The word "bioavailability" is frequently heard or read in connection with medicinal substances and dietary supplements. But what does bioavailability mean? And why is good bioavailability important for vital substances? You can read about this in the following article.
What does bioavailability mean?
The term bioavailability actually originates from pharmacology. It describes the extent and rate at which a substance enters the bloodstream.
Bioavailability plays an important role in both medicinal products and dietary supplements, e.g., micronutrients or plant-based substances. In these cases, too, it is a matter of how well the body can absorb and utilize an ingested substance.
There are differences here. The dosage of a substance alone does not necessarily indicate how much of the ingested substance will be absorbed by the body and can be utilized by it. For a better understanding, we will mention a few examples here regarding the topic of bioavailability in relation to vital substances.
What are citrate compounds, for example, and how can citrates influence bioavailability?
Citrates are the salts of citric acid. When used in products such as dietary supplements, these are referred to as organic or, colloquially, "natural" compounds. Citric acid and its salts (citrates) are a natural part of the body and are produced during various metabolic processes. They occur naturally as intermediate products of carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism within the citrate cycle. This cycle is used for the body’s own energy production and some may perhaps remember it from biology class.
Citrate compounds are used, for example, for highly bioavailable magnesium supplements and zinc preparations because it is assumed that natural compounds known to the human organism increase the absorption rate of a substance. Citrate compounds are therefore intended to be available to the organism particularly quickly. This can be significant, for example, for magnesium in sports or for zinc in supporting the immune system.
If magnesium, zinc, or even calcium are bound to a citrate, i.e., in a citrate compound, it is an organic compound that is intended to be particularly quick and easy for the body to utilize (bioavailable).
Magnesium Citrate Capsules
The anti-stress mineral
Why should iron supplements be taken together with Vitamin C?
Iron is substituted as a medicinal product and dietary supplement particularly frequently by women, especially pregnant women, vegetarians, and vegans, but also by people who suffer more frequently from iron deficiency due to age or illness. However, it is not just the amount of iron ingested that matters, but above all its usability for the body. There can be enormous differences in bioavailability. In addition to the valency of the iron supplement (well-bioavailable ferrous/bivalent iron or the somewhat less well-available ferric/trivalent non-heme iron), the intake of Vitamin C, for example, can significantly increase the absorption into the body or the bioavailability of iron.
Tip: It is therefore recommended to drink a glass of fresh orange juice with an iron supplement or to choose a preparation that already contains added Vitamin C. Small amounts of Vitamin C are sufficient for this. A single glass of fresh orange juice usually increases absorption by more than double.
How can the bioavailability of turmeric be increased?
The turmeric root is a well-known Indian spice and traditional remedy that has been used for centuries for its health-promoting properties in Indian and Chinese medicine (TCM). Foods and finished preparations containing turmeric are enjoying increasing popularity among people who want to support a healthy lifestyle.
However, it has been noted that turmeric and the curcuminoids it contains are not particularly bioavailable to the body, because curcumin is fat-soluble and is poorly absorbed by the digestive tract. Thus, ways to increase its absorption into the body have been sought.
In doing so, a greatly improved bioavailability was discovered, for example, through the addition of natural black pepper extract (piperine). Other methods to increase the bioavailability of turmeric are micellar and liposomal technologies, in which the ingredient is "packaged" in such a way that the body can utilize it better. This increases the bioavailability many times over.
Conclusion
Good bioavailability is crucial for a substance to be reliably absorbed into the organism. The bioavailability of vital substances can be increased, among other things, through organic compounds such as citrates or through certain selected additional additives or the form in which a substance exists (e.g., bivalent or trivalent iron). This is very individual and cannot be transferred from one ingredient to another.
High bioavailability can, for example, be a decisive quality feature, because the amount of an added substance alone is not always a guarantee that it can actually be sufficiently absorbed by the body. Always think about bioavailability when it comes to vital substances and seek professional advice.
