bioavailability

​We hear the term ‘bioavailable’ a lot in the health and pet industry, but what exactly does it mean?
 
The term bioavailable means “entering the circulation when introduced into the body and so able to have an active effect”, so in short, how much is your pet absorbing nutrients?

​I often talk about ‘functional nutrients’ because it’s not just another calorie you are adding to your pet’s overall diet but rather, that nutrient is adding a function, a health function if you will, to your pet’s diet and health. For example, real olive oil, is not just a fat (i.e. chicken fat you will read on a kibble bag), but will work for your pet’s health in numerous ways such as by providing antioxidants, polyphenols, oleic acid, free fatty acids which will coat your pets internal system in a very positive way. 

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In terms of processing, let’s not get too caught up in numbers, it’s not about the quantity rather the quality that is the most important in my humble opinion. Even when comparing two supplements, one will boast to be of a higher value because you get more per dose however that form of nutrient can be less bioavailable than the counterpart because it comes from a synthetic and therefore not a real source. For example, lets take the mineral calcium, absorption coming from a green food such as kale or spirulina will have a far better bioavailability than say a source such as limestone.
When it comes to food, the same applies, if I eat real cheese made with free range cow, sheep or goats milk versus a ‘cheese-product’ say like cream cheese, they will both have very different effects in the body, the cheese product will most likely get stored in the body as fat because the body does not know what to do with it versus the real thing, where the body will readily use. Same goes for out pets, processed food even though veterinarians claim is balanced is still very highly processed, therefore, less bioavailable, in fact, the pet industry is the only industry where it’s health care practitioners boast processed over fresh food, even calling fresh food ‘dangerous’, well if that were the case, there would be not one bear, wolf, fox or any other carnivore that eats fresh meat alive!


​Still not sure where to begin in terms of your pet’s overall nutrition and supplementation? Contact us and we will help you select the best option for your four-legged family member.