Do you eat a balanced diet but still feel fatigued, experience digestive issues, or have other unexplained health problems like brain fog and cramps? The culprit might be hidden in plain sight: nutrient malabsorption.
Malabsorption isn’t just a problem among the elderly or those with digestive disorders. Despite eating a nutritious diet, your body can struggle to properly absorb and utilize the essential vitamins and minerals in your healthy foods for several reasons—meaning some of your healthy eating efforts may ultimately go to waste.
Here, we’ll explore key signs that suggest you’re not absorbing nutrients effectively and offer tips to help improve your gut health so that you can receive optimal nourishment from all those nutritious meals.
- ABOUT OUR EXPERTS: Dr. Daniel Nuzum, N.D., is a naturopathic doctor and gut expert. Lacy Pottuck, R.D.N., is a registered dietitian with Top Nutrition Coaching.
Your Gut: Central HQ for Nutrient Absorption
Achieving the full benefits of a nutritious diet hinges on efficient nutrient absorption, which all comes down to your gut.
Your gut isn’t just a passageway for food but the central hub where the magic of nutrient absorption unfolds. In your gut, every morsel you eat undergoes an extensive process that transforms food into vital energy and various building blocks essential for your health, explains Dr. Daniel Nuzum, N.D., a naturopathic doctor and gut expert.
Nutrient absorption is a complex process that occurs primarily in the small intestine and involves the breakdown of food into its smaller nutrients, which are then absorbed through the intestinal lining and into the bloodstream for use throughout the body, Nuzum says. Several factors influence this nutrient breakdown and absorption process, including the production of digestive enzymes, stomach acid, and bile, gut flora health, and intestinal lining function and integrity.
Contributors To Poor Nutrient Absorption
According to Nuzum, a few different factors can negatively impact the gut and, consequently, lead to poor nutrient absorption:
- Digestive ailments: Perhaps somewhat obvious, known digestive conditions like celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can impair nutrient absorption due to dysbiosis (an imbalance of microbes in the gut), inflammation, or damage to the intestinal lining (a.k.a. leaky gut). A healthy gut lining is key for proper absorption, yet many people struggle with leaky gut and other digestive issues, Nuzum says.
- Low stomach acid: Inadequate production of stomach acid (or hypochlorhydria) can hinder the breakdown of food and subsequent absorption of nutrients like vitamin B12, iron, and calcium, explains Nuzum. This is why he’s a big fan of using digestive enzymes for extra support.
- Certain medications: Some drugs, including proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), antacids, antibiotics, and laxatives, can disrupt gut flora and mess with nutrient absorption and metabolism.
- Age: Aging is associated with a natural decline in the production of digestive enzymes and stomach acid, which can ultimately impact the absorption of some nutrients—especially when in combination with factors like the use of medications.
- Stress: Chronic stress can negatively impact digestion in several ways, such as by contributing to damage to the intestinal epithelial barrier and altering acid production and gut motility. Stress also tends to lead to poor food choices, which not only means lower nutrient intake but can also exacerbate damage to the gut.
Other potential factors include infections and viruses, food allergies or intolerances, surgery or trauma to the digestive organs, or conditions like cystic fibrosis.
Are You Absorbing Nutrients Well?
Constantly tired, bloated to the point of looking pregnant, or struggling with headaches? These are just a few symptoms that can signal nutrient deficiencies, which can pop up if your body fails to make the best use of the foods you eat (even healthy ones!), suggests Lacy Pottuck, R.D.N., a registered dietitian with Top Nutrition Coaching.
According to Pottuck and Nuzum, signs of poor nutrient absorption can include:
- Persistent fatigue: Despite adequate sleep and a balanced diet, ongoing fatigue can indicate deficiencies in nutrients like iron, B vitamins, or magnesium related to poor nutrient absorption.
- Digestive issues: Symptoms such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, or constipation often signal digestive roadblocks and inefficiencies that hinder nutrient uptake.
- Brittle and thinning hair, dry skin, and weak nails: These issues can result from inadequate absorption of vitamins and minerals needed to maintain healthy hair and skin, such as vitamin C, biotin, and zinc.
- Muscle weakness: Insufficient intake or absorption of electrolytes (think calcium, potassium, and magnesium) can lead to muscle weakness, cramping, or spasms.
- Brain fog: Cognitive symptoms—such as brain fog, difficulty concentrating, memory problems, or mood swings—are sometimes caused by deficiencies in nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, or B vitamins.
