Dietary supplements are created to provide nutrition for the human body. The supplement dosage forms is one of the key factors affecting the effect of dietary supplements. There’s the study showing that dosage form has also become one of the main considerations for many consumers to purchase dietary supplements.
The development of supplements in the market depends on consumers’ eating habits and preferences, so the dosage form has evolved into a variety of common dosage forms such as tablets, soft and hard capsules, powders, oral liquids, and pills. According to different taking needs and customer groups, there are also choices of granules, teas, ointments, beverages, and wines.
What Is the Best Supplement Dosage Forms?
The ever-changing supplement dosage forms of dietary supplements can easily make people wonder which one is best for them? First, when choosing a supplement product, you need to consider the dosage form’s potency and absorption rate, and then maybe depends on your personal needs, lifestyle, and preferences. Additionally, it is most professional to consult directly with a healthcare provider or nutritionist. Whether you can buy the supplement that’s right for you usually requires a combination of internal and external factors, and it’s necessary to understand some basic knowledge about supplement dosage forms.
Capsules
Multivitamin in capsule form such as hard gelatin capsules and soft gelatin capsules have always been the domain of gelatin – and still are. Consumer demand for non-animal products continues to increase, but the gelatin market remains active and dominant due to its unique physical properties, including thermoreversibility and pH-independent gelation, which are currently unmatched by plant-based ingredients.
Pros:
- Freely ingredients formulation
- Able to block the taste of contents and make it easy to swallow
- Capsule shell is specially treated to prevent the technical ingredients from being destroyed by digestive enzymes in the body
Cons:
- Filling capacity is limited
- Vegetarians or people prone to allergies need to pay attention to the ingredients of the capsule shell
Tablets
Tablets are formed by compressing a mixture of the dried ingredient powder and excipients into solid shapes, which can be tailored into various sizes and configurations based on requirements. Tablet supplements are also a very common dosage form just like capsules, they are easy to be packaged and come in a variety of packaging types. Tablets are also not easily destroyed and have a wide range of storage conditions. The raw ingredients used to make tablets can be single or composite, such as various vitamin tablets. From a bioavailability perspective, tablets are not considered to be the best form for people to absorb nutrients compared to liquids or powders, so we don’t have to stick to one form of supplement and can choose a better formula.
Pros:
- Tablet manufacturing cost low
- Ingredients are not easily limited by capacity
- Can be made into various shapes and sizes
Cons:
- Special taste cannot be concealed
- Difficulty swallowing compared to capsules
Liquids
Liquid dietary supplements have great flexibility in formulation to meet different nutritional and taste requirements. For example, there are liquid multivitamins, herbal extracts liquid, liquid omega-3 fish oil, etc. In addition, the advantage of liquid is that it is absorbed extremely quickly and does not need to be broken down in the digestive system to absorb nutrients. However, liquid supplements may be more susceptible to degradation over time than solid forms such as tablets or capsules, including but not limited to exposure to light, air, or improper storage conditions.
Pros:
- Friendly for swallowing
- Ingredients are absorbed faster than capsules and tablets
- Ingredients are not limited by volume
- Can be made into various flavors
Cons:
- Shelf life may be affected by moisture content
- Flavoring ingredients may be added for additional sugar intake
Powders
Powdered supplements also offer a lot of flexibility, it mainly reflected in their ability to blend well with other dosage forms and the possibility of creating flavor surprises. Powders are one of the quickest ways for people to get their nutrients in a simple form, such as high protein whey powder for post-workout or pre-workout powder. Storage conditions of powders are relatively good compared to liquids. As long as they are kept sealed in a cool, dry place, they are not easily degraded.
Pros:
- Simple process, no high temperature and high pressure steps
- Helps preserve the activity of ingredients
- Larger serving size and easy to carry
- Faster absorbed by the body
- Suitable for people who have difficulty swallowing capsules and tablets
Cons:
- Limited storage options for ingredients
- More inconvenient to brew and eat
- Contains more artificial flavors
Gummies
Functional gummies are becoming a hot trend in the supplement market. When gummies were first introduced to the market, they were marketed as an easily digestible delivery vehicle for children. They have since expanded to the adult market, covering a wider range of nutritional categories.
Traditional gummy supplements are made with gelatin, but new plant-based gummies can meet the needs of vegetarians. Although plant-based ingredients offer a lot of options, custom gummy manufacturer also needs to adjust processing time and temperature to avoid ingredients such as vitamins and minerals that affect the gelling process. Different from soft candies that belong to snacks, supplement soft candies require the application of special soft candy equipment and technology.
Pros:
- Easy chewing and swallowing
- Ingredients are absorbed quickly
- Evenly distributed ingredients
- Variety of flavors
Cons:
- Artificial colors and flavors added
- Low content of active ingredients
In conclusion, when considering a dosage form of supplement, you should first determine your own purpose of why having it, to increase body energy, or to supplement certain deficient nutrients, or to establish a long-term healthy lifestyle. After determining the purpose, compare the products of various supplement brands to see which ingredients included can meet your needs, and lastly choose your favorite dosage form and flavor.
The most important thing to avoid is to buy supplements without knowing the truth and blindly follow the trend. There are many real snacks on the market that are disguised as health products, and there are also “fake snacks” that hide the effects of medicines. If you lack knowledge in this area, you can seek help from a professional nutritionist or doctor.
Find Out Supplement Dosage Forms Capability at Innova Nutra
Why is Innova Nutra able to create your own supplement brand? This originates from our core production strength – professional equipment. As a branch business of SED Pharma, Innova has a strong support system of the own equipment system. SED has more than 20 years of experience in equipment engineering and development, producing unique supplement manufacturing equipment according to the needs of industry and meeting various international standards. Contact us now for free quote of our supplement production solutions!