A method of these teachings for designing foods in order to improve the bioavailability of orally administered bioactive agents, the method including designing a food matrix, the food matrix not having bioactivity above its normal nutritional function, that increases bioavailability of a predetermined pharmaceutical or nutraceutical by at least one of facilitating the release and solubilization of bioactive agents in the predetermined pharmaceutical or nutraceutical, altering the absorption of lipophilic bioactive agents in the predetermined pharmaceutical or nutraceutical when co-ingested, or interfering with chemical transformations that occur within gastrointestinal tract (GIT) or after absorption the food matrix being co-ingested with the predetermined pharmaceutical or nutraceutical or ingested at a specified time soon before or after the pharmaceutical or nutraceutical.