It could be your best shot at a productive day.<\/p>\n
Coffee offers a bevy of health perks<\/a>, from boosting brain function and reducing inflammation to improving heart health and supporting metabolism.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, your morning brew can also affect how your body absorbs certain supplements, possibly making them less effective and triggering irritating side effects.<\/p>\n You may want to rethink your morning routine. Caffeine interacts with many medications, including supplements. gstockstudio \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n About 66% of US adults<\/a> drink coffee every day, while roughly 74%<\/a> take a dietary supplement \u2014 so there\u2019s bound to be some potentially problematic overlap.<\/p>\n These are the five supplements you may want to think twice about washing down with coffee.<\/p>\n Iron<\/p>\n \u201cIron<\/a> is the most clearly affected by coffee,\u201d Dr. Karan Rajan<\/a> \u2014 chief of science at Throne Science<\/a>, a gut health tech company \u2014 told The Post about the popular supplement.<\/p>\n Coffee is packed with polyphenols<\/a>, which are powerful antioxidants that protect against oxidative stress and fight inflammation.<\/p>\n Chlorogenic acids are a major group of polyphenols in coffee \u2014 they add to its flavor and health benefits.<\/p>\n Caffeine can interfere with the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals. Serhii \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Rajan noted that polyphenols like chlorogenic acid can bind to non-heme iron in the digestive tract, making it harder for the body to absorb.<\/p>\n \u201cThis matters most for people who are iron-deficient, menstruating, pregnant or plant-based,\u201d Rajan said.<\/p>\n \u201cPractical advice would be: If you\u2019re taking iron, do it at least one to two hours away from coffee. Vitamin C can help offset the inhibition caused by iron.\u201d<\/p>\n Zinc<\/p>\n \u201cCoffee can modestly reduce zinc absorption, again due to polyphenols binding minerals,\u201d Rajan said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe effect is dose- and timing-dependent and usually small for people eating a zinc-adequate diet.\u201d<\/p>\n Foods high in zinc include oysters, red meat, poultry, shellfish, cashews, almonds, pumpkin and hemp seeds, lentils, chickpeas, beans, whole grains, dairy, eggs and fortified cereals.<\/p>\n Those supplementing with zinc for deficiency or immune support may benefit from taking it separately from coffee, Rajan said.<\/p>\n Calcium<\/p>\n \u201cCoffee has a small inhibitory effect on calcium absorption, mainly due to caffeine increasing urinary calcium loss rather than blocking absorption outright,\u201d Rajan explained.<\/p>\n Research has estimated<\/a> that about 5 milligrams of calcium are lost per cup of coffee.<\/p>\n You may need to take your supplement with water and wait an hour or two before drinking coffee to optimize absorption. Angelov \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n \u201cFor most people with adequate calcium intake, this is negligible,\u201d Rajan said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf someone relies heavily on supplements for bone health<\/a>, spacing calcium away from coffee is sensible, but it\u2019s not a major concern for the general population.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnesium<\/p>\n