Absorption Island

Absorption: Exploring the “Mystery Island” of Nutrient Delivery

There is a mystery island that we need to explore together. It resides somewhere between oral ingestion of food and how the nutrients we take in get delivered into the blood, then deeper into tissue saturation, and finally waste excretion. This seemingly magical mystery island is rarely discussed among clinicians and patients alike. Some people spend their lives unknowingly on this island. Others devote their careers to exploring, discovering, and maximizing its potential. It is a concept as much as it is an unspoken place. This place is called ABSORPTION. We can go there together.

The story of this island begins with a tale. Once upon a time, my dad met a man in the sewage pumping industry. Gross, right? You might be thinking, “I don’t want to read this.” But you do want to read this.

As a certified GI advisor with years of health coaching and mentoring experience, I can tell you this story is worth the effort to read.

Here is why. Back to the sewage pumping man. When discussing the ideal form for medication and tablets, he said, “Every septic tank I pump is filled with floaters that destroy plumbing. You know what they always are? Pills. Mostly tablets of all kinds, literally inches of pills floating.”

People were not flushing pills down whole on purpose (although some do). Please do not do that, because medications can enter the water table. There are safer ways to dispose of unused medications.

Instead, people were passing medications mostly intact because they were not being absorbed. That is right. It is money flushed down the toilet.

In another tale, a young person recovering from cancer later suffered from chronic anemia. After treatment, doctors prescribed iron supplementation. There are many forms of iron, with some being more bioavailable than others. The patient’s serum iron levels remained low despite trying various forms of supplementation.

In this scenario, the patient was experiencing malabsorption (absorption challenges). Some nutrients can improve the absorption of iron. A trained advisor can help change the ending of this tale.

Did you know that worldwide incidence of irritable bowel syndrome continues to rise, as well as inflammatory bowel diseases? These conditions are often associated with malabsorption. This represents a barrier to maximizing human potential and is an area worthy of exploration for clinicians, patients, pharmaceutical companies, and nutraceutical developers alike.

Through years of mentoring patients, friends, and family on their wellness journeys, I have observed that things do not always add up clinically. Patients with the same conditions often try the same medications yet experience very different outcomes. This is frequently measurable through bloodwork, including serum levels of vitamins, minerals, and medications. These differences often relate to absorption.

The ability to reach adequate serum levels (and red blood cell uptake) of nutrients and drugs is complex. It is also influenced by metabolism and genetics. That level of biology is beyond the scope of this discussion. Absorption Island is not the complete story of nutrition or therapeutic success. However, understanding absorption helps clinicians, patients, and manufacturers better optimize outcomes and healthcare spending.

Absorption occurs in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract, primarily the jejunum of the small intestine. Important exceptions include vitamin B12, which is absorbed in the ileum, and iron, which is absorbed in the duodenum. This is why gastrointestinal health is important. Gut health matters for the body and the brain.

Nutrients and drugs cross intestinal tissue layers and enter the bloodstream through mechanisms such as active transport, passive transport, and facilitated diffusion. When these systems are inflamed or damaged, or when the intestinal barrier becomes compromised, absorption can be affected, leading to reduced nutrient uptake and other health consequences.

Some patients may not be ideal candidates for tablet-based delivery systems. Manufacturers continue to explore innovative delivery technologies that may improve absorption, reduce side effects, and enhance consistency of outcomes. Patients can also support absorption through clinically guided strategies, including addressing underlying conditions, managing inflammation, choosing bioavailable formulations, and monitoring serum markers when appropriate.

Patients should not be left to navigate Absorption Island alone. With appropriate guidance, improved understanding of absorption can empower better health decisions and outcomes.