Nutrient Bioavailability: Getting

the most out of your food

The definition of nutrient bioavailability:

• Nutrient bioavailability refers to the

proportion of a nutrient that is absorbed
from the foods that we ingest and is then
used for normal body functions.
 Steps in the metabolic pathway where
changes in nutrient bioavailability occur:
• release of the nutrient from the
physicochemical dietary matrix
• effects of digestive enzymes in the intestine
• binding and uptake by the intestinal mucosa
• transfer across the gut wall (passing through
the cells, in-between them or both)
• lymphatic circulation NB: 90% of
• systemic distribution macronutrients are
• systemic deposition (stores) absorbed.
Micronutrients is the
• metabolic and functional use main focus of
• excretion (via urine or faeces) bioavailability.
 Effects of food matrix and chemical form
of nutrients
• Nutrients have to be made accessible once they are ingested by
being converted into a chemical form that can absorbed by the
cells of our gut.
• Nutrients will be made accessible by chewing the food and the
enzymatic breakdown that occurs throughout the digestive
process.
• Minerals and other nutrients exist in different chemical forms in
the food and this can influence their bioavailability.
• Examples:
• Iron exists in two forms. Haem iron which is only found in animal
products like meat and non-haem iron which is found in plant and
animal foods. Haem iron is much better absorbed than non-haem
iron.
• Folate is often added to foods in the form of folic acid. Folic acid is
better absorbed than folate which occurs naturally in fruits and
vegetables.
 Enhancers of nutrient bioavailability
• Nutrients have the ability to interact with one another. This
interaction can either enhance the absorption of a nutrient or inhibit
it.
• Examples:
• Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin. One form of vitamin A is
carotenoid. When you eat carotenoids and add a small amount of
fat or oil to your meal the carotenoids will be absorbed better.
• Although researchers are unsure of the exact mechanism of action
meat contains a certain factor that enhances the absorption of
haem and non-haem iron.
• Vitamin C can also help to increase the absorption of iron by two to
three times.
 Impact of inhibitors on nutrient
bioavailability
• Inhibitors can reduce bioavailability in a number of ways like:
binding the nutrient in a form that the body does not recognize,
making the nutrient insoluble or competing for the same uptake
system.
• Examples:
• Phytic acid is abundant in certain plant foods (e.g. pulses, whole-
grain cereals, seeds, nuts) and strongly binds minerals such as
calcium, iron and zinc in soluble or insoluble complexes that are
unavailable for absorption.
• An example of competition for the same uptake system is the
interaction between calcium and non-haem iron. For this reason
iron and calcium supplements should not be taken simultaneously.
• Phytosterols may inhibit the absorption of cholesterol, which just
shows that inhibition can be advantageous.
 Host factors
• Internal or host-related factors can be subdivided into
gastrointestinal and systemic factors.
• Gastrointestinal factors is illustrated by the absorption of vitamin
B12.
• Vitamin B12 requires gastric acid to be released from food, if the
mucosa is damaged or diminishes with age, vitamin B12 absorption
will decline.
• Systemic factors include deficiency of a certain nutrient or changes
in physiologic state, e.g. pregnancy. A pregnant women must make
careful selections when it comes to food since absorption of
nutrients is enhanced during pregnancy.
• Some inflammatory conditions or infections may reduce the
absorptive capacity of the gut. Iron is not well absorbed when a
person is suffering from a common cold.
What impact does nutrient bioavailability
have on nutrient recommendations?
• For several nutrients – primarily calcium,
magnesium, iron, zinc, folate and vitamin A –
knowledge of their bioavailability is needed to
translate physiological requirements into actual
dietary requirements.