Are you looking for bioavailability?

There are so many supplements out there! How will you know if you are taking the ones that will do your body the most good.

Let's start with one question and get you set on the path to supplement success....Have you been hearing the buzzword "bioavailability"? 

(Contributed by Dr. Damian Rodriguez, DHSc, MS)

Introduction

More accurate than the popular adage “You are what you eat.” is the concept that you are what you absorb. If you are not properly digesting what you consume, all those phytonutrients aren’t reaching their target sites, and all that nutrition is only creating colorful—and possibly expensive—excretions without promoting optimum health. With the increase of highly-processed food in the conventional modern diet, nutrient absorption is becoming a progressively bigger concern. This is precisely why daily supplementation with doTERRA Lifelong Vitality Pack® is so important.

The reasons to use dietary supplements, and which ones to use, are very individual, but it all boils down to one primary concern: nutrient deficiencies. A survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that as much as 95% of the American population has at least one vitamin deficiency1. If you are currently on a weight management diet, your risk for micronutrient deficiency may be even greater2. Unfortunately, avoiding nutrient deficiencies isn’t as simple as eating a whole food diet or picking up the first supplement bottle you see on the shelf.

Bioavailability

While it may sound complex, bioavailability is actually a simple concept. Bioavailability refers to how much of a specific ingested compound your body is able to recognize, absorb, and utilize in its active form. As impressive as that nutrition label or supplement facts panel may be, if a substance isn’t absorbed and delivered in its proper form to the target site in the body (if it isn’t “bioavailable”), then it is essentially useless. Food and dietary supplements with low bioavailability do not support health and well-being, and in some cases, they may even be harmful. The source of the food or vitamin, how it is processed or prepared, and even what it is consumed with can all influence bioavailability. Although it is generally recommended that your efforts to meet your nutritional needs start with whole food3, there are other considerations to take into account. For instance, a significant percentage of the population is unable to properly digest and absorb natural vitamin B12 and folic acid when provided by whole food sources, so supplementation or eating fortified foods may be necessary.

While the foundation of health is a balanced, whole food diet, the prevalence of nutrient deficiencies provides strong evidence that integrating highly bioavailable dietary supplements into your daily life could promote improved health and increased lifespan4. When formulating the supplements in doTERRA Lifelong Vitality Pack, doTERRA scientists utilized a combination of the best from Mother Nature and the latest evidence-based research to develop a supplement that promotes energy, health, and lifelong vitality.

Chelation

The definition of chelation is to “create a ring-like complex.” In the world of dietary supplements, what chelation refers to is bonding, which occurs through combining inorganic minerals with organic compounds for a specific purpose. The purpose, in regards to dietary supplements, is optimum absorption and bioavailability. While several different organic compounds may be used, most supplements containing chelated minerals utilize protein molecules because research has shown that the human body is effective at absorbing individual amino acids5. When bonded to an amino acid, it is believed that specific minerals do not break down as readily in the digestive process and are more effectively absorbed and shuttled to their target cells. For optimum bioavailability, Microplex VMz® Food Nutrient Complex delivers several minerals in chelated form that usually have poor absorption, including chromium, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc.

Full-Spectrum Ingredients

“Full-spectrum” is a simple concept in dietary supplementation that essentially means taking advantage of what Mother Nature has provided to promote optimum health. Full-spectrum ingredients in terms of dietary supplements refer to compounds that are provided in their entirety, not as isolated constituents, so that natural ratios are not affected. Microplex VMz uses full-spectrum ingredients whenever possible, including provitamin A carotenoids and vitamin E tocopherols.

Glycoprotein Matrix

The use of the patented glycoprotein matrix process combines the best of nature with the most current nutritional science to increase bioavailability. In creating a glycoprotein compound, individual vitamins are introduced to a culture of lactobacillus (a type of bacteria that lives in the human digestive system and is known to have some beneficial effects) and yeast. The vitamin or mineral is bonded into the protein matrix as the yeast metabolizes, creating a compound that is more efficiently assimilated by the digestive system. This process is used to deliver highly bioavailable sources of vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B12, niacin, vitamin B6, and pantothenic acid in Microplex VMz.

Conclusion

Microplex VMz Food Nutrient Complex, xEO Mega® Essential Oil Omega Complex, and Alpha CRS®+ Cellular Vitality Complex represent the perfect synergy of nature and science. Using full-spectrum ingredients and the latest formulation methods to ensure peak bioavailability of essential nutrients and metabolic factors, there is no better way to promote optimum health and well-being than by supplementing a whole food diet with doTERRA Lifelong Vitality Pack.*