Women may experience calcium and iron deficiency due to changes in their body with age
Highlights
- Calcium deficiency can affect your bone health
- Iron deficiency anemia is common among women
- A well balanced diet can help cover nutritional deficiencies
Getting enough of all the important nutrients required by the body is essential to function properly. However, there are supplements and vitamin pills to manage the problems of nutritional deficiency. Calcium and iron are two important nutrients that your body needs for multiple functions. But it is important to take these at the right time. Celebrity nutritionist Pooja Makhija has a solution for those who have more than one nutritional deficiency in their body. She says at different stages of our lives we might be recommended to take both oral calcium or iron supplementation.
Know why you should never take calcium and iron supplements together
According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, women are more likely to get bone disease, as compared to men. So if you have been taking both calcium and iron supplements, there are chances you are making one common mistake. Makhija says that people tend to take all their vitamin pills at once. She says though it is a common practice, it should be avoided.
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Taking some supplements at the same time is not a good idea as the optimal absorption depends on the time of day taken. Makhija says that iron and calcium have a great affinity for each other. They bind to each other and compete for the same receptor sites. Rendering them together may also be useless to you. "Always keep them six hours apart." One after dinner and one after lunch," she signs off.
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In case you still have doubts on how to keep the intake of both supplements apart, Pooja Makhija recommends, "Check with your nutritionist on intelligent spacing and correct timings for various supplements."
(Pooja Makhija is a nutritionist, dietitian and author)
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.