Exact Answer – 2 hours (At least)
Many a times doctor’s advice us to take some iron or calcium or vitamins tablets due to their deficiency in our. The deficiency of vitamins and minerals can cause many problems and sometimes some diseases like deficiency of iron causes anemia, deficiency of calcium results in weak bones etc.
Our body needs various vitamins and minerals among which iron and calcium are two of the most important. They perform various important functions which results in proper functioning of the body. It is always advised to take proper nutritious and balanced diet so as to fulfill all the requirements of our body.
Some of the functions of iron are-
- Helps in transportation of oxygen around the body
- It is also required in functioning of brain
Calcium is important to make our bones strong and strong teeth. The body needs calcium for our muscles to work properly and our nervous to carry messages between brain and other body part.
How Long After Iron Can I Have Calcium ?
Iron an Calcium should not be consumed simultaneously. They should be consumed in the time interval of minimum 2 hours. Whenever we take two more medicines same time it is always advised to consume them in an interval of 5 to 10 minutes in order that both the medicines could perform their work accordingly. Iron medicines or iron supplements should not be taken with milk, calcium or any other calcium supplement. There should be a time gap of at least 2 hours. There are other foods that should not be consumed at the same time like –
- Food or drinks with caffeine
- Orange juice and milk
- Nuts and olive oil etc.
The following is the table representing the daily requirement of iron and calcium in our diet –
| S No. | Age Group | Iron Requirement | Calcium Requirement |
| 1 | Women ages 25 to 50 years | 18 mg | 1000 mg |
| 2 | Men ages 25 to 70 years | 8 mg | 1000 mg |
Why Should We Not Take Iron And Calcium Together?
It is advised not to take some food combinations. One such combination is iron and calcium. They should be taken at an interval of at least two hours. We can always take iron with water or other citrus juices rich in vitamin C. It helps in better absorption of iron from the food. They should not be consumed with milk or other calcium supplements as they can interfere the iron absorption. We all know that milk is a nutritious beverage but is not a good idea to take it with any iron supplements. Calcium could inhibit the iron absorption that is why should not consumed together.
Iron is required by our body and if its absorption is affected then its deficiency can cause anemia. Iron deficiency is a major health problem faced by people due to unbalanced diet and consuming more of less nutritious food that is junk food. It is also advised by doctors especially to pregnant woman’s to consume vitamin tablets in order to provide nutrition to the developing child as well as to herself healthy. Iron and calcium consumption together. Calcium and iron compete for the same receptor and therefore can inhibit iron absorption.
Precautions while taking iron –
- Avoid tea or coffee
- Avoid milk, cheese, yogurt etc.(calcium supplements)
- Avoid whole-grain bread, cereals and bran
Conclusion
Sometimes we don’t take doctor’s advise seriously which may cause any problem later. Doctors advice not to take iron and calcium together especially children and women (especially pregnant) as it can result in some problem not major but problem is problem. We don’t have to go and search problem they came without invitation. so we should be careful.
And always remember that the most important wealth of any person is his or her health. Our first and foremost responsibility is to take care of our health and body. Therefore we should be very careful and aware towards it because many people neglect their health which results in some health problem. So this should be avoided because it is said that, “A HEALTHY MIND resides in a HEALTHY BODY”.
Avoiding tea and coffee, who would have thought that could be dangerous?
It’s best to follow these guidelines to keep healthy
I know, right? There’s so much to consider
I’m always worried about these things, it’s good to be informed though
Yes, being informed is the best way to protect ourselves
Absolutely, Candice, we should never overlook our health
People should be more worried about their health than the taste of their food
It’s unfortunate but true, we really need to be more aware of what’s good for us
We definitely neglect this aspect of our lives too much
I think I need to adjust my diet to accommodate this information, no more milk with my pills for me
It’s better to be safe than sorry, Alison
That’s a good idea, Alison, following this advice can only be beneficial
This article has been very informative, I learned quite a bit from it
This should be common knowledge, it’s scary to think how many people could just neglect their health like this
I agree, Lilly, we need to spread this information
Yes, it’s really important to be aware of these things
It’s always good to be reminded to take care of our health
Yes, that’s right, we often neglect this
This is really important information, thanks for sharing
Yes, this post is a good reminder for all of us
I’m glad of having read this, we need to be more conscious of our health
I am going to show this article to my doctor, I cannot believe all the things I have been doing wrong by not taking my medicines properly
That’s a great idea, Rose, this information can help a lot of people
Right, Rose, it’s always better to be safe than sorry
We really need to start taking our health seriously
I completely agree, Gadams, we’ve been going about this all wrong