How do you determine nutritional supplements and vitamins bioavailability
for your science fair projects?

Is Enough, Enough?

Many people in the United States of America are vitamin deficient for most of their lives. Therefore, the use of vitamins is becoming popular because of the realization that the amount of food we eat does not provide enough vitamins to stay healthy. However, if the vitamin supplements that are taken to help make up the vitamin deficiency are not being absorbed by your body, then all the vitamins consumed is not doing a bit of good. This is a major problem because it means that the body is not getting a sufficient amount to stay healthy. So in this article we are going to discuss nutrtional supplements and vitamins bioavailability.

First, lets look at which are the essential nutritional supplements and vitamins that your body needs to functions.

1. Vitamin A: This vitamin is needed to maintain healthy skin, help with cell division, help normal physical development, and help vision and the digestive system.

2. Vitamin B1: This vitamin is needed to help convert energy for your body from the carbohydrates eaten.

3. Vitamin B2: This vitamin is needed to help convert energy for the body from the three main consumed families: protein, fat, and carbohydrates.

4. Vitamin B6: This vitamin is needed to help metabolism and maintains normal blood levels.

5. Vitamin B12: This vitamin is needed to help regulate normal cell division and blood regulation.

6. Vitamin C: One of the most well known vitamins, vitamin C is needed to produce protein in the body's tissue, protects cells, and reduces the risk of heart disease.

7. Vitamin D: Made by the sunlight, this vitamin is needed for bone growth and maintenance.

8. Vitamin E: This vitamin is needed to help protect cells. Vitamin E can also prevent certain types of cancer and also reduces risk for heart disease.

9. Folate: This vitamin is needed to regulate cell division and help maintain the nervous system.

10. Vitamin K: This vitamin is needed for hemoglobin and maintain bone structure.

Bobbing in the Sea of Nutritional Supplements and Vitamins

Unknown to most people, the efficiency of nutritional supplements and vitamins fluctuates due to certain factors. First, absorption of vitamins a body can take relies on the levels of vitamins needed by that person. A second factor includes the person's ability to absorb the vitamins.

3rd is the nutritional supplements and vitamins ability to be bioavailable / absorbable in the body.

Loss of the level vitamins in food can be influenced by their chemical structures. As an example, the level of vitamin C in foods can be lost if left out in the sun, put near a heated place, or various other factors.

The vitamins in the foods can also be lost in the way of cooking, processing, and storage. There are certain ways to cook foods to keep their nutritious levels. It is a good idea to stay informed of ways to cook certain things in order to stay healthy.

Now That I Frightened You...
A Way to Determine if Your Nutritional Supplements and Vitamins Can Be Absorbed Into Your Body

Here is a following experiment in which you can test the bioavailability of the brand of nutritional supplements and vitamins you are deciding between. This is simple little science fair experiment that only takes twenty minutes.

1) Take three different brands of vitamins
2) Fill three glasses with really warm water
3) Drop each vitamin into a different glass
4) Let the vitamins in the water. (Read a book!)
5) Check the glasses after twenty minutes.

The Life Jacket... Nutritional Supplements and Vitamins

Vitamins are a part of your life jacket. It is important to have everything just right, especially vitamins. Too low vitamin levels will put you at a greater risk of disease and too high vitamin levels can create big problems as well.

It is always a great idea to consult professionals or find out the set requirements of each vitamin. Most importantly, finding out vitamin bioavailability is a necessary step in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. With these words of warning, I leave you with a wish for a long, happy and nutritious life!