Many of us prefer to pop multivitamin pills, presuming that our bodies fully absorb them. Theoretically, this assumption is valid, provided that our body systems are functioning well and in a state of homeostasis (balance) and that we handle our bodies in the proper manner.

Despite health equilibrium, many things can go off course from the moment we swallow a tablet or put a morsel of food in our mouths to the digesting process and absorption. From day to day and moment to moment, the state of our bodies and minds change, affecting our digestion and absorption of nutrients. Proper chewing, digestive acids, digestive tract health, and toxic residue in the body as well as the quality of the supplements and food and their bioavailability can impact the assimilation of nutrients.

What many of us ignore is that food digestion begins in the mouth. Through proper chewing and blending with saliva, carbohydrates turn into easily absorbed glucose. Stomach gastric acid mainly digests protein. As food travels down the digestive tract, it is broken down into very small molecules to facilitate nutrient absorption into the bloodstream. But what happens to man-made supplements, in the digestive tract, and how much of them are absorbed is not really known.

Supplements come in different forms. Tablets, in general, are so compactly compressed that their breakdown becomes a hard or sometimes an impossible process. While vitamin manufacturing guidelines require tablets to dissolve within 30 to 60 minutes of swallowing, some pass through the digestive tract whole, undissolved, and unabsorbed. Because they are mass-produced, tablets are generally cheaper in price than capsules. Soft-and-hard-gel capsules are better due to their rapid breakdown in the system. However, when tablets are well-manufactured they can offer more nutrients than capsules.

When buying supplements, opt for non-synthetic vitamins from health-food stores. Natural and organic ones are better taken up by the body. Vitamins sold in pharmacies can contain additives (artificial colors and flavors), whereas, organic vitamins usually contain fewer harmful, inferior-quality, or allergy-causing (lactose) compounds.

Bioavailability

Carotenoids, the antioxidant precursors of vitamin A, are more bioavailable than synthetic vitamin A. D-alpha tocopherol, natural vitamin E, is superior to synthetic dl-alpha tocopherol. Natural beta carotene coming from D. salina algae offers other health-promoting carotenoids, whereas synthetic vitamins are isolated nutrients. Vegetarians should look for vegetable-source gel capsules, which makes label reading important.

Some categories of nutrients are more bioavailable than others. What does that mean? Certain vitamin and mineral compounds are more easily absorbed than others.

Just like carotenoids in cooked carrots and tomatoes are better taken up by the body than raw ones and animal protein is much better assimilated than plant protein. Mineral compounds with citrate, malate, glycinate, fumarate, succinate, aspartate, ascorbate, and picolinate are more efficiently absorbed by the body than the ones with carbonate, gluconate, oxides, and sulfate. Minerals with oxide are not worth buying despite their low cost. The most bioavailable are mineral “chelates.” Like glycinates and aspartates, these are bound to organic molecules. Cellulose, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, and magnesium citrate are safer inactive ingredients.

Some medications may interfere with your uptake of nutrients, even long after stopping them. Such medicines range from antacids and oral contraceptives to antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). Acid-inhibiting drugs and antacids interfere with vitamin B12, potassium, phosphorous, iron, vitamin B1, and folic acid absorption. Oral broad-spectrum antibiotics damage gut bacteria, exposing the digestive system to bacterial and fungal infections and diarrhea, other impediments to nutrient assimilation. Oral contraceptives disturb hormone levels in the body, obstructing B vitamins, zinc, and manganese uptake. NSAID taken regularly can cause stomach ulcers, leading to the malabsorption of medications and nutrients alike. That is why, when on drugs one should increase multivitamin supplements. Probiotics in yogurt or in supplement form improve intestinal beneficial bacteria, microflora, to combat pathogens and improve nutrient assimilation.

Allergy to gluten in wheat, barley, and rye hinders nutrient (iron and calcium) absorption by damaging the intestines, which results in chronic upset stomach, diarrhea, and low immunity. Individuals with gluten intolerance should avoid taking these grains.

Malabsorption

Poor digestion and low gastric acid can cause malabsorption. Improper chewing, poor eating habits, junk food, and stress disturb the digestion and food assimilation. Low stomach acid results in vitamin B12 deficiency, anemia, and yeast infections, leading to gut inflammation and “leaky gut syndrome.” The latter allows undigested bits of foods to cross to the bloodstream, causing allergic reactions. Symptoms can range from belching and flatulence to diarrhea or constipation. To avoid this, refined junk foods should be substituted with fresh whole foods (fresh vegetables and fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds). Probiotic supplements or live culture yogurt should be taken daily. Plenty of water is necessary to make digestive juices. Spices and condiments like herbs, ginger, onion, garlic, vinegar, lemon, hot pepper, and mustard improve digestive juices. Digestive enzymes of animal (pancreatin, pepsin, lactase, ox bile) or plant (amylase, bromelain, cellulose, lipase, papain, protease) sources can help in the digestion of food.

Insufficient chewing and eating too fast lead to indigestion, acid reflux, and nutrient malabsorption. Chewing is the first step in the digestive process. Saliva contains amylase and proteolytic enzymes to break down starches and protein; it also has small amounts of bicarbonate to reduce reflux and acidity that cause heartburn. To avoid such conditions, take smaller bites; chew them thoroughly; eat moderate portions; and avoid fatty and sugary foods that deter the absorption of many important nutrients.

Last but not least, I recommend a nutrient-rich diet consisting of fresh, organic, unprocessed, unrefined whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish, chicken, nuts, and seeds. Nothing beats dietary supplements available in fresh fruits and vegetables of intense pigments (deep green, yellow, orange, and red). They come with a plethora of benefits. According to recent studies, individuals who have as little as one serving of salad or raw vegetables a day have higher blood levels of vitamins A, E, B6 and folic acid. The more servings of raw deep-colored vegetables they had, the higher the level of nutrients (vitamins and antioxidants) was detected in their blood.

Do include the Superfoods (beans, broccoli, berries, pumpkin, spinach, salmon, soy, turkey, walnuts, yogurt) we discussed in earlier columns. You will feel healthier and more energetic and you will look younger No supplement can replace their natural nutrients, but can only supplement them.

— Mariam Alireza is a holistic science specialist. Send comments to [email protected]. Log on to arabnews.com for previous articles.