5 Coffee Combos Pharmacists Say to Avoid
And approximately 59 million Americans regularly consume some kind of vitamins or supplements. However, multiple pharmacists suggest not taking certain ones, including iron, calcium, magnesium and some vitamins, while sipping on a cup as it may reduce absorption in the body. Dr Philip Ngo, a pharmacist with over a decade of experience in community pharmacy, explained: 'For instance, iron absorption can be slowed by caffeine and caffeine can impact certain nutrients via its diuretic properties.'
Caffeine and polyphenols found in coffee can act as diuretics, meaning they increase urine production. This can become a problem as water-soluble vitamins, which aren't stored in the body for long, can be flushed out through urine before they are fully absorbed. Additionally, the tannins in coffee can also bind themselves to certain mineral-based supplements, which can prevent proper absorption in the body. As a result, doctors recommend waiting at least an hour after drinking a cup of coffee to take supplements for better nutrient absorption. Below, DailyMail.com details the five supplements you should avoid consuming with coffee:
1. Vitamin D
Regularly taking a Vitamin D supplement can help improve bone health, muscles and immune health and studies have also shown that it can reduce the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease . However, experts say that drinking caffeine can reduce the production of Vitamin D receptors cells. This can hinder the body's ability to absorb the vitamin from supplements and food. As of 2024, about 42 percent of American suffer from Vitamin D deficiency. Low Vitamin D can lead to a loss of bone density, which can contribute to osteoporosis and fractures (broken bones) as well as muscle pain and weakness.
Dr Elise Kim, a New York-based pharmacist, told Eating Well : 'Research suggests that caffeine may reduce the expression of Vitamin D receptors, which can lower vitamin D levels.' While more research is needed to discover why coffee affects cell receptors, a 2021 International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research found initial links between high caffeine intake and low circulating levels of vitamin D in the blood. Dr Ngo suggests taking Vitamin D supplements with a meal that includes healthy fats to help improve absorption.
2. Calcium
Similarly to Vitamin D supplements, calcium supplements also help improve bone, heart, brain and cell health, protecting against cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. But due to the diuretic effect of caffeine, drinking coffee can interfere with how the body absorbs calcium from supplements by increasing the amount of calcium the kidneys eliminate through urine. This can lower calcium absorption in the body as most of it would be removed from the body instead of being reabsorbed by the kidneys, as evidenced by a 2012 Nutrition study.
Adding milk to your coffee may help offset calcium loss and spacing out calcium supplements two hours after your coffee help support better absorption, Dr Kim suggested. A low calcium level, also known as hypocalcemia, can lead to a variety of health problems including muscle cramps, numbness or tingling, fatigue and bone problems like osteoporosis. In severe cases, it can also lead to seizures, heart problems and even breathing difficulties.
3. Iron
The primary use of iron supplements is to treat or prevent iron-deficiency anemia, a condition where the body doesn't have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body due to insufficient iron. Additionally, it is also prescribed to reduce fatigue, improve hair health, increase athletic performance and boost immunity. Iron is also crucial for brain function and taking supplements can enhance concentration, memory, and overall cognitive performance in those with low iron.
However, doctors claim that caffeine and tannins in coffee present in the body after drinking a cup can bind to iron in supplement capsules, making it harder for the body to absorb the mineral. A 2023 American Journal of Hematology study found taking iron supplements after drinking coffee reduced body absorption by 54 percent. Dr Bo Wang, an internal medicine physician at the US Department of Veteran Affairs, told Eating Well : 'Having coffee with an iron supplement or fortified cereal may make your body absorb less iron. 'Over time, a heavy caffeine habit could potentially impact bone and mineral health.' To ensure maximum absorption, Dr Wang advised taking supplements with vitamin C-rich foods, such as lemons and oranges rather than coffee.
