Do You Know Which Supplements You Shouldn’t Take Together? (10 Pairs!)

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Dr. LeGrand Peterson wants us to get the most out of our supplements, so watch out for these…

Time to split up some pairs…

In most cases these are a matter of competing for absorption; sometimes to the detriment of both, sometimes to the detriment of one or the other, and sometimes, the problem is entirely different and they just interact in a way that could potentially cause other problems. Dr. Peterson advises as follows:

  1. Vitamin C and vitamin B12: taking these together can reduce the absorption of Vitamin B12, as vitamin C can overpower it.
  2. Vitamin C and copper: high amounts of vitamin C can decrease copper absorption, especially in those who are severely copper deficient.
  3. Magnesium and calcium: these two minerals compete for absorption in the intestines, potentially reducing the effectiveness of both.
  4. Calcium and iron: calcium can decrease iron absorption, so they should not be taken together, especially if you are iron deficient.
  5. Calcium and zinc: calcium also competes with zinc, reducing zinc absorption; they should be taken at different times.
  6. Zinc and copper: zinc and copper compete for absorption, so they should be taken at separate times.
  7. Iron and zinc: iron can decrease zinc absorption, and thus, they should not be taken together.
  8. Iron and green tea: perhaps a surprising one, but green tea can reduce iron absorption, so they should not be taken simultaneously.
  9. Vitamin E and vitamin K: vitamin E increases bleeding risk, while vitamin K promotes clotting, making them opposites and risky to take together.
  10. Fish oil and ginkgo biloba: both are anticoagulants and can increase the risk of bleeding, especially if taken with blood thinners like warfarin.

If you need to take supplements that compete (or conflict or otherwise potentially adversely interact) with each other, it’s recommended to separate them by at least 4 hours, or better yet, take one in the morning and the other at night. If in doubt, do speak with your pharmacist or doctor for personalized advice

You may be thinking: half my foods contain half of these nutrients! And yes, assuming you have a nutritionally dense diet, this is probably the case. Foods typically release nutrients more slowly than supplements, and unlike supplements, do not usually contain megadoses (although they can, such as the selenium content of Brazil nuts, or vitamin A in carrots). Basically, food is in most cases safer and gentler than supplements. If concerned, do speak with your nutritionist or doctor for personalized advice.

For more information on all of these, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

You might also like to read:

Do We Need Supplements, And Do They Work?

Take care!

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  • Mung Beans vs Black Gram – Which is Healthier?

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    Our Verdict

    When comparing mung beans to black gram, we picked the black gram.

    Why?

    Both are great, and it was close!

    In terms of macros, the main difference is that mung beans have slightly more fiber, while black gram has slightly more protein. So, it comes down to which we prioritize out of those two, and we’re going to call it fiber and thus hand the win in this category to mung beans—but it’s very close in either case.

    In the category of vitamins, mung beans have more of vitamins B1, B6, and B9, while black gram has more of vitamins A, B2, B3, and B5. They’re equal on vitamins C, E, K, and choline. So, a marginal victory by the numbers for black gram here.

    When it comes to minerals, mung beans have more copper and potassium, while black gram has more calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus. They’re equal on selenium and zinc. Another win for black gram.

    Adding up the sections makes for an overall win for black gram, but by all means enjoy either or both; diversity is good!

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    What’s Your Plant Diversity Score?

    Enjoy!

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  • Optimal Black Pepper Dosage and Supplement

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!

    Have a question or a request? You can always hit “reply” to any of our emails, or use the feedback widget at the bottom!

    In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!

    As ever: if the question/request can be answered briefly, we’ll do it here in our Q&A Thursday edition. If not, we’ll make a main feature of it shortly afterwards!

    So, no question/request too big or small

    ❝I may have missed it, but how much black pepper provides benefits?❞

    So, for any new subscribers joining us today, this is about two recent main features:

    As for a daily dosage of black pepper, it varies depending on the benefit you’re looking for, but:

    • 5–20mg of piperine is the dosage range used in most scientific studies we looked at
    • 10mg is a very common dosage found in many popular supplements
    • That’s the mass of piperine though, so if taking it as actual black pepper rather than as an extract, ½ teaspoon is considered sufficient to enjoy benefits.

