The amount of time, and the rate, a drug, substance, or compound is absorbed into the bloodstream, and how much is excreted with effect. The higher the bioavailability, the better, in most cases.
An Example of Bioavailability
Bioavailability is the measurement of how well a substance is absorbed by your body. It’s often used to measure the amount of active ingredients in a drug, food, or plant.
In order to understand bioavailability, it helps to think about how your body deals with food. The part of each bite you choose not to digest passes through your digestive system and ends up in your colon. From there, it gets flushed out with the rest of your waste.
But what if you’re taking something that’s not meant for digestion? What if it’s meant to go straight into your bloodstream, like an insulin shot or an antibiotic? How much of it will actually make its way into your bloodstream? That’s where bioavailability comes in.