Liquid Vitamins Are Destroyed by Stomach Acid?

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Title: Liquid Vitamins Are Destroyed by Stomach Acid?

Word Count: 708

Author: Weigum

Email: danweigum@...

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Liquid Vitamins Are Destroyed by Stomach Acid?

Copyright 2005 Weigum

A controversial subject has been the destruction of liquid

vitamins in the presence of stomach acid. Nutraceutical

supporters claim the simplified composition of a liquid

vitamin leaves the vital nutrients susceptible to damage

from strong stomach acid.

Our digestive system is an amazing nutrient processing

machine which is far more sophisticated than just a catch

container filled with hydrochloric acid and enzymes. There

are a plethora of events that take place during digestion.

Some examples of isolated nutrient digestion and absorption

can be helpful in determining whether vitamins and minerals

are destroyed during digestion.

A large majority of vitamin supplements contain Ascorbic

Acid; more commonly recognized as vitamin C. What happens

to ascorbic acid when it comes in contact with digestive

acids and enzymes?

Ascorbic acid resembles a monosaccharide. Its molecular

structure is made up of a five member, unsaturated lactone

ring with two hydroxyl groups. These molecular components

are attached to double bonded carbons. The molecular

structure of ascorbic acid is actually easily oxidized

during digestion. The oxidation process does not destroy

ascorbic acid (vitamin C) but simply changes the molecular

structure to dehydroascorbic acid. Both ascorbic acid and

dehydroascorbic acid are biologically effective as vitamin

C.

& #946;-carotene is commonly referred to as vitamin A.

& #946;-carotene is actual a biological precursor to vitamin

A. & #946;-carotene requires oxidation to become vitamin A

which is intern oxidized to form 11-cis-retinal in the

liver. 11-cis-retinal is vital to eyesight.

11-cis-retinal is isomerized within the rod cells of the

eye when exposed to visible light making vision possible.

This vital nutrient requires oxidation to convert to

11-cis-retinal.

Destruction of vitamins and minerals is not the purpose of

digestion. The conversion of vitamins and minerals into

usable, absorbable nutrients is the vital purpose of

digestion. Most ingested substances require some form of

digestion in order for the body to utilize the nutrient.

Digestion is very complex but a general idea of the process

can help describe methods to increase nutrient absorption

efficiency. Chewing of ingested material is the first

process which doesn’t apply to vitamin supplements.

Chewing pill form vitamins is not common and the need for

chewing a liquid vitamin is not necessary. Never the less,

chewing is the introductory process during digestion often

referred to as mechanical digestion. In the mouth,

ingested material’s surface area is increased, salivary

enzymes are introduced and ingested material is hydrated

with saliva. The material is swallowed and contained in

the stomach for approximately 2-4 hours. During this

period, the stomach introduces acid and enzymes which are

regulated by many enzymatic and hormonal signals during

digestion. After this process is complete, the digesting

material is allowed to enter the duodenum wear digestion is

completed and acidic material is neutralized by pancreatic

juices and bile secretion. Again, bile and pancreatic

juices are regulated by hormonal signaling. This process

prevents damage to the intestinal track during the

absorption process. If material hasn’t completely digested

by this time, absorption efficiency will be greatly

decreased and the material will be excreted. The material

is allowed to enter the small intestine where the majority

of absorption takes place. The remainder of the material

moves to the large intestine where water is still being

absorbed. The remaining waste enters the colon and finally

is excreted.

This process is time sensitive and requires a proper

sequence of events. If ingested material bypasses the

mechanical digestion process, chemical digestion has to

compensate and is limited to the surface area of the

ingested material. In this case, a pill form vitamin must

be digested completely into absorbable nutrients without

the increase in surface are or hydration-enzyme

introduction of saliva. This leads to inefficient

absorption rates of up to 30%. Liquid vitamin supplements

do not depend on mechanical digestion to be absorbed

properly increasing the absorption efficiency to

approximately 90%.

Digestion is not designed for destruction of vitamins and

minerals but simply a method the body uses to transform

nutrients into usable substances. The fewer steps required

to complete this process leads to a more efficient

absorption percentage. With the bodies need for vital

nutrients, the least that can be done is supplying a more

easily digested supply of vitamins and minerals.

About the Author:

Dan is a health conscious webmaster searching for answers

to health issues that affect everyone everyday. Learn more

about vitamin absorption and other health topics at

http://www.vitaminmaniac.com in the 'Health Blog and Facts'

section.