4. Magnesium
Magnesium is a necessary mineral the body requires for the proper growth and maintenance of bones, nerve and muscle function, blood sugar management, blood pressure regulation and sleep quality. Those suffering from migraine headaches, Type 2 diabetes, low bone density, cardiovascular disease and sleep problems are usually advised to take magnesium supplements. But similarly to calcium, Dr Kim explained: 'Caffeine can increase calcium and magnesium loss through urine.' Caffeine can negatively impact magnesium absorption by increasing its excretion through urine, potentially leading to lower magnesium levels. Additionally, coffee contains tannins and phytates, both compounds that can bind to minerals like magnesium and hinder its absorption in the digestive tract.
5. B Vitamins
Water-soluble B vitamins including B1, B2, B7, B9 and B12 play crucial roles in various bodily functions and are often taken as supplements to address deficiencies or support overall health. All of these vitamins are also essential for energy production, nerve function, cell growth, and red blood cell formation. However, the diuretic effects of caffeine can potentially cause problems with absorption of certain B vitamins as it can flush out the vitamin from the body through urine.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Harvard scientists say research could be set back years after funding freeze
Harvard University professor Alberto Ascherio's research is literally frozen. Collected from millions of U.S. soldiers over two decades using millions of dollars from taxpayers, the epidemiology and nutrition scientist has blood samples stored in liquid nitrogen freezers within the university's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The samples are key to his award-winning research, which seeks a cure to multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases. But for months, Ascherio has been unable to work with the samples because he lost $7 million in federal research funding, a casualty of Harvard's fight with the Trump administration. 'It's like we have been creating a state-of-the-art telescope to explore the universe, and now we don't have money to launch it,' said Ascherio. 'We built everything and now we are ready to use it to make a new discovery that could impact millions of people in the world and then, 'Poof. You're being cut off.'' Researchers laid off and science shelved The loss of an estimated $2.6 billion in federal funding at Harvard has meant that some of the world's most prominent researchers are laying off young researchers. They are shelving years or even decades of research, into everything from opioid addiction to cancer. And despite Harvard's lawsuits against the administration, and settlement talks between the warring parties, researchers are confronting the fact that some of their work may never resume. The funding cuts are part of a monthslong battle that the Trump administration has waged against some the country's top universities including Columbia, Brown and Northwestern. The administration has taken a particularly aggressive stance against Harvard, freezing funding after the country's oldest university rejected a series of government demands issued by a federal antisemitism task force. The government had demanded sweeping changes at Harvard related to campus protests, academics and admissions — meant to address government accusations that the university had become a hotbed of liberalism and tolerated anti-Jewish harassment. Research jeopardized, even if court case prevails Harvard responded by filing a federal lawsuit, accusing the Trump administration of waging a retaliation campaign against the university. In the lawsuit, it laid out reforms it had taken to address antisemitism but also vowed not to 'surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.' 'Make no mistake: Harvard rejects antisemitism and discrimination in all of its forms and is actively making structural reforms to eradicate antisemitism on campus," the university said in its legal complaint. 'But rather than engage with Harvard regarding those ongoing efforts, the Government announced a sweeping freeze of funding for medical, scientific, technological, and other research that has nothing at all to do with antisemitism.' The Trump administration denies the cuts were made in retaliation, saying the grants were under review even before the demands were sent in April. It argues the government has wide discretion to cancel federal contracts for policy reasons. The funding cuts have left Harvard's research community in a state of shock, feeling as if they are being unfairly targeted in a fight has nothing to do with them. Some have been forced to shutter labs or scramble to find non-government funding to replace lost money. In May, Harvard announced that it would put up at least $250 million of its own money to continue research efforts, but university President Alan Garber warned of 'difficult decisions and sacrifices' ahead. Ascherio said the university was able to pull together funding to pay his researchers' salaries until next June. But he's still been left without resources needed to fund critical research tasks, like lab work. Even a year's delay can put his research back five years, he said. Knowledge lost in funding freeze 'It's really devastating,' agreed Rita Hamad, the director of the Social Policies for Health Equity Research Center at Harvard, who had three multiyear grants totaling $10 million canceled by the Trump administration. The grants funded research into the impact of school segregation on heart health, how pandemic-era policies in over 250 counties affected mental health, and the role of neighborhood factors in dementia. At the School of Public Health, where Hamad is based, 190 grants have been terminated, affecting roughly 130 scientists. 