[Absorption and malabsorption of vitamins (author's transl)].

Vitamins are absorbed by different mechanisms ranging from simple diffusion for most of the water soluble vitamins to more complex processes in the case of vitamin B12, folate, and the fat soluble vitamins. These processes are discussed. Malabsorptive disorders result in significant deficiency of only these latter vitamins which require specialized digestive or transport mechanisms. The underlying disease also determines which, if any, deficiency is likely to occur. The effects of different types of pancreatic, biliary, and intestinal disease on vitamin absorption are discussed.