Don’t Take These 4 Vitamins with Your Coffee
I’m a big coffee fan.
I enjoy its rich aroma, the satisfying ritual of brewing the perfect cup, and the energizing caffeine boost.
But its benefits go far beyond that. In fact, drinking coffee is backed by some impressive science.
Coffee can increase focus, boost mood, and even give your metabolism a little nudge when you’re trying to lose weight. Plus, this beloved morning beverage can reduce your risk of diseases like cancer, heart disease, Parkinson’s, and type 2 diabetes.
But, despite all that, today I have a warning about this popular health drink. If you take any vitamins or supplements, you’ll want to pay close attention.
Many of coffee’s health benefits come from its powerhouse compounds—polyphenols and chlorogenic acid. Unfortunately, these same compounds can sabotage your ability to effectively absorb some vital nutrients.
Here are four of the critical nutrients your coffee habit might inadvertently be blocking (and the easy fix):
- Iron
When researchers looked at what happens when you take an iron supplement with coffee versus plain water, they found that coffee reduced iron absorption by a stunning 54 percent. If you’re already dealing with low energy or have been told that you’re iron-deficient, this simple timing mistake could be working against you without you even realizing it.
- B vitamins and vitamin C
Coffee has a natural diuretic effect (increases urination) which can become a problem for water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and most of your B vitamins. If you drink a lot of coffee, these vitamins may be flushed out of your system before your body has a chance to fully absorb and use them.
- Vitamin D
Some studies link regular coffee drinking to lower D levels. The suspected culprit? Caffeine, which may be interfering with your body’s ability to absorb the sunshine vitamin.
- Calcium
Coffee increases how much calcium you lose when you urinate. The caffeine affects specific receptors in your kidneys that normally help your body hold onto calcium.
Don’t worry, you don’t need to start mourning the loss of your favorite morning ritual. And you don’t have to choose between your coffee and vitamins either.
Instead of ditching the coffee, simply switch up your routine.
If you take any of these supplements, add a one-hour buffer zone. Take them either an hour before drinking your coffee or wait an hour after you’ve finished your last cup before taking them.
This small timing adjustment gives your body the chance to absorb the nutrients properly while still letting you reap coffee’s many health benefits.
This gives you the best of both worlds.
P.S. In the case of calcium there’s another simple fix that many coffee drinkers already instinctively do—add milk or cream to your coffee to offset the calcium loss. Just make sure it’s the FULL FAT version!
View Sources
Hanna K. von Siebenthal, et al., Effect of dietary factors and time of day on iron absorption from oral iron supplements in iron deficient women, American Journal of Hematology, Volume 98, Issue 9, September 2023, Pages 1356-1363.
Qiwei Chen, Hamed Kord-Varkaneh, Heitor O. Santos, Rafael Genario, Minyan Dang. Higher intakes of dietary caffeine are associated with 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency A cross-sectional study from the NHANES. Int. J. Vitam. Nutr. Res. 2022, 92(2), 85–90.