'Just thinking about all the knowledge that's not going to be gained or that is going to be actively lost," Hamad said. She expects significant layoffs on her team if the funding freeze continues for a few more months. "It's all just a mixture of frustration and anger and sadness all the time, every day." John Quackenbush, a professor of computational biology and bioinformatics at the School of Public Health, has spent the past few months enduring cuts on multiple fronts. In April, a multimillion dollar grant was not renewed, jeopardizing a study into the role sex plays in disease. In May, he lost about $1.2 million in federal funding for in the coming year due to the Harvard freeze. Four departmental grants worth $24 million that funded training of doctoral students also were cancelled as part of the fight with the Trump administration, Quackenbush said. 'I'm in a position where I have to really think about, 'Can I revive this research?'' he said. 'Can I restart these programs even if Harvard and the Trump administration reached some kind of settlement? If they do reach a settlement, how quickly can the funding be turned back on? Can it be turned back on?' The researchers all agreed that the funding cuts have little or nothing to do with the university's fight against antisemitism. Some, however, argue changes at Harvard were long overdue and pressure from the Trump administration was necessary. Bertha Madras, a Harvard psychobiologist who lost funding to create a free, parent-focused training to prevent teen opioid overdose and drug use, said she's happy to see the culling of what she called 'politically motivated social science studies.' White House pressure a good thing? Madras said pressure from the White House has catalyzed much-needed reform at the university, where several programs of study have 'really gone off the wall in terms of being shaped by orthodoxy that is not representative of the country as a whole.' But Madras, who served on the President's Commission on Opioids during Trump's first term, said holding scientists' research funding hostage as a bargaining chip doesn't make sense. 'I don't know if reform would have happened without the president of the United States pointing the bony finger at Harvard," she said. 'But sacrificing science is problematic, and it's very worrisome because it is one of the major pillars of strength of the country.' Quackenbush and other Harvard researchers argue the cuts are part of a larger attack on science by the Trump administration that puts the country's reputation as the global research leader at risk. Support for students and post-doctoral fellows has been slashed, visas for foreign scholars threatened, and new guidelines and funding cuts at the NIH will make it much more difficult to get federal funding in the future, they said. It also will be difficult to replace federal funding with money from the private sector. 'We're all sort of moving toward this future in which this 80-year partnership between the government and the universities is going to be jeopardized,' Quackenbush said. 'We're going to face real challenges in continuing to lead the world in scientific excellence.'
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Hold the fries! How your favorite salty side can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes
A new study has found eating a certain amount of French fries a week can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Nothing beats salt-coated fries straight out of the fryer, but next time you order a burger, you may want to tell the restaurant, 'Hold the fries!' A study published in The BMJ journal Wednesday found eating three servings of fries a week could increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 20 percent. Those who eat fries five times a week have a 27 percent increased risk of the chronic disease, according to the study. But potato lovers should not fear, as researchers found those who eat similar amounts of boiled, baked, or mashed potatoes do not face an elevated risk of the disease. An international team, including an expert from the University of Cambridge, analyzed health data from more than 205,000 U.S. health workers, with repeated surveys about their diets, tracking their well-being over nearly four decades. During this extensive follow-up period, some 22,000 cases of type 2 diabetes were documented. 'The risks associated with potato intake varied by cooking method,' the researchers wrote. 'The association between higher potato intake and increased T2D risk is primarily driven by intake of French fries.' The research team also found that replacing three servings of potatoes each week with whole grains was found to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by 8 percent. 'Replacing any form of potatoes, particularly French fries, with whole grains is estimated to lower the risk of T2D, reinforcing the importance of promoting whole grains as an essential part of a healthy diet,' researchers wrote. But replacing potatoes with white rice was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, they found. In a linked editorial, also published in The BMJ, experts from the U.S. and Denmark wrote: 'This finding also corresponds to the observed associations between high intake of ultra-processed foods and high risk of type 2 diabetes – French fries are often ultra-processed, whereas baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes are often minimally processed.' They added: 'With their relatively low environmental impact and their health impact, potatoes can be part of a healthy and sustainable diet, though whole grains should remain a priority.'