    ❝I loved the health benefits of pepper. I do not like pepper. Where can I get it as a supplement?❞

    You can simply buy whole black peppercorns and take a few with water as though they were tablets. Your stomach acid will do the rest. Black pepper is also good for digestion, so taking it with a meal is best.

    You can buy piperine (black pepper extract) by itself as a supplement in powder form, but if you don’t like black pepper, you will probably not like this powder either. We couldn’t find it readily in capsule form.

    You can buy piperine (black pepper extract) as an adjunct to other supplements, with perhaps the most common/popular being turmeric capsules that also contain 10mg (or more) piperine per capsule. Shop around if you like, but here’s one that has 15mg piperine* per capsule, for example.

    *They call it “Bioperine®” but that is literally just piperine. Same go

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  • Women’s Strength Training Anatomy – by Frédéric Delavier

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    Fitness guides for women tend to differ from fitness guides for men, in the wrong ways:

    “Do some squats and jumping jacks, and here’s a exercise for your abs; you too can look like our model here”

    In those other books we are left wonder: where’s the underlying information? Where are the explanations that aren’t condescending? Where, dare we ask, is the understanding that a woman might ever lift something heavier than a baby?

    Delavier, in contrast, delivers. With 130 pages of detailed anatomical diagrams for all kinds of exercises to genuinely craft your body the way you want it for you. Bigger here, smaller there, functional strength, you decide.

    And rest assured: no, you won’t end up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger unless you not only eat like him, but also have his genes (and possibly his, uh, “supplement” regime).

    What you will get though, is a deep understanding of how to tailor your exercise routine to actually deliver the personalized and specific results that you want.

    Pick Up Today’s Book on Amazon!

    Not looking for a feminine figure? You may like the same author’s book for men:

    Check out Strength Training Anatomy (for men) here!

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  • Planning Ahead For Better Sleep

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    Sleep: 6 Dimensions And 24 Hours!

    A woman with dark hair, planning ahead for better sleep, against a white background.

    This is Dr. Lisa Matricciani, a sleep specialist from the University of South Australia, where she teaches in the School of Health Sciences.

    What does she want us to know?

    Healthy sleep begins before breakfast

    The perfect bedtime routine is all well and good, but we need to begin much earlier in the day, Dr. Matricciani advises.

    Specifically, moderate to vigorous activity early in the day plays a big part.

    Before breakfast is best, but even midday/afternoon exercise is associated with better sleep at night.

    Read more: Daytime Physical Activity is Key to Unlocking Better Sleep

    Plan your time well to sleep—but watch out!

    Dr. Matricciani’s research has also found that while it’s important to plan around getting a good night’s sleep (including planning when this will happen), allocating too much time for sleep results in more restless sleep:

    ❝Allocating more time to sleep was associated with earlier sleep onsets, later sleep offsets, less efficient and more consistent sleep patterns for both children and adults.❞

    ~ Dr. Lisa Matricciani et al.

    Read more: Time use and dimensions of healthy sleep: A cross-sectional study of Australian children and adults

    (this was very large study involving 1,168 children and 1.360 adults, mostly women)

    What counts as good sleep quality? Is it just efficiency?

    It is not! Although that’s one part of it. You may remember our previous main feature:

    The 6 Dimensions Of Sleep (And Why They Matter)

    Dr. Matricciani agrees:

    ❝Everyone knows that sleep is important. But when we think about sleep, we mainly focus on how many hours of sleep we get, when we should also be looking at our sleep experience as a whole❞

    ~ Dr. Lisa Matricciani

    Read more: Trouble sleeping? You could be at risk of type 2 diabetes

    That’s not a cheery headline, but here’s her paper about it:

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    And no, we don’t get a free pass on getting less sleep / less good quality sleep as we get older (alas):

    Why You Probably Need More Sleep

    So, time to get planning for the best sleep!

    Enjoy videos?

    Here’s how 7News Australia broke the news of Dr. Matricciani’s more recent work:

    !

    Rest well!

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  • Yes, blue light from your phone can harm your skin. A dermatologist explains

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Social media is full of claims that everyday habits can harm your skin. It’s also full of recommendations or advertisements for products that can protect you.

