Gut health and absorption: getting more from your food and your supplements

What you swallow isn't automatically what your body uses. Nutrients have to be released from food, absorbed through the gut wall and carried to where they're needed. The good news is that a few simple habits make a difference.

Your gut does the heavy lifting

Most nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine. Further along, in the large intestine, trillions of bacteria break down the fibre we eat. That's one reason dietitians talk so much about fibre.

Fibre: the UK's biggest gap

The British Dietetic Association says adults should aim for around 30g of fibre a day, but the average UK adult eats about 18g. Wholegrains, beans, lentils, peas, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables all count. Increase it slowly and drink plenty of fluid, because fibre draws water into the bowel.

Simple swaps: wholemeal bread instead of white, a handful of nuts as a snack, beans or lentils in a soup or chilli, and potatoes with the skin on.

Fat-soluble nutrients need a meal

Vitamins A, D, E and K dissolve in fat, and so do omega-3 fats. Taking vitamin D or fish oil with a meal that contains some fat, rather than on an empty stomach, makes sense. A study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found more vitamin D3 was absorbed when it was taken with a meal containing fat.

Minerals and timing

Magnesium is best taken with food, which can also help avoid an upset stomach. Food Standards Scotland says taking 400mg or less of magnesium supplements a day is unlikely to cause harm, and that high doses can cause diarrhoea.

Some medicines and nutrients get in each other's way. Magnesium can reduce the absorption of some antibiotics (tetracyclines and quinolones), osteoporosis tablets (bisphosphonates) and levothyroxine, so take them a few hours apart. Some medicines, such as proton pump inhibitors for heartburn and some diuretics, can lower magnesium levels over time. Your pharmacist can tell you how to space your medicines and supplements.

When absorption is harder

People with coeliac disease, Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, and some older adults, may absorb certain nutrients less well. If that's you, talk to your GP or a registered dietitian before you start a supplement. They may suggest a blood test first.

How it fits together

Think of it in layers: a varied, fibre-rich diet first, then daylight and movement, and then, where there's a gap, a supplement taken the right way. All three MindTHS products are meant to be taken with food: Vitamin D3 + K2 with a meal, Fish Oil with a meal, and Magnesium Bisglycinate with food. Supplements complement a balanced diet. They don't replace it.