Because of caffeine and its tannins, coffee can impair the absorption of certain vitamins in the body.
Coffee and vitamins: an anti-fatigue combination that is popular at the moment, but should be handled with caution. While coffee is known for its boost, its ability to boost concentration and its richness in antioxidants, it can interfere with the absorption of certain vitamins if consumed at the same time. Systematically combining your morning coffee with taking certain supplements can therefore reduce their effectiveness. Explanations.
Supplementing with vitamins is common to combat fatigue or support the immune system. But to be useful, these vitamins must be properly absorbed by the body. Gold, “consumption of coffee could increase the elimination of excess vitamins through the urine”demonstrate researchers. These are certain water-soluble vitamins, which dissolve in water. Coffee has a diuretic effect, it makes you urinate a little more often. This can thus promote the elimination of part of the vitamins and reduce their effectiveness.
In the study of nearly 10,000 healthy people, researchers observed that coffee consumption was associated, in a dose-dependent manner, with a drop in certain vitamins in the blood. “Compared to abstainers, people consuming 4 or more cups of coffee per day had 11, 14, and 5.5% lower plasma concentrations of folate, pyridoxal phosphate, and riboflavin, respectively.” they indicate. This reduction is limited but it suggests an interaction between coffee and these nutrients better known as vitamin B9, B6 and B2. According to scientists, “caffeine and tannin intake” of the drink can therefore slow down the intestinal absorption of vitamin B. It is often taken in cases of fatigue, stress or during pregnancy but it is preferable to avoid consuming it at exactly the same time as coffee.
“The caffeine in coffee has a diuretic effect which may lead to increased elimination of water-soluble vitamins, including most B vitamins and vitamin C, before they are fully absorbed” confirms dietician Staci Gulbin in the media GoodHousekeeping. If you have to take a B group vitamin, the specialist has very simple advice: space out coffee and vitamins by at least an hour. This delay is necessary to allow intestinal receptors to capture nutrients without interference. Reducing coffee consumption by limiting yourself to two cups per day can also limit the risk of interference and therefore ineffectiveness of a treatment.
This precaution also concerns certain supplements such as vitamin C, iron and calcium, the absorption of which can be slowed down by coffee. Vitamin D, on the other hand, is fat soluble and is not affected in the same way. By simply changing the timing of your coffee break, you will finally guarantee your body the energy and protection it deserves.