    Now social media has blue light from our devices in its sights.

    So can scrolling on our phones really damage your skin? And will applying creams or lotions help?

    Here’s what the evidence says and what we should really be focusing on.

    Max kegfire/Shutterstock

    Remind me, what actually is blue light?

    Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum. Sunlight is the strongest source. But our electronic devices – such as our phones, laptops and TVs – also emit it, albeit at levels 100-1,000 times lower.

    Seeing as we spend so much time using these devices, there has been some concern about the impact of blue light on our health, including on our eyes and sleep.

    Now, we’re learning more about the impact of blue light on our skin.

    How does blue light affect the skin?

    The evidence for blue light’s impact on skin is still emerging. But there are some interesting findings.

    1. Blue light can increase pigmentation

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    So too much blue light can potentially worsen hyperpigmentation – overproduction of melanin leading to dark spots on the skin – especially in people with darker skin.

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    Blue light can worsen dark spots on the skin caused by overproduction of melanin. DUANGJAN J/Shutterstock

    2. Blue light can give you wrinkles

    Some research suggests blue light might damage collagen, a protein essential for skin structure, potentially accelerating the formation of wrinkles.

    A laboratory study suggests this can happen if you hold your device one centimetre from your skin for as little as an hour.

    However, for most people, if you hold your device more than 10cm away from your skin, that would reduce your exposure 100-fold. So this is much less likely to be significant.

    3. Blue light can disrupt your sleep, affecting your skin

    If the skin around your eyes looks dull or puffy, it’s easy to blame this directly on blue light. But as we know blue light affects sleep, what you’re probably seeing are some of the visible signs of sleep deprivation.

    We know blue light is particularly good at suppressing production of melatonin. This natural hormone normally signals to our bodies when it’s time for sleep and helps regulate our sleep-wake cycle.

    By suppressing melatonin, blue light exposure before bed disrupts this natural process, making it harder to fall asleep and potentially reducing the quality of your sleep.

    The stimulating nature of screen content further disrupts sleep. Social media feeds, news articles, video games, or even work emails can keep our brains active and alert, hindering the transition into a sleep state.

    Long-term sleep problems can also worsen existing skin conditions, such as acne, eczema and rosacea.

    Sleep deprivation can elevate cortisol levels, a stress hormone that breaks down collagen, the protein responsible for skin’s firmness. Lack of sleep can also weaken the skin’s natural barrier, making it more susceptible to environmental damage and dryness.

    Can skincare protect me?

    The beauty industry has capitalised on concerns about blue light and offers a range of protective products such as mists, serums and lip glosses.

    From a practical perspective, probably only those with the more troublesome hyperpigmentation known as melasma need to be concerned about blue light from devices.

    This condition requires the skin to be well protected from all visible light at all times. The only products that are totally effective are those that block all light, namely mineral-based suncreens or some cosmetics. If you can’t see the skin through them they are going to be effective.

    But there is a lack of rigorous testing for non-opaque products outside laboratories. This makes it difficult to assess if they work and if it’s worth adding them to your skincare routine.

    What can I do to minimise blue light then?

    Here are some simple steps you can take to minimise your exposure to blue light, especially at night when it can disrupt your sleep:

    • use the “night mode” setting on your device or use a blue-light filter app to reduce your exposure to blue light in the evening
    • minimise screen time before bed and create a relaxing bedtime routine to avoid the types of sleep disturbances that can affect the health of your skin
    • hold your phone or device away from your skin to minimise exposure to blue light
    • use sunscreen. Mineral and physical sunscreens containing titanium dioxide and iron oxides offer broad protection, including from blue light.

    In a nutshell

    Blue light exposure has been linked with some skin concerns, particularly pigmentation for people with darker skin. However, research is ongoing.

    While skincare to protect against blue light shows promise, more testing is needed to determine if it works.

    For now, prioritise good sun protection with a broad-spectrum sunscreen, which not only protects against UV, but also light.

    Michael Freeman, Associate Professor of Dermatology, Bond University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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  • Successful Aging – by Dr. Daniel Levitin

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    We all know about age-related cognitive decline. What if there’s a flipside, though?

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    Click here to check out Successful Aging and level up your later years!

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