How are Vitamins Absorbed in the Body?

It’s early in the morning. You’ve rolled out of bed and found yourself brushing your teeth. Your mind starts to wander as your brain begins to wake up… How are vitamins absorbed in the body, anyways? Where are vitamins absorbed after I’ve taken them? Such deep thoughts for the crack of dawn. Since you clearly ordered curiosity with your coffee this AM, here’s your morning brew. 

Vitamins are miniscule organic substances that make a big difference in your body’s daily function. Without them, you will become malnourished. With them, you stay healthy. Let’s start with the basics of vitamins and end with a complete picture of how vitamins are absorbed.

What are vitamins?

Vitamins are either fat soluble (Vitamins A, D, E or K) or water soluble (Vitamins B and C). Fat soluble vitamins will stay in your body, while water soluble vitamins, absorbed immediately, are excreted in your urine when you consume an excess.

Vitamins and minerals are found in food, plants and supplements and are necessary for optimal body function. According to Livestrong, vitamins are organic and created naturally by plants, animals and/or humans. Minerals are inorganic and occur naturally in soil and water. Plants will absorb minerals via their roots, and some animals also eat plants. You can absorb some vitamins and minerals by consuming both plants and animal products.

Where are Vitamins Absorbed?

When you swallow a vitamin, it immediately enters the digestive system. With the help of hydrochloric acid and other enzymes in the stomach, the vitamins and nutrients are released from its carrier (food or pill) and the pancreas will release bile to assist the digestion process. The vitamins then move on to the small intestine, and then into your blood. These vitamins absorbed into your bloodstream are then passed to the liver. If the vitamins are needed immediately, or if they can be stored for later use. Excess vitamins absorbed will be passed through to your kidneys and then released through urine.

Are My Vitamins Absorbed Properly and Efficiently?

To make sure your vitamins are absorbed properly, take care of the organs that aid in absorption. Avoid excessive alcohol use, which can damage the liver, stomach and intestines. Because of the liver’s involvement in vitamin absorption, many alcoholics suffer from low levels of folate and biotin, to name a few. 

Some digestive or intestinal disorders speed up your digestion. If you suffer from one of these, take note of the vitamins you’re ingesting as these vitamins absorbed might not be processed thoroughly due to your rapid digestive system.

How are Vitamins Absorbed?

Some vitamins absorbed by your body help others get absorbed better. For example, calcium relies on vitamin D in order to be absorbed. On the flip side, some vitamins can be toxic when taken together. For example, copper and zinc will compete with each other in the body, so if your body experiences an increase in zinc, the copper will have fewer places to absorb in the small intestine. This Harvard Health study explains how different vitamins work together in your body.

The percentage of the vitamin actually absorbed by the body is dependent on many factors including the vitamin itself, your age, how much of the vitamin your body needs due to your individual biomechanic needs (like pregnancy or growth in children) and even time of day. Optimize your body for vitamin absorption by eating well, sleeping well, caring for your body, and taking your vitamins at a consistent time daily. 

A little hint: our vitamin patches are the easiest way to stay consistent, even when you’re traveling!

What form of vitamin is best absorbed?

Now that you know how vitamins are absorbed, what’s the best form to ingest? WebMD recommends food and diet as the best form. But with busy work, life and social schedules, it’s not always possible to eat a variety of foods in order to reach the daily recommended value of each vitamin. Therefore, we have to take matters into our own hands -- or skin -- to supplement your diet.

Safe, easy and effective, OnMi vitamin patches have no added sugar, artificial colors or other harmful ingredients that can be found in vitamins and supplements in pill form. Vitamin patches are also much easier to use than taking pills, as no uncomfortable swallowing is needed. Simply place the transdermal patch on your skin and let it do its thing, while you carry on with life.

Do vitamin patches work the same way as vitamins in pill form?

Vitamins absorbed through your skins are just as effective as those in pill form,  but with the added benefit of avoiding the nuisance of pill-swallowing to get all of the necessary daily vitamins and minerals. OnMi vitamin patches work the same way as vitamins in pill form, helping you absorb vitamins and nutrients but through a simple skin sticker, all day long, without having to chase large pills with your morning (or nighttime) beverage.

Your skin is porous, which means it can absorb things. This means that vitamins placed on the skin’s surface are vitamins absorbed directly and effectively into the bloodstream. Furthermore, patches are safer, more comfortable to use, and generate less medical waste than injections or IVs. They’re also much easier to use than swallowing multiple pills a day. They are easy to apply, can be used for longer periods of time, and are generally inexpensive when compared to other methods of vitamin-taking.

A good place to start is the OnMi multivitamin, which provides four different vitamins for healthy daily living. By applying one patch every morning, you’ll reap the necessary benefits of:

• Vitamin B1: Also known as Thiamin, Vitamin B1 helps speed the generation of energy.
• Vitamin B6: A potent antioxidant essential for cellular function.
• Vitamin A: Important for vision and crucial for immune response.
• Vitamin D: Regulates calcium and phosphate for healthy bones, teeth, and muscles.

Ready to try OnMi patches for yourself? It’s as easy as peel, stick, remove, repeat. So save space in the bathroom vanity and replace the horse pills with a patch! Shop all of our patches for any of life’s needs such as energy, relief, sleep or daily support.