Understanding nutrient absorption and bioavailability is key to unlocking the full potential of your supplement routine. You’ll see terms like “enhanced-absorption” and “highly bioavailable,” but what do they really mean? Well, let’s get started.
What is nutrient absorption?
After your body breaks down the foods you eat, it moves nutrients from your gut into your bloodstream. Your circulatory system delivers these nutrients where they need to go, and they become the fuel your body needs to function and maintain overall health.
What is bioavailability?
Absorption and bioavailability are closely related terms, sometimes even used interchangeably. But, they’re a little different.
While absorption is the process of getting nutrients from the digestive system to the bloodstream, bioavailability refers to the amount of a nutrient that’s available for the body to use after ingestion, digestion, and absorption. Basically, bioavailability encompasses not only absorption, but extends to the overall impact of the nutrient within the body.
Why do nutrient absorption and bioavailability matter?
Nutrient absorption and bioavailability determine how well your body can utilize the nutrients from foods and supplements.
When it comes to supplements, it’s key to consider absorption and bioavailability so you can maximize their effectiveness and benefit.* There are several things that impact absorption and bioavailability, including how you take the supplement, the nutrient form within the supplement, and even the overall formulation.*
Let’s take a look at some examples:
Vitamins & Minerals
Vitamins are compounds that your body needs to function properly. They’re only needed in small amounts, but your body can’t make most of them , so you have to get them through your diet or supplements.
Vitamins are classified as either water-soluble or fat-soluble – and the type determines how it’s absorbed.
The majority of vitamins are water-soluble, which means that they dissolve in water and are absorbed pretty easily by the body. Your body doesn’t store significant amounts of water-soluble vitamins, so any excess is typically excreted through urine. This means that there’s little risk of getting too much of these nutrients, but it also means you need them every day – either through your diet or supplement routine.
Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E, and K, and they absorb best when taken with dietary fat (like full-fat dairy, whole eggs, peanut butter, olive oil, fatty fish, or meat). That’s why it’s usually recommended to take supplements that contain fat-soluble vitamins with a meal. Your body stores fat-soluble vitamins in fat tissues and the liver, which is why it’s important to consume them in appropriate amounts.
Folate
Folate is a B vitamin essential for DNA production and healthy growth and development. But, it’s a blanket term – it describes the folate found naturally in food, as well as folates in fortified foods and dietary supplements. There are three main forms of folate: food folate, folic acid, and methylated folate.
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Food folate: Some foods naturally contain folate, like leafy greens, oranges, nuts, beans, and peanuts.
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Folic acid: Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate found in some dietary supplements and fortified foods (like bread, cereal, pasta, and flour). It’s also the form that’s been most studied in clinical research.
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Methylated folate: While folic acid used to be the most common supplemental form of folate, you’ll find more and more dietary supplements now contain methylated folate. You’ll usually see this form listed on the Supplement Facts panel as L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate or L-5-MTHF. Methylated folate is the biologically active form of folate – it’s the form that your body can readily use.
Folate from supplements (both methylated folate and folic acid) are better absorbed than naturally occurring food folate. But that doesn’t mean you should ditch food sources of folate. Whole foods nourish your body in incredible ways, and researchers are still figuring out how nutrients within foods work together to keep you healthy.
The Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) developed dietary folate equivalents (DFEs) to reflect the difference in bioavailability between food folate and supplemental folate.
One microgram (mcg) DFE equals:
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1 mcg food folate
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0.6 mcg folic acid from fortified foods or dietary supplements consumed with foods
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0.5 mcg folic acid taken on an empty stomach
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0.6 mcg methylated folate from dietary supplements consumed with foods
Chelated Minerals
Like vitamins, your body also needs minerals to carry out essential functions.
Chelated minerals are minerals that are bound to organic compounds, usually amino acids, to increase absorption and bioavailability. They’re also usually better tolerated and gentler on your digestive system.
Examples of chelated minerals include:
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Zinc bisglycinate
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Chromium picolinate or chromium nicotinate glycinate
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Selenium glycinate
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Molybdenum glycinate
Other Nutrients/Plant Compounds
Berberine
Berberine is a bitter-tasting compound found in plants like barberry, goldenseal, tree turmeric, and Oregon grape. It has a long-standing history in traditional medicine, and over the years, research has connected it to metabolic health, healthy hormone levels, gut health, and more.*
There are two main forms of berberine you’ll commonly find in supplements:
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Berberine Hydrochloride (HCL)
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Berberine Phytosome™
Berberine HCL isn’t absorbed well, so high doses (500 mg, two to three times a day) are needed for health benefits.* Unfortunately, these high doses of berberine can be difficult to tolerate, causing stomach upset in some. With berberine phytosome, a lower dose of berberine is effective, and better tolerated.* Berberine phytosome is up to 10 times more bioavailable than berberine HCL, so it’s the best choice if you’re looking for an easy-to-absorb, top-quality berberine supplement.*
CoQ10
CoQ10 is a vitamin-like nutrient found in nearly every cell of your body. It lives in the mitochondria, which is often referred to as the “powerhouse of the cell,” and plays a huge role in energy production.* CoQ10 also acts as an antioxidant, protecting your cells and keeping them healthy.*
But there’s one common problem with CoQ10. It’s a large, fat-soluble vitamin that’s difficult for your body to absorb. So, many CoQ10 supplements are poorly absorbed, even when taken with a meal.
So, look for a CoQ10 supplement with an enhanced-absorption formulation – one that includes something like VESIsorb® technology to increase absorption. VESIsorb mimics the body’s natural process of fat digestion, and studies have shown that it improves the absorption and bioavailability of supplemental CoQ10 by 300-600%.*
Curcumin
Curcumin is a type of plant compound found in turmeric, and research has linked it to health benefits like joint health, heart health, metabolic health, and healthy aging.*
But, curcumin isn’t very bioavailable, so it’s difficult for your body to absorb and use. Similar to CoQ10, it’s best to choose an enhanced absorption curcumin supplement to unlock its full potential.*
Inositol
There are nine different forms of inositol, but two are particularly beneficial for health: myo-inositol and d-chiro-inositol. Although myo-inositol can be helpful taken alone, research shows that a 40:1 ratio of these forms (40 parts myo-inositol to 1 part d-chiro-inositol) is best to support hormonal health, metabolic health, menstrual regularity, and ovulation.*
However, up to one-third of women may not absorb myo-inositol well.. Adding alpha-lactalbumin (ALA), a whey protein, helps increase myo-inositol absorption and bioavailability.*
If you haven’t achieved your desired results with inositol alone, a formulation that includes both inositol and ALA may be beneficial.*
With a better understanding nutrient absorption and bioavailability, you’re on your way to getting the most out of your supplements. Paying attention to how you should take your supplements, the nutrient forms that are in your supplements, and even the overall formulations can help maximize your benefit and overall health.*