- Documented nutrient deficiencies: Of course, healthcare providers can test for a number of nutrient deficiencies via bloodwork and other methods. If you’re eating plenty of foods rich in nutrients your labs suggest you’re short on, signs point to an absorption issue.
Tips for Enhancing Nutrient Absorption
To help maximize the benefits of your diet by supporting nutrient absorption, try these strategies:
1. Eat digestion-friendly foods and balanced meals
A good rule of thumb for more effective digestion: “Stick with foods that are minimally processed or not processed at all,” says Pottuck. “The more processed a food is, the harder the gut and liver work to ‘unprocess’ it.”
Otherwise, include plenty of easy-to-digest foods like cooked vegetables, soups, smoothies, and fermented foods (e.g., yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut) to support digestion and enhance nutrient uptake, she recommends.
Read More: The Best And Worst Foods To Eat If You Suffer From IBS
It’s also best to balance carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats in your meals and overall diet to maximize essential nutrient intake and promote healthy nutrient absorption, Pottuck says. You see, fat-soluble vitamins (like vitamins E, D, K, and A) require fat (such as olive oil or avocado) to be absorbed properly. Don’t skimp on any of these macronutrients; each has something to offer.
2. Consider digestive enzyme supplements
Supplementing with digestive enzymes can aid in the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, particularly among people with conditions like pancreatic insufficiency or enzyme deficiencies, but also among those with ongoing signs of nutrient deficiencies, says Nuzum. If your digestion is off and you’re feeling the consequences, trying digestive enzymes is one of the first steps Nuzum suggests taking to get your system back on track. This guide to digestive enzymes can give you some more information, but, for now, know that a multi-enzyme supplement that contains proteases, amylases, and lipases to break down all three macronutrients is the way to go.
3. Take care of your gut with probiotics
Both Nuzum and Pottock suggest incorporating probiotics (beneficial bacteria) and prebiotics (the fiber that feeds gut bacteria) into your diet and/or supplement routine to support a healthy gut microbiome, which is typically a necessary move when you’re not absorbing nutrients well. Nuzum recommends starting with improving your diet and taking digestive enzymes before beginning probiotics for the greatest effects.
For the best absorption, both experts suggest taking probiotics on an empty stomach (e.g. first thing in the morning).
4. Choose bioavailable Supplements
Whether you already take other supplements or choose to add any based on specific nutritional deficiencies, Pottuck recommends opting for bioavailable forms that are easily absorbed and utilized by the body. Opt for methylated B vitamins, chelated minerals like zinc and iron, magnesium glycinate, and liposomal forms of nutrients such as vitamin C.
Additionally, “chewable or liquid forms are sometimes better absorbed, especially by people with digestive issues,” she says. When in doubt, check in with a nutritionist or healthcare provider for guidance.
5. Pay attention to supplement combining and timing
“Timing of micronutrients can benefit absorption; for example, iron should be taken on an empty stomach with a little vitamin C,” says Pottuck.
However, taking too many supplements at a time can be a problem, she says. For example, large amounts of some minerals can block the absorption of others, so try to take minerals like copper and zinc at different times of the day.
6. Stay hydrated
Drinking enough water throughout the day supports digestion, elimination, detoxification, and nutrient transport, Nuzum says. In fact, it’s a necessity for the absorption of water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C and B vitamins, says Pottuck. “Nutrients have a variety of absorptive pathways depending on their type, and some vitamins are best absorbed when you are well hydrated as they are carried in on water molecules,” she explains. “Dehydration affects not only the absorption of these nutrients but also their utilization.”
Read More: 7 Signs You’re Dehydrated
Nuzum recommends avoiding sugary drinks and alcohol and drinking filtered water, herbal tea, and seltzer instead.
7. Manage stress
If you suspect that a stressful lifestyle is affecting your digestion, commit to techniques like mindfulness, yoga, deep breathing, and regular exercise, suggests Nuzum. These can all help you feel calmer and promote optimal digestion when practiced consistently.
8. Monitor your reactions to medications
Though it might be easiest to remember to take your medication if you pop it alongside all of your supplements, certain prescription meds can impact nutrient absorption, including that from supplements, says Pottuck. Have a chat with your doctor about any potential nutrient-blocking your medications might do—and whether you can explore alternatives or switch up your timing for better effects.