When you look through our range, you are sure of the term micellar technology
caught the eye. It plays a central role in our MyNatur products and is responsible, among other things, for the high effectiveness of our dietary supplements. But what is behind this process? We explain to you what micellar technology is all about and how it relates to the bioavailability of a substance.
What does the bioavailability say?
The bioavailability indicates to what extent and at what speed the body can absorb a certain substance. It is given in percent. Is a nutrient or active ingredient 100%
bioavailable, the body can optimally absorb and use it. How high the bioavailability of a substance is depends on several factors. Among other things, its molecular composition and the way it is taken are decisive.
A short digression on the nutrient intake of your body
Your body needs nutrients such as vitamins, trace elements and other substances for the body's own processes to run smoothly. For this reason, you should regularly consume foods and/or dietary supplements that have a high content of these substances. However, this alone is not always enough. Let’s take the phytochemical curcumin from turmeric as an example. It can promote the normal functioning of your digestive tract, relieve bloating and constipation, and inhibit inflammatory reactions in your body. However, these positive effects fizzle out even with high intakes, since your body excretes most of the curcumin unused.
This happens not only with curcumin, but also with vitamins D, E, A and K. The background is simple: these are fat-soluble substances with low bioavailability. In order to be able to absorb them, your body must first pack them in a shell. These shells are called micelles - from the Latin word "mica" for small lump. Fat-soluble substances can only pass through the cell membrane in the small intestine unhindered in the form of micelles. This "packaging" process is exhausting and time-consuming for your body, so only a small portion of the substance successfully penetrates the cell wall and ends up in the bloodstream. This is where micellar technology, based on this natural model, comes into play.
Micelles as a "taxi" for substances with low bioavailability
For many decades, scientists have been concerned with the question of how to increase the bioavailability of substances that are difficult to absorb. These efforts gave rise to micellar technology, which is primarily used in dietary supplements. The idea: The substance, which is difficult to absorb, is placed in a kind of "nutrient taxi" before it is taken orally in order to relieve the body of the strenuous task of forming micelles.
Micellar technology in dietary supplements simply explained:
- Fat-loving and water-loving phases are strung together.
- A micelle is formed – a small, spherical structure with a cavity and a water-soluble shell.
- A substance that is difficult to absorb, such as curcumin, is placed in the cavity.
- In this form, the substance reaches the small intestine without being broken down first.
- Thanks to the water-soluble shell, the micelle and its core easily pass through the membrane of the intestinal cells.
- Once in the bloodstream, the substance reaches all parts of the body.
Let's go back to the curcumin example. As a fat-soluble substance, your body can only absorb an average of 0.2% in its native form (powder or capsule). Packed in a micelle with a water-soluble shell, this proportion increases significantly, because the human body consists of 80% water. Studies show that this can increase absorption by 185-fold in the case of curcumin[1]. Further studies confirm this and record an increase in bioavailability from 0.2% to more than 90% [2]. How much the bioavailability of a dietary supplement increases through micelle technology depends on the substance in question.
Benefits of Micellar Technology Dietary Supplements
Of course, when you add a supplement to your diet, you want to feel the effects. It is therefore important that your body can optimally absorb the nutrients. In the case of nutrients that are difficult to absorb, this is ensured by the innovative micellar technology.
Benefits of micellar supplements inspired by nature:
- The micellar technology is based on an endogenous process.
- Dietary supplements with micellar technology can be absorbed more easily and to a greater extent by the body - the bioavailability increases.
- A higher proportion of the nutrient enters the bloodstream and reaches the regions where it is supposed to work.
- Micellar technology is free from undesirable side effects.
Another advantage of dietary supplements with micellar technology is the liquid dosage form, which is more convenient in terms of application than loose powder.
The micellar technology as the most effective method to increase bioavailability
There are other methods to increase the bioavailability of a substance. The best-known variants are liposome formation and the addition of piperine. They are also effective, but have significant disadvantages.
Differentiation between micelles, piperine and liposomes
Piperine is the main component of pepper. It is added to certain dietary supplements to make it easier for the body to absorb. In this isolated variant, it can lead to irritation in the gastrointestinal tract when consumed in high amounts. With liposomes, on the other hand, the disadvantage lies in the unstable shell, which often disintegrates before the substance arrives in the intestine. Compared to these variants, micellar technology is the best and most stable way to increase the bioavailability of a nutrient.
The importance of the emulsifier in micellar technology
Auxiliary substances are required for micelle formation – so-called emulsifiers. The body uses bile for this purpose. Various alternatives are available to manufacturers in the laboratory, such as polysorbate 80 or gum arabic. We use the latter in our dietary supplements with micellar technology, because gum arabic comes from the acacia tree and is therefore purely natural and well tolerated. This is different with the artificially produced emulsifier polysorbate 80 - it can have a negative effect on your intestinal flora.
Dietary supplements with micellar technology in your nutrition plan
Packing a fat-soluble substance into micelles enables your body to optimally absorb and utilize it. At the same time, this process is extremely complex. By taking hard-to-absorb nutrients as a dietary supplement with micellar technology, you relieve your organism of the arduous process of micelle formation. Your body benefits from a significantly higher proportion of the substance without having to increase the intake. For the best possible effect, you should choose micellar supplements with a short list of ingredients and natural emulsifiers. Also make sure to include the dietary supplement in a balanced, healthy diet plan.
Source studies:
1: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mnfr.201300724
2: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mnfr.202100613