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Americans get more than half their calories from ultraprocessed foods, CDC report says
Most Americans get more than half their calories from ultraprocessed foods, those super-tasty, energy-dense foods typically full of sugar, salt and unhealthy fats, according to a new federal report. Nutrition research has shown for years that ultraprocessed foods make up a big chunk of the U.S. diet, especially for kids and teens. For the first time, however, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed those high levels of consumption, using dietary data collected from August 2021 to August 2023. The report comes amid growing scrutiny of such foods by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who blames them for causing chronic disease. 'We are poisoning ourselves and it's coming principally from these ultraprocessed foods,' Kennedy told Fox News earlier this year. Overall, about 55% of total calories consumed by Americans age 1 and older came from ultraprocessed foods during that period, according to the report. For adults, ultraprocessed foods made up about 53% of total calories consumed, but for kids through age 18, it was nearly 62%. The top sources included burgers and sandwiches, sweet baked goods, savory snacks, pizza and sweetened drinks. Young children consumed fewer calories from ultraprocessed foods than older kids, the report found. Adults 60 and older consumed fewer calories from those sources than younger adults. Low-income adults consumed more ultraprocessed foods than those with higher incomes. The results were not surprising, said co-author Anne Williams, a CDC nutrition expert. What was surprising was that consumption of ultraprocessed foods appeared to dip slightly over the past decade. Among adults, total calories from those sources fell from about 56% in 2013-2014 and from nearly 66% for kids in 2017-2018. Williams said she couldn't speculate about the reason for the decline or whether consumption of less processed foods increased. But Andrea Deierlein, a nutrition expert at New York University who was not involved in the research, suggested that there may be greater awareness of the potential harms of ultraprocessed foods. ' People are trying, at least in some populations, to decrease their intakes of these foods,' she said. Concern over ultraprocessed foods' health effects has been growing for years, but finding solutions has been difficult. Many studies have linked them to obesity, diabetes and heart disease, but they haven't been able to prove that the foods directly cause those chronic health problems. One small but influential study found that even when diets were matched for calories, sugar, fat, fiber and micronutrients, people consumed more calories and gained more weight when they ate ultraprocessed foods than when they ate minimally processed foods. Research published this week in the journal Nature found that participants in a clinical trial lost twice as much weight when they ate minimally processed foods — such as pasta, chicken, fruits and vegetables — than ultraprocessed foods, even those matched for nutrition components and considered healthy, such as ready-to-heat frozen meals, protein bars and shakes. Part of the problem is simply defining ultraprocessed foods. The new CDC report used the most common definition based on the four-tier Nova system developed by Brazilian researchers that classifies foods according to the amount of processing they undergo. Such foods tend to be 'hyperpalatable, energy-dense, low in dietary fiber and contain little or no whole foods, while having high amounts of salt, sweeteners and unhealthy fats,' the CDC report said. U.S. health officials recently said there are concerns over whether current definitions 'accurately capture' the range of foods that may affect health. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Agriculture Department recently issued a request for information to develop a new, uniform definition of ultraprocessed foods for products in the U.S. food supply. In the meantime, Americans should try to reduce ultraprocessed foods in their daily diets, Deierlein said. For instance, instead of instant oatmeal that may contain added sugar, sodium, artificial colors and preservatives, use plain oats sweetened with honey or maple syrup. Read food packages and nutrition information, she suggested. 'I do think that there are less-processed options available for many foods,' she said. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
