Back in my old stomping ground of Boulder, Colorado- where my undergraduate studies focused on optimizing the human body through the study of Kinesiology, a former peer and current good friend shared that his Nutrition professor said that the one sure thing about supplements was that they gave you expensive pee.

Translated, that means that most of the time you A) don’t actually need an additional boost of Vitamin A or Iron, etc., or B) the way you are taking your supplements is not conducive to beneficial absorption.

Point in case- Woman’s Vitamins.  They are packed with large amounts of everything a woman needs in just one pill and thus the best supplement ever, right!?  Not so much.  Many women’s vitamins advertise the combined Calcium and Iron duo that is so essential to women’s health.  Yes, we women do need to make sure we get both of these essentials- but not together.  Together, they actually act against each other and decrease their levels of absorption. What you are left with is no real added benefit to taking the supplement and expensive pee.

That said, spacing out your vitamin consumption- with an increased advantage to taking them early in the morning while your body has gone through the cleaning process at night and can better absorb and process nutrients- is something to consider.

In addition, many nutritionists support that, when done correctly, combining vitamins does lead to better absorption and effectiveness.  However, the process of deciphering what to pair with what can be time consuming and expensive to manage.

So what is a girl to do?  Well, honestly, the best answer is to eat a healthy varied diet.  Many people are closer to obtaining this than they think.  You may just need to add another fruit or veg serving to your daily routine- which you can do by adding a juice (so long as it is pure and not corn syrup based).

Additionally, I would say if you are going to add one supplement to your healthy life, I would add Vitamin C.  It assists the absorption of Calcium and Vitamin D, and props up the immune system.  And on a side (beauty) note- because of the potential antibacterial benefits of C, it may help ward off acne.  The recommended dosage is 1000- 1600 mg per day.

So eat a healthy diet, add in an orange juice (fortified with Calcium) and drink it in the sun- you are on your way to a healthier you (without the expensive pee bit)!