Timing truly is everything when it comes to getting the most out of supplements, whether it is vitamins, essential oils, or herbs. Because we are not getting the nutrition we need from our foods, many of us want to optimize our health find that we must take supplements every day. Sometimes, when we are needing to support various organ systems, the number of supplements can grow. Taking multiple supplements at one time can reduce the effectiveness of the components in the supplements. We have all heard naysayers tout that taking supplements is like “peeing” away your money. If you are taking supplements at the wrong time of day, then, yes, you are literally “peeing” away your money. Let’s not do that! It’s very easy to learn when to take supplements and once you “get” it, you will find planning your supplements around your day very easy.
There are two basic times to take supplements, on an empty stomach and with food. Let’s look at each of these:
- Empty Stomach
- There is a good reason why you take specific supplements on an empty stomach. The reason is that it lessens the amount of time that the supplement comes into contact with stomach acid, increasing the amount of active supplement compounds that make it to your duodenum and subsequently, into your blood stream. Hormones, probiotics, essential oils, enzymes and many herbs are very sensitive to high acidity and degrade very fast. When you eat, your stomach starts making more stomach acid to digest the food, increasing the acidity of the stomach. If you take a supplement when you eat, you are also increasing the time the supplement spends in the stomach, which in turn increases it’s contact with the acidic environment, which is detrimental to the specific compounds I listed above.
- With Food
- Many vitamins require fat for your body to absorb and utilize them, so I always recommend taking vitamins with foods. Some enzymes, like protease, can cause severe cramping when taken on an empty stomach. I have not had this problem with Young Living enzymes, but I have experienced this with other brands of enzymes. Look at your labels and always take an enzyme that contains a high amount of protease with meals. (Young Living’s Essentialzyme is a time release formula that releases the empty-stomach-irritating enzymes in your duodenum if taken on an empty stomach.)
I have compiled a list of Young Living Supplements, noting whether to take them on an empty stomach, or with a meal, and how long you should refrain from eating afterwards if taken on an empty stomach. All supplements taken on an empty stomach may be combined with others unless specified:
- Vitatlity Essential Oils – empty, may dilute with oil, 45 mins prior to meals (taking with food will increase “burping up” and tasting oils)
- Allerzyme – empty, 30 mins prior to meals
- BLM – empty, 30 mins prior to meals
- AlakaLime – empty, 1 hour before meals, or before bed
- Comfortone – empty, 30 mins prior to meals and before bed, do not take within 2 hour of JuvaTone
- CortiStop – empty, before bed
- Detoxzyme – empty, 1 hour prior to meals
- Digest & Cleanse – empty, before breakfast or 30 mins prior to meals
- EndoGize – empty, 30 mins prior to meals
- Essentialzyme – empty, 1 hour before meals, and with high protein meals after 3 pm.
- Essentialzyme 4 – with meals
- Estro Tincture – empty, with water, 30 mins before meal
- FemiGen – with meals
- ICP – empty, with meals, do not take within 1 hour of other supplements
- ImmuPro – empty, before bed
- Inner Defense – empty, 1 hour before meals, 8 hours before Life 5, may take with meals for stomach sensitivity
- JuvaTone – empty, 30 mins before meals, do not take within 2 hours of Comfortone
- K & B Tincture – empty, with water, 30 mins before meals
- Mighty Vites – right before meals
- Life 5 – empty, morning or night
- Longevity – empty, 30 mins before meal, may take with meals for stomach sensitivity
- Master Formula – one packet right before meal
- MegaCal – empty, before bed, 1 hour after other supplements/medications
- MindWise – empty, with water
- Mineral Essence – empty or before meals, with water
- MultiGreens – empty, 1 hour before meals, may take with meals for stomach sensitivity
- NingXia Nitro – empty, with NingXia Red or water
- NingXia Red – empty, 30 mins before meals
- OmegaGize3 – with meals
- ParaFree – empty, 1 hour before meals
- PD 80/20 – empty, 1 hour before meals
- Prostate Health – empty or with meals
- Rehemogen Tincture – empty, with water, 30 mins before meals
- Sleep Essence – empty, before bed
- Sulfurzyme – empty, 1 hour before meals
- Super B – with meal
- Super C – empty, 30 mins before meals
- Super Cal – empty, 30 mins before meals
- Thyromin – empty, before bed or first thing in the morning, 1 hour before meals
If any supplement that should be taken on an empty stomach causes stomach sensitivity, try rubbing DiGize on your stomach and drink more water; then, as a last resort, take with a small meal.
*Our team of oilers, called Anointing Nations, made the resolution this year to commit to educating our team daily. “YL – It’s a Lifestyle” is a daily post that will be on our private Facebook group. I was asked to write weekly for this, so every Wednesday, I will focus on the YL Lifestyle and share how I live it daily with my family. If you would like to know how to get Young Living products, please message me or follow this link to my website for more information.