GLOSSARY

Bile Acids groups bile-acid species, without the plural creating a separate per-meal nutritional requirement.

The liver produces bile, while the gallbladder stores and concentrates some of it and contracts after meals to aid delivery. Bile is not a digestive enzyme, but supports fat processing and absorption. Gallbladder removal does not stop liver bile production. Discomfort after a fatty meal does not alone establish obstruction or deficiency, and digestive anatomy should not be used to justify unassessed bile supplements.

Primary bile acids are made in the liver; intestinal microbes can convert them into secondary forms. Conjugation with glycine or taurine produces conjugated species, while bile-salt terminology concerns ionic forms and counterions. These related terms should not be presented as unrelated nutrients. Pool size and composition reflect synthesis, recycling and loss rather than a separate dietary requirement for every named form.

Much intestinal bile acid is reabsorbed, particularly in the terminal ileum, and returns through portal blood to the liver. Enterohepatic cycling enables reuse rather than complete disposal and replacement after every meal. Terminal intestinal disease or surgery can disrupt this cycle. Symptoms and fat absorption then need clinical assessment; the mechanism does not imply that healthy athletes should routinely replace bile acids with supplements.