Why does my stomach hurt after taking vitamins? Why vitamin dosage matters and how to avoid getting an upset stomach. 

If you’ve ever woken up in a hurry, taken your vitamins and run out the door only to feel nauseous by the time you get to the office, you’re not alone. Many people experience daily stomach upset after taking their vitamins. Would you believe me if I said it doesn’t have to be this way? You can still take those vitamins and not feel nauseous with a few simple changes to your supplement routine. Let’s talk about why you get an upset stomach and what you can do to change that.  

Why You’re Feeling Nauseous 

“Taking vitamins on an empty stomach can frequently upset the GI tract,” says Christine Lee, MD, a gastroenterologist. “Many people experience stomach pains, nausea and even diarrhea.”  

If you take your vitamins on an empty stomach, this feeling could last two to three hours — which is how long it takes for the vitamins to pass through your system. Not only that, an upset stomach can affect absorption, making it less likely for your vitamins to get utilized in the body. 

Additionally, you may be getting an upset stomach because you’re taking too much of these nutrients. Iron, magnesium and zinc are essential and beneficial to your health but may cause stomach upset if too much is taken at once. That’s why KAL Multivitamin AM/PM split the dosage, to help ease digestion and avoid stomach upset. Plus, it helps improve the absorption power of these essential vitamins and minerals. 

3 Ways to Avoid Stomach Upset 

With a few simple changes to your supplement routine, you can help avoid an upset stomach and still support your health. 

• Take vitamins with food or water. An empty stomach can lead to digestive discomfort, so make sure to eat or drink water with your vitamins. Water-soluble vitamins like B and C are great in the morning because they are absorbed into the body with water, when people tend to skip breakfast. Fat-soluble vitamins like A and D need to be consumed with food to avoid an upset stomach because they are absorbed with fatty acids from the food you eat. KAL designed the Multivitamin AM/PM with this in mind, so there’s a morning dose and an evening dose. 
• Reduce the dosage. Instead of taking your day’s entire intake of magnesium in one go, try splitting it into smaller doses. Dr. Lee recommends taking half in the morning and half in the evening. By splitting our Multivitamin AM/PM into a morning and evening dose, we can still provide a helpful amount of iron, zinc and magnesium while avoiding the chances of getting an upset stomach. 
• Eat a diet rich in vitamins and minerals. The best way to get your daily intake of necessary nutrients is through a healthy diet. Leafy greens, fatty fish with omega 3, pumpkin seeds for iron and plenty of protein from meat or a meat alternative (like tofu and tempeh) are great for your health. If you don’t get enough nutrients from your daily diet and want to support it through supplementation, our Multivitamin AM/PM is here to help fill in nutritional gaps. 

Better Supplements, Better Digestion 

When you’re taking vitamins to support your health and well-being, getting an upset stomach is not what you want. Luckily, the three tips we shared above are simple to implement so you can get to feeling like your healthy, happy self. Taking a multivitamin? Learn when’s the best time of day to take multivitamins to get the most out of them. 

For more tips about staying healthy, better nutrition, or motherhood check out our Instagram at @kalvitamins!