Unlocking Nature’s Potential: How to Improve the Absorption of Plant Compounds and Key Nutrients
The benefits of whole foods and natural supplements are undeniable – vibrant plant compounds, healing antioxidants, and essential vitamins all work together to keep us feeling strong, energetic, and balanced.
But here’s something most people don’t realize: you can eat or supplement perfectly and still not absorb everything you need.
This concept, called bioavailability, refers to how much of a nutrient or compound actually enters your bloodstream and becomes available for your body to use. It’s one of the most important, yet most overlooked, factors in nutrition.
Let’s explore why bioavailability matters, what affects it, and how you can pair nutrients in smarter ways to get the most out of your food and supplements.
Why Bioavailability Matters
Many phytonutrients are poorly soluble in water, broken down too quickly by the liver, or poorly transported through the intestinal wall. This means that without help, even the most promising compounds can pass through your system with little impact.
Scientists and nutrition experts are learning how to boost bioavailability naturally often with ingredients you already know and love.
- The Power of Pairing: Fat-Soluble Vitamins (A, D, E & K)
Fat-soluble vitamins need healthy fats to be absorbed properly. Without them, these vital nutrients often pass through the digestive tract unused.
The Fat-Soluble Four:
- Vitamin A – Supports vision, skin, and immune function. Found in liver, eggs, and orange-hued vegetables (as beta-carotene).
- Vitamin D – Boosts immunity, mood, and calcium absorption for strong bones.
- Vitamin E – A powerful antioxidant that protects cells from damage.
- Vitamin K – Essential for blood clotting and bone health.
Because these vitamins dissolve in fat, pairing them with dietary fats (like avocado, nuts, olive oil, or salmon) makes a major difference.
For example:
- Drizzle olive oil on roasted carrots to boost beta-carotene (vitamin A precursor) absorption.
- Take vitamin D and E supplements with your main meal rather than on an empty stomach.
- Include healthy fats in salads to get the most from fat-soluble nutrients in leafy greens.
- Vitamin D3, K2, and Calcium: The Bone Health Trio
This is one of the most important nutrient pairings for Canadians, especially through the darker months when vitamin D levels drop.
Here’s how they work together:
- Vitamin D3 helps your body absorb calcium from food or supplements.
- Vitamin K2 tells calcium where to go: into bones and teeth instead of soft tissues like arteries.
- Calcium builds and maintains strong bones, but without D3 and K2, it may not be used effectively.
Research shows that taking D3 and K2 together improves bone density and reduces the risk of calcium buildup in arteries. That’s why our Shine supplement combines both vitamin D3 and K2 in one convenient capsule, helping your body absorb and direct calcium exactly where it belongs for optimal bone and cardiovascular health.
You can further support calcium balance with magnesium, another crucial mineral for calcium absorption, ensuring it’s deposited properly in bone rather than soft tissue.
- Magnesium: The Master of Absorption
Magnesium is one of the most overlooked minerals, even though it plays a role in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body including nutrient absorption, muscle relaxation, and sleep quality.
It works hand-in-hand with both calcium and vitamin D.
- Without enough magnesium, vitamin D cannot be properly activated in the body.
- Without magnesium, calcium can’t be efficiently metabolized and may accumulate where it shouldn’t.
That’s why we recommend our PM/BM supplement, which provides a bioavailable form of magnesium to support relaxation, digestion, and overall mineral balance. It’s a simple way to ensure your body is actually using the nutrients you’re giving it while also promoting better sleep and recovery.
Aim for magnesium-rich foods such as leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and dark chocolate or combine these with PM/BM for optimal results.
- Vitamin C and Collagen: Partners in Skin and Joint Health
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, supporting skin elasticity, hair strength, joints, and connective tissue. But your body can’t form collagen without vitamin C, it’s an essential cofactor in collagen synthesis.
That’s why pairing foods high in vitamin C or a vitamin C supplement with our Collagen Supplement is a powerful way to support glowing skin, healthy joints, and a more youthful appearance. Vitamin C also protects collagen from being broken down by free radicals which is another key factor in healthy aging and recovery.
- Piperine: The Tiny Compound That Supercharges Absorption
Sometimes, improving nutrient absorption comes down to a single spice sitting right in your kitchen: black pepper.
Black pepper contains a natural compound called piperine, which has been shown in research to enhance the bioavailability of many nutrients, especially plant compounds and fat-soluble vitamins.
For example:
- Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is absorbed up to 2,000% more effectively when combined with piperine.
- Piperine can also boost the absorption of selenium, B vitamins, beta-carotene, and coenzyme Q10 by slowing how quickly these nutrients are broken down in the liver and improving their transport across the intestinal wall.
Because of these benefits, several of our targeted supplements including Ewyn Sculpt, Estrogen Control, and Sleep Slimmer, all contain piperine to enhance the bioavailability of their active ingredients. This ensures that your body is not only receiving key nutrients and botanicals, but also actually absorbing and utilizing them for maximum results.
Try sprinkling freshly cracked black pepper on foods rich in turmeric, leafy greens, or healthy fats to further support your natural absorption throughout the day.
The Bottom Line
Bioavailability is the bridge between consuming nutrients and actually benefiting from them. By understanding how certain vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds work together, you can make every bite and every supplement count.
When you learn to pair nutrients intentionally, you’re not just taking vitamins, you’re helping your body use them efficiently. That’s the foundation of true holistic nutrition: working with your biology to unlock nature’s full potential.
- Desiree Bandi – Holistic Nutritionist, EWYN Health Coach