You have probably made an effort to get plenty of essential vitamin and supplements in your diet. However, not all of them may be adequately absorbed into the body. Here are some of the factors that affect the absorption of nutrients into the body.
Smoking and alcohol
You are probably aware of the effects of tobacco and alcohol on a person’s health, but you may be surprised that they can also reduce vitamin absorption. Smoking lowers the intake of vitamin C while alcohol decreases the body’s ability to absorb folate. You should, therefore, overcome your alcohol drinking and smoking habits for your body to absorb enough nutrients. If feel that you must drink, then limit it to one drink for women and two drinks for men.
Lack of dietary fat
The absence of dietary fat is likely to reduce the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamins are either fat or water soluble. Vitamin D is fat soluble and is stored in fatty tissue; it is usually released as the tissue is broken down by the body. Moreover, fat needs to be present in the intestines for vitamin D to be absorbed appropriately.
Poor health and aging
Your body has many complex nutrient absorption pathways. A lot of these paths are easily affected by lifestyle or an illness that may lead to other symptoms. An elderly person needs more vitamins since their body’s ability to convert as well as absorb vitamins is impaired. A Welltopia health coach can guide vulnerable individuals for maximum supplement efficacy.
Conversion of some vitamins in bioavailable forms
Some vitamins are present in food in a bioavailable form. For example, vitamin B2 is present in eggs and milk but is bound to a carrier protein. For the body to extract vitamin B2, it must be converted in the intestines with the aid of phosphatase enzymes. The conversion process may be hindered by medications that have a similar chemical form to vitamin B2. In such cases, taking a vitamin supplement is necessary to prevent vitamin B2 deficiency.
Stomach acids
The distribution of nutrients and vitamins in the intestines affect how they end up in the bloodstream. Once ingested, vitamin tablets go to the stomach where stomach acids attack them. However, some vital nutrients are damaged during the process. Some vitamin tablets are therefore covered with an enteric coating which enables them to go through the acidic stomach without being destroyed.
As you can see, numerous factors affect how nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream and the reason for proper prescription counseling. This, in turn, determines the number of vitamins that your body uses for vital physiological processes. You should, therefore, take into account all of the above factors when choosing a vitamin supplement. Contact us today at Welltopia Pharmacy today for more information.
