There has been a lot of debate around the best time to take antioxidant supplements. What time of the day is best? Should you take it with a meal?

Today we are going to jump into this subject and help you determine when you should be taking your antioxidant supplements.

WITH OR WITHOUT FOOD

Many supplements are not easily absorbed and can cause indigestion when taken on an empty stomach. It is best to take all your supplements right before or after a meal to reduce the chance of stomach upset.

Antioxidants are water or fat-soluble. So it is best to make sure you are drinking plenty of water and eating healthy fat with your meal like yogurt or milk. Depending on the type of solubility of the supplements you are taking, they will either take a ride with the water or fat to be better absorbed in the body.

Some notable water-soluble antioxidant supplements are vitamin C, lipoic acid, uric acid, and anthocyanins.

Some notable fat-soluble antioxidant supplements are vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin D, curcumin (turmeric), CBD and CoQ10,. ALA is also fat soluble. It is one of the only antioxidants that is both water and fat-soluble.

IN THE MORNING OR AT NIGHT?

Since digestion slows down during sleep, it is not typically recommended to take supplements close to bedtime as your body is not going to fully absorb the intended amount of nutrients. If you are taking antioxidants to help with brain detox efforts at night, then bedtime would be appropriate. Likewise, some supplements are known to assist with sleep and obviously should be taken at night.

FOLLOW THE LABEL AND YOUR BODY

Unless the supplement instructions say otherwise, it would be best to take your antioxidant supplements in the morning with a nice breakfast that includes a good fat like yogurt and a tall glass of water. If you are taking a lot of supplements you might want to break up your routine between breakfast and lunch if you find it hard to take them all in one sitting.

OXIDATIVE STRESS SUPPLEMENTS BY WELL THEORY

Dr. Meredith Warner offers a variety of supplements and multivitamins that are rich in antioxidants. Check out some of our most popular ones: