When your goal is to improve your nutrition, considering bioavailability in your diet is an important step. After all, the nutrients in your food and supplements, and the nutrients your body absorbs are two different factors. Just because the nutrients are there, it doesn’t necessarily mean your body is taking them in.
Therefore, by focusing on bioavailability in your diet and making the right changes to improve it, you’ll add better nutrient density to every calorie you eat. Every bite you take will be better for your body. This has the potential to take you a long way in terms of enhancing your health and wellness goal achievement.
What is Bioavailability in Your Diet?
Though we’re all becoming aware of the nutrient requirements in our diet, bioavailability in your diet is something slightly different. Our digestive systems don’t automatically absorb every nutrient we eat. In fact, many vitamins and minerals can be absorbed only if certain “rules” are followed.
For instance, some vitamins are fat soluble and others are water soluble. This means that the vitamin requires either fat or water in order for the body to be able to absorb it. Without the adequate presence of fat, a fat soluble vitamin won’t be fully absorbed. Without the presence of water, a water soluble vitamin won’t be fully absorbed. As a side note, this helps to explain why people on fat blockers or very low fat diets must supplement appropriately or they can face deficiencies.
Similarly, some minerals need to be consumed alongside the presence of other minerals in order to be fully absorbed. For example, calcium and magnesium often rely on each other for complete absorption. Moreover, vitamin D often plays a role with calcium and magnesium.
How to Improve Bioavailability in Your Diet
Many nutritionists will tell you that variety is one of the best ways to make sure you’re boosting the bioavailability of your nutrients. Eat lots of nutrient-dense foods to give yourself a more complete diet. The more complete your diet, the better your chances that you will meet those “rules” for bioavailability in your diet.
Next, when you decide to supplement nutrients with pills, talk to your doctor. That way, you’ll know you’re supplementing the right ones, and you’ll take everything you need to be sure you’ve achieved the bioavailability in your diet to absorb them in the first place.
