{"id":1774,"date":"2024-01-08T06:16:32","date_gmt":"2024-01-08T14:16:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/revitalizemetabolichealth.com\/?p=1774"},"modified":"2024-01-08T06:16:32","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T14:16:32","slug":"nutrient-bioavailability-intro-iron","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/revitalizemetabolichealth.com\/nutrient-bioavailability-intro-iron\/","title":{"rendered":"Nutrient Bioavailability – Intro & Iron"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is Bioavailability?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Bioavailability refers to what percentage of a consumed material is absorbed into the body\u2019s bloodstream.\u00a0 In the pharmaceutical world, drug bioavailability is a critical aspect of drug design to ensure that drugs reach a particular concentration.\u00a0 There may be many factors that influence bioavailability, such as mode of administration, digestive enzyme activity, gastrointestinal motility, intestinal flora, co-administered substances, etc.\u00a0 A medication that is administered intravenously (IV) is said to have 100% bioavailability, because it is placed directly into the bloodstream. \u00a0In contrast, the bioavailability of oral penicillin V is 60% (ref<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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Bioavailability is incredibly important in the pharmaceutical industry, because it defines the dose of the drug that is required in order to achieve the desired effect.<\/p>\n

Similarly, the degree of absorption of micronutrients<\/a> from our food sources is important, because it defines how much food one must consume to reach the recommended levels.<\/p>\n

Nutrient deficiency<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Nutrients are required for proper growth and functioning of the human body.\u00a0 The condition whereby nutrients are present in unbalanced quantities in the human body and are contributing to adverse health effects is called malnutrition.\u00a0 When there are deficiencies in the micronutrient content of diets despite adequate energy intake, that condition is called hidden hunger.<\/p>\n

Hidden hunger is common in developing countries, with iron and zinc being the most common micronutrient deficiencies.\u00a0 In the USA, Canada, and European countries, there are also reported deficiencies in iron, iodine, vitamin D, and vitamin E (ref<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Iron<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Iron is an essential\"\" element for the human body, as it participates in many critical functions.\u00a0 Iron exists in 2 forms:<\/p>\n