March 12, 2026Wellness

How Bioavailability Highlights Supplement Quality

Shoden Ashwagandha - A scientific guide to maximised health benefits with Shoden

Bioavailability: The Ultimate Scrutinising Scientific Parameter

Ever wondered why the same ingredients provide varied results with different health supplements? What should we consider to be an effective formulation when ingredients are similar in the majority of health supplements? The key factor is bioavailability – a scientific parameter ensuring that our body receives the complete power of bioactives, providing complete absorption and higher efficacy. In simple terms, we can consider it as a measure of quantifying drug absorption because bioavailability is the extent to which absorption occurs. Now if a bioactive is not bioavailable then it will not be absorbed completely thus being absent for utilization in the bloodstream to actually give the required benefits. Our metabolism, digestive health as well as formulations decide if a product is able to deliver the complete benefits it promises.

What is bioavailability? How does it affect Product Formulation?

In scientific language, bioavailability is known as the extent to which a substance becomes completely available to its target biological destination. As discussed above, bioavailability measures the rate and extent of a drug’s absorption when the target organs have unlimited access to the drug or substance. Enhancing a product's bioavailability is very important during formulation, as it plays a critical role in achieving the drug's therapeutic effects. Considering the recent bio-individuality of patients and drug dose optimisation, understanding bioavailability has become a priority in the current scenario, as absorption and metabolism rates vary from person to person (Stielow et al., 2023).

Factors affecting Bioavailability of a Bioactive

Major parameters affecting bioavailability involve route of administration and dose of the product (Price and Patel, 2023). These properties of a dosage form are dependent on the design as well as the manufacturing or extraction procedure. Apart from drug doses, various other parameters like route of administration, physicochemical properties as well as pharmacokinetic factors like first pass metabolism are important as well. Considering Ayurvedic science, Ayurveda focuses on the ancient system of holistic health providing effective ingredients for enhancing bioavailability, ensuring that these formulations reach their target tissues with the highest potency and efficacy.

How Bioavailability Highlights Supplement Quality 1

How Shoden Ashwagandha promises highest bioavailability

The chemical form in which the bio actives are present often determines its effective pharmacokinetic and dynamic properties, ensuring the highest potency. Clinical studies have shown that aglycones form in which withanolides are present have a short half-life causing quick elimination from the body and so higher doses of withanolides are needed. Shoden Ashwagandha, having 35% withanolide glycosides slowly release these aglycons for a prolonged effect ensuring the highest availability of the product.

Now let us understand a comparative discussion of Shoden Ashwagandha with other products having lower percentages of withanolides. In a double blinded study in healthy adults with comparative withanolide extracts, it shows that Shoden Ashwagandha was better than these products in terms of pharmacokinetic parameters like bioavailability, Cmax and half-life times (Kim et al.). The HPLC profile also revealed that these withanolide glycosides provides higher levels of aglycones in the plasma where Shoden contains highest concentration of withanolides. Overall, the results of this study showed that Shoden Ashwagandha increased bioavailability, showing a longer half-life with release of aglycones. Also, Shoden group showed more contents of withanolide serum contents at a low dose of 60 ng/ml within 4 hours.