Bioavailability of Nutrients

How well can you digest, assimilate, and utilize the nutrients you are purchasing. Bioavailable means that the nutrient is absorbed in a form that is not only usable, but able to reach the right target or area in your body where you want and expect it to go. For example, if you are taking a nutrient for memory or cognition, you want to know that it is reaching the brain. Or if you are taking a nutrient to help with arthritis, is that nutrient reaching the target?

While many companies claim that their products are highly bioavailable, very few companies actually carry out this research, but instead rely on using a form which is “known to be bioavailable.” There are actually three factors that determining bioavailability:

1.        Dissolution

2.       The form of the nutrient

3.       Sufficient stomach acid and pancreatic enzymes

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Dissolution

This is the first step in bioavailability, whether or not the vitamin pill is actually dissolving and becoming available for absorption. Many people often wonder how well their body breaks down pills and it’s a good question to ask because not all pills do break down properly. If you are worried about the dissolution of your vitamins there are two things you can do.

The first thing is to purchase vitamins in powder, liquid or softgel form, which are sure to dissolve. The second option is to do a home dissolution test yourself on the pills you purchase and use. This home test takes about 30minutes and is a simple indicator for the bioavailability of your particular pills.

To do a home dissolution test, you simple fill a jar with hot (not boiling) water and add your pill to it. Every few minutes you want to stir the water, while not touching the pill – just stirring the water above it. After 30 minutes the pill should be dissolved completely, and if it is not, you know dissolution is problematic with this supplement and my advice is to take it back to where you purchased it from and ask for a refund.

Keep in mind that if you purchased time released or enteric coated supplements these will not dissolve in 30 minutes and that is to be expected.

The Form

When we discuss the form of the vitamins and minerals you take it’s really a question of whether or not your body will recognize it, and this really comes down to synthetic or natural forms of the nutrient. In some cases synthetic forms are just as bioavailable as their natural counterparts and in some cases they are not.

Generally speaking, the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K should be derived from natural sources whenever possible. Synthetic Vitamin E, for example is only 50% as available as the natural forms. The synthetic from of Vitamin E will appear as DL-alpha-tocopherol on the ingredient list; you want to avoid this, and purchase D-alpha tocopherol, which is the natural form. There are actually 8 forms of vitamin E, 4 tocopherols and 4 tocotrienols, each with their own unique function within the body. Using a mix of all 8 is more than likely the best version to fulfill all of your biochemical needs.

However, there are some vitamins where the synthetic version is every bit as good as the natural version and your body uses them equally as well. This is the case for Vitamin C, which in most cases is sold as a synthetically derived version of the vitamin. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is produced in the liver of almost all animals, as humans, however we have lost the ability to do this. When animals make their own an enzyme is applied to glucose which converts it to ascorbic acids. We can use that same enzyme on glucose in a lab and create bio-identical vitamin C. Your body does not know the difference and it is every bit as effective as the form you would naturally get from foods.

Stomach acid and pancreatic enzymes

Stomach acid is required in adequate quantities in order to break down and utilize many nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, iron and Vitamin B12. As we age our stomach acid decreases and it is for this reason that it is recommended that older people in the population take Vitamin B12 and take Calcium citrate rather than carbonate, as citrate does not require the presence of stomach acid for proper absorption.

One of the biggest problems is drugs that reduce stomach acid such as PPI’s or proton pump inhibitors, which are prescribed for acid reflux, and in my opinion quite heavily overprescribed. But we can save that for another blog post.

After leaving the stomach, food enters the small intestine where pancreatic enzymes are used to breakdown proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Many people do not make enough pancreatic enzymes to digest the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K – one such group of people being those with cystic fibrosis. It is for that reason that people with low stomach acid or enzymes not only take digestive enzymes but also take supplements to bring their nutrient levels into ranges which support optimal health.

There is also a test you can do at home to determine whether or not you are producing sufficient stomach acid, and it can be done as easily as the tablet dissolution test.

This test requires that you purchase Hydrochloric Acid sometimes sold as Betain HCl, which you will take on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. The first day you will take 1 pill, and see if you have a slight burning or acidic feeling. On the second day you take 2 pills and the third day 3.

When you feel the slight burning sensation you know you have adequate stomach acid, eating food will alleviate the burning sensation immediately with no harm what so ever. If you feel the burn on day 4, but not day 3, it means you need to take 3 HCl pills with food in order to produce enough stomach acid. If you feel it with 2 pills, than 1 is enough for you and of course if you feel it with just 1 single pill, you do not need to take any hydrochloric acid at all, as your body is producing enough.