Bioavailability of Phytomicronutrients: Mechanisms Involved and Improvement Strategies

Phytomicronutrients, including carotenoids, phenolic compounds, and phytosterols, exhibit highly variable bioavailability due to factors such as food matrix composition, meal nutrient content, and individual genetic differences. This review outlines the intestinal absorption mechanisms, highlights key modulators of uptake, and presents recent findings on genetic variants that affect inter-individual absorption variability. It then discusses targeted strategies, including nanoparticle encapsulation, to improve phytomicronutrient bioavailability, suggesting promising avenues for enhancing uptake, pending confirmation of resultant health benefits.