The bloodstream is the fastest and most efficient way to get nutrients and pharmaceuticals directly to our cells. When we ingest supplements and medications through our digestive system or absorb through our skin, there is a lag time between when we ingest them and when they start taking effect. Their potency and rate of absorption, also known as bioavailability, can also be affected. Bioavailability often refers to the active amount of a compound in the blood stream as opposed to the amount originally ingested or put on the skin.

Each compound or substance will have its own rate of bioavailability, which will determine how much and how quickly it can be absorbed into a living system or made available at the desired site of activity. Humans are only able to absorb a tiny percentage (typically 1-5%) of the nutrients in the foods and supplements we eat. The rest is vaporized by our digestive system or sent to the liver and kidneys for processing and excretion.

To increase the bioavailability of useful compounds such as vitamins and medications, researchers created liposomes. Liposomes are tiny man-made bubbles made from the same materials as our cell membranes. They are typically created with two layers of phospholipids. They are used as tiny little delivery vehicles for compounds such as drugs, nutrients and vitamins, since our bodies recognize the liposomes as being made of the same stuff as our cells and won’t reject or destroy them even by stomach acid. By putting the compounds inside the liposome bubbles, our bodies can absorb up to 15 times more of whatever is carried inside.1

The amazing thing about liposomes is that they are both hydrophilic (water-loving) and hydrophobic (water-repelling). This makes them the perfect transporters inside our body since they are attracted to and can easily enter our cell’s water-based membranes and interiors.