• A pleasant orange taste that turns it into a little morning treat.
• One bottle for the whole family, on the breakfast table.

Tablets have just one advantage: they're often cheaper. To compare the two formats in detail, read Liquid or tablet vitamins: which should you choose?

How we take our multivitamins

Our liquid multivitamins combine 28 actives: 12 vitamins, 8 minerals, Super Greens (spirulina, alfalfa, broccoli), coenzyme Q10 and lutein. Vitamins B2, B6, B12, C and magnesium contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue; vitamins A, C, D, B6, B12, zinc and selenium contribute to the normal function of the immune system.

• Adults: 30 ml a day.
• Children from age 11: 15 ml a day.
• When: in the morning, at breakfast, as a shot or in a glass of water or juice.
• Storage: in the fridge once opened.

The formula is vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free and GMO-free.

What our customers say

“I admit I bought this multivitamin complex because it's liquid. Swallowing big capsules in the morning isn't really my thing. […] If you don't like the taste, you can do what I do and mix it into your morning orange juice.”
Eric, Liquid Multivitamins, review published on our Amazon store

“Very good taste too, not sickly, perfect for stocking up on vitamins first thing in the morning!”
Flav, Liquid Multivitamins, review published on our Amazon store

“The big plus for me is that you drink it, no capsules or tablets to swallow. […] My teenager, who hates swallowing anything, has adopted it!”
ja49, Liquid Multivitamins, review published on our Amazon store

Frequently asked questions

Can you take your multivitamins in the evening?

Yes, if it's easier for you. Take them with dinner, and keep the same time every day. We recommend the morning, because it's when you're least likely to forget.

Should multivitamins be taken on an empty stomach?

No. Take them with a meal: vitamins A, D and E, like coenzyme Q10, are better absorbed with a little fat.

Can they be taken at the same time as collagen or a probiotic?

Yes. Marine Collagen can be taken on the same morning. For the Probiotic, take it when you wake up, on an empty stomach, and your multivitamins at breakfast.

How long does a course last?

A 500 ml bottle lasts up to 33 days. Prolonged use is not recommended.

Should the bottle be kept in the fridge?

Yes, once opened. Use within 2 months.

Who should ask a doctor before taking them?

Our multivitamins are not recommended for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive, smokers, post-menopausal women with a personal or family history of breast cancer, people with thyroid disorders, people on anticoagulant treatment, elderly people and people with kidney disease. If you're on treatment or in doubt, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Further reading

• Liquid or tablet vitamins: which should you choose?
• Vitamins in autumn and winter: the 5 to know
• Why you (still) fall ill in February
• Our liquid food supplements

Sources

• Dawson-Hughes B. et al. (2015). Dietary fat increases vitamin D-3 absorption. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 115(2), 225-230.
• Mulligan G.B., Licata A. (2010). Taking vitamin D with the largest meal improves absorption and results in higher serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 25(4), 928-930.
• Bhagavan H.N., Chopra R.K. (2006). Coenzyme Q10: absorption, tissue uptake, metabolism and pharmacokinetics. Free Radical Research, 40(5), 445-453.
• EFSA NDA Panel (2017). Dietary Reference Values for nutrients. Summary report. EFSA Supporting Publications, 14(12), e15121.
• Lally P. et al. (2010). How are habits formed: modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998-1009.
• Claxton A.J., Cramer J., Pierce C. (2001). A systematic review of the associations between dose regimens and medication compliance. Clinical Therapeutics, 23(8), 1296-1310.
• Webb A.R., Kline L., Holick M.F. (1988). Influence of season and latitude on the cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D3. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 67(2), 373-378.
• Schiele J.T. et al. (2013). Difficulties swallowing solid oral dosage forms in a general practice population. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 69(4), 937-948.
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 of 16 May 2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods.