Micronutrient bioavailability: concepts, influencing factors, and strategies for improvement.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review summarizing mechanisms and formulation strategies without systematic review methodology or primary human data.
PubMed 41346669 · doi:10.3389/fnut.2025.1646750
What was done
This narrative review summarizes the concepts, dietary and host determinants, and technological strategies related to micronutrient bioavailability in humans based on existing literature.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative numbers or statistical results. It qualitatively describes that specific nutrient forms (such as calcifediol compared to cholecalciferol, and methylfolate compared to folic acid), dietary co-factors (fat for fat-soluble vitamins), and supplementation/fortification formats generally match or exceed the bioavailability of nutrients naturally present in food. It also notes that plant antinutrients (phytate, fiber), aging, dysbiosis, and certain medications impair absorption, while technologies such as permeation enhancers, lipid formulations, encapsulation, and phytase can improve delivery.
Why it matters
Synthesizes mechanistic and formulation factors that govern micronutrient absorption, informing supplementation and food fortification approaches to address global deficiencies.
Limits
The paper is a narrative review presenting broad conceptual summaries rather than a systematic review or meta-analysis. The abstract provides no primary data, sample sizes, or quantitative comparisons of clinical efficacy.
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