Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Absorption of Supplements

Nutrient bioavailability is an important
characteristic of nutritional supplements. It is a
measure of the extent to which the nutrients in a
supplement are absorbed by the body and
delivered to the blood stream. Many factors
affect the absorption of a given nutrient from a
given supplement (see Discussion), but in
general, relatively high bioavailability is
desirable because absorption is a prerequisite for
eventual activity and benefit. As such, quality
supplements are designed to provide optimal
nutrient bioavailability and absorption.
That said, claims of high bioavailability have
been misused in the supplement industry. Some
companies tout that their “revolutionary
formulas” promote “exceptional absorption,” but
then they provide no comparative data to
substantiate their claims. Moreover, such claims
seldom draw the important distinction between
percent bioavailability and total absorption.
What good does it do to take a supplement if it is not effective due either to low amounts of nutrients or poor bioavailability?