What is the Best Way to Take Supplements?

Capsules, Tablets, Soft Gels, Powders, Gummies, Liquids

Is One Method Really Better?

Different people have different preferred methods of ‘taking their medicine’. There are numerous factors that influence these preferences such as age, ability to swallow, ability to tolerate bitter tastes, and sensitivity to different textures in one’s mouth. Younger children often have not developed the controlled reflexes to swallow many supplements in tablet and capsule form. They most often prefer a liquid or chewable. People with health or developmental issues that impact the ability to swallow may too find the need for liquids or chewables.

People of all ages and abilities have different tolerance levels for the tastes of supplements which can be quite bitter. For those with a low threshold to these tastes, Capsules, Tablets or Soft Gels may be preferred. Others may prefer a gummy which masks the bitter taste, often with added sugar. The same is true for many of the children’s liquid products on the market. Many people when given the choice between a capsule, tablet or soft gel, often choose the soft gel simply for its smooth, curved shape and ease in swallowing.

Still others have long held beliefs in the efficacy of one form over another. You may have heard it said that tablets are not as good as capsules or soft gels because they don’t fully dissolve in your body before they pass through your digestive tract. The answer to this issue is complex and is often influenced on the quality of the product you purchase as well as the health of your digestive tract.

Is there really a ‘best’ choice for how to ingest a supplement, or does it all boil down to customer preference?

Well, as with many complex choices, it really depends on a number of important factors such as:

●What supplement do you need to take, and in what form is it readily available? Different supplements are sometimes only available in one form (powder vs liquid) which influences how they have to be ‘contained’. Capsules cannot hold liquid supplements since they do not create a fully sealed environment. Some supplements tend to be more effective if dissolved in the intestine rather than the stomach, or vice versa. Supplements are often made a certain way to dissolve at a certain rate or place in the digestive tract so that they can achieve their optimal effectiveness.
●How many different medicinal substances are contained in the product, as multi-substance supplements digest differently than those with only a single substance?
●What dosage is needed for a given supplement? Certain supplement containment modalities are more limited by space than others.
●How fast do you need the supplement (or medicine) to begin ‘working’? Do you have a headache, or are you trying to absorb extra nutrients into your body? Your answer makes a difference in how the product is made.
●Over what period of time do you need the supplement or medicine to continue working? Do you need all the power of your supplement/medicine at one time, or spread out over a longer period of time?

In addition to individual personal preferences there are specific reasons why supplement manufacturers use so many varied modalities to disseminate their supplements. It is important to understand these reasons when making your supplement choices.

The remainder of this article lays out the pros and cons of each supplement dissemination method in the hopes of offering you some additional information for the next time you are supplement shopping.

DIFFERENT SUPPLEMENT MODALITIES

Tablets are also available scored which make them easy to use for dose splitting when desired.
Tablets lend themselves well to the addition of controlled release agents which can aid in specific nutrient uptake. Lower cost coatings are also available for tablets when enteric (intestinal) delivery is needed. Overall, tablets can easily be controlled for quick, delayed and extended release options.

Drawbacks: Large tablets can be hard for some people to swallow (but they can be crushed just before use). Tablets do not offer the same level of dosing flexibility that liquids and powders do. Lower quality tablets may have poorer disintegration in the GI tract than other modalities. The process of compressing tablets so that all the various contents are of equal size and shape, also known as the granulation technique, can add unwanted heat/moisture to components. Some people have sensitivities to the coatings used in tablets, or may prefer not to consume some of the ingredients used to make tablet coatings and internal binders.

Drawbacks: Capsules cost more than tablets and have significant space and potency limitations since their powdered contents cannot be compressed to a significant degree. Bulky supplement materials can result in larger capsule sizes which can be more difficult to swallow. Since capsules are not air-tight, their shelf-life is shorter than tablets. Certain supplement ingredients can also interact with the capsule shell. Testing has also shown that variation in capsule fill volume does occur.

Soft gels also offer good protection for more sensitive ingredients and are able to offer oil and fat-soluble nutrient delivery.

Drawback: Soft gel manufacturing is specialized and considerably more expensive than tablets or capsules, and therefore soft gel products often cost more. Soft gel contents are restricted to a tight pH range.

However, liquids do offer a greater flexibility with dosing and are very easy for most people, especially children and the elderly, to take.

Drawbacks: Liquid supplements are always more expensive, and their shelf life is shorter than with other formats. They are heavier to transport. They are not portable like capsules and tablets. They often require refrigeration. Many contain flavoring and other ingredients that should be avoided.

As many supplement users have discovered, there is not always one ‘best’ modality for ‘taking our medicine’. The best choice will depend on many different factors: what supplements we need to take, our age, our ability to swallow, our budget, the brands we trust and more. Fortunately, supplement manufacturing has improved a great deal in the past few decades, offering us more delivery options as well as greater safety, uniform dosing, extended release and improved digestibility. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each delivery option offers you greater certainty of what you are consuming and greater authority in knowing you have made a good choice when purchasing supplements.

Sources:
coopercomplete.com/blog/supplement-forms-is-one-form-better/
www.nowfoods.com/now/nowledge/tablet-vs-capsule-controversy-which-better
shop.drrath.com/pages/tablets-vs-capsules

RECIPES FOR A SMOOTH TRANSITION TO AUTUMN

As tomatoes and zucchinis make their last hoorah for this summer, and cooler nights have you craving comfort food again, these three recipes might just hit the spot.

Directions

1. Place the carrots in a small, loosely covered microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high until beginning to soften, about 90 seconds. If you don’t use a microwave, boil the carrots for about 7 minutes or sauté for about 12 minutes.
2. Place the oil in your largest skillet or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sauté the zucchini until it is tender. Add the carrots and all the remaining ingredients (chickpeas, salt, cinnamon, cumin, mint, ras el hanout, Aleppo pepper, tomato paste, lemon zest, and lemon juice). Add 1/2 cup water and mix thoroughly. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Taste and adjust seasoning. It will probably need more salt, and you may want to amp up the spices, depending on your taste. Serve hot, garnishing with parsley if you desire.

Directions

1. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts and set aside.
2. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add chicken, cover pan, and cook for about 10 minutes. Flip chicken breasts and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked thoroughly (or has reached an internal temp of 165°F).
3. Remove chicken and place on a plate and cover with foil. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to sauté pan. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant, scraping up all the little bits of chicken left in the pan.
4. Add tomatoes and continue sautéing until tomatoes skin starts to soften/wrinkle, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil and quickly place chicken back in pan. Top each chicken breast with 2 slices of mozzarella.
5. Cover pan with lid and let the mozzarella melt, about 1-2 minutes. Drizzle with a splash of balsamic vinegar and serve immediately!

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. To make the garlic parmesan cream sauce, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
3. Gradually whisk in chicken broth, thyme and basil. Cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and Parmesan until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more heavy cream as needed; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Spread 1 cup garlic parmesan cream sauce onto the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish; set aside.
5. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions; drain well.
6. In a large bowl, combine chicken or tofu, ricotta, pesto and 1 cup mozzarella; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
7. Lay lasagna noodles flat and spread 1/3 cup ricotta mixture evenly along each noodle. Roll up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish; repeat with remaining noodles and filling. Top with remaining garlic parmesan cream sauce and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella.*
8. Place into oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lasagna rolls are heated through and the cheese is beginning to brown.
9. Serve immediately.

TO FREEZE: Cover lasagna roll ups tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. To bake, remove plastic wrap, cover and bake for 90 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until completely cooked through.

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