Most of us know we should eat a balanced diet, with a mix of all the major food groups. But you may not know that you absorb more of some nutrients if you eat them in certain combinations of two or more together in the same meal.
These pairings may not be crucial for those who are getting a balanced diet, but they matter more for people who have restricted diets in some way.
This includes people trying to lose weight, vegetarians and vegans, or those who cut out certain food groups for health reasons. For these people, “pairing of nutrients can become more important” according to Rebecca McManamon, clinical director at Urban Dietitians.
Government surveys of what British people eat and their blood vitamin and mineral levels show that large numbers are classed as deficient in certain nutrients – even though they may not yet be showing any symptoms.
For people who take a daily multivitamin tablet, the advice is to do so with a meal, partly due to the benefits of combining nutrients.
