What is Bioavailability, and why does it matter?

Bioavailability simply put, is the amount of nutrients we absorb from the foods that we eat, and how much of those nutrients our bodies actually use. Bioavailability is unique to the individual. When we eat different foods, we are not able to absorb 100% of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients of those foods. Only a certain percentage of them make their way through the digestive process and into the bloodstream and cells for absorption. In addition, each vitamin and mineral varies in its bioavailability. An individual may absorb more of one than the other

There are many different reasons that certain vitamins and nutrients don’t get fully absorbed, and the percentage that do get absorbed varies greatly. The bioavailability of vitamins and minerals also is different from person to person. This means that two people may eat the exact same thing, and the amount that their bodies extract will not be the same. These include but are not limited to: age, life stages (pregnancy for example), activity levels, the source (plant, animal or supplements), the presence of inhibitors in the food (phytates, oxalates, tannins, polyphenols), whether the food is raw or cooked, if the food is processed or whole, and minerals interaction with other minerals (the presence of one may affect the other).

The good news is if we eat an organic, whole foods diet, full of a diversity of richly colored plants, we can guarantee we are optimizing the amount of our exposure to vitamins and minerals. It is also important to chew our food well to maximize digestion and absorption, and to be thoughtful about how we pair our foods. For example, by eating fat soluble vitamins with a little fat or oil, this will increase the absorption of those vitamins.