When you take any sort of compound or supplement, you expect all of it to get absorbed into your system—but that’s not always the case. The keys here are absorption and bioavailability. Bioavailability refers to the fraction of the supplement that actually reaches the site of action. Bioavailability for certain compounds and supplements can be low, so many of the active ingredients end up flushing out of your body.
 
Bioavailability is determined by various factors in formulation, design and personal physiology, but certain supplements, like AstraGin™, can improve absorption to ensure that you get the most out of what you put into your body.

 

Absorption and the Human Body

 

The small intestine is where most of your body’s absorption happens. It soaks in the electrolytes, fluids and nutrients you ingest. The insides of your small intestine are lined with a thin tissue called the epithelium, comprised of mucosal epithelial cells.

 

The epithelium is selective about what nutrients it takes in from the food and liquids that pass across the brush border membrane, which you can think of as a microscopic brush all along your intestinal walls. Nutrient transporting proteins within the brush border membrane increase, allowing for the absorption of nutrients and their circulation throughout your body.

 

Causes of Low Bioavailability

 

From the intestinal wall, any supplement or compound has to reach the liver before it can reach the bloodstream; however, first-pass metabolism is common in both the intestine and liver. This means that much of the compound already gets broken down before it can circulate through your system.

 

Many times, a supplement has low bioavailability because it doesn’t easily dissolve or has difficulty penetrating the epithelium. This reduces time spent at the absorption site. Other personal factors affecting bioavailability include:

 

• Age
• Physical activity
• Stress
• Previous surgery on the gastrointestinal tract
• Existing disorders (malabsorption syndrome, achlorhydria)

 

What Is AstraGin™?

 

AstraGin™ is an exclusive proprietary ingredient that is designed to boost the absorption of potassium, BCAA, amino acids and other vitamins and nutrients. It can improve bioavailability, ensuring that you get the right amount of nutrients in your bloodstream.

 

AstraGin™ is an all-natural ingredient derived from extracts of Astragalus membrenaceus and panax ginseng. Both are important foundational plants in traditional Chinese medicine with Astragalus membrenaceus considered one of the fifty fundamental herbs used in the ancient practice.

How AstraGin™ Works

 

Eight in-vivo studies and 12 in-vitro studies have found that AstraGin™ effectively increases the absorption rate of certain compounds and nutrients within the intestinal wall by increasing transporter proteins and mRNA molecules specifically involved in absorption. These molecules increase the amount of glucose, peptides and amino acids entering the intestinal cells.

 

Along with increasing absorption, AstraGin™ was also found to repair damaged intestinal walls in rats with colitis, a disorder defined by inflammation in the colon.

 

AstraGin™ can be found as an ingredient in several supplements, including mTOR PRO™. mTOR PRO™ can increase endurance and hydration, improve performance and enhance recovery by providing,  electrolytes and taurine with every serving.