Buying Supplements

Common forms:  For most people, tablets and capsules are the most convenient form of supplement to take, bu there are other options as well.

Tablets:  Easily stored, tablets will generally keep longer than other supplement forms.  In addition to the vitamin itself, tablets often contain generally inert additives known as  excipients.  These compounds bind, preserve, or give bulk to the supplement, and helps tablets break down more quickly in the stomach.  Increasingly, supplements are available in capsule-shaped, easy-to-swallow tablets called "caplets."

Capsules:  The fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E, are typically packaged in "softgel" capsules.  Other vitamins
and minerals are processed into powders or liquids and then encapsulated.  Like tablets, capsules are easy to use and store.  They also tend to have fewer additives than tablets, and there is some evidence that they dissolve more readily (though this doesn't mean they are better absorbed by the body-just that they may be absorbed more quickly).

Powders:  People who find pills hard to swallow can use powders, which can be mixed into juice or water, or stirred into food.  (Ground seeds such as psyllium and flaxseed often come in powdered form.)  Powders also allow dosages to be adjusted easily.  Because they may have fewer binders or additives than  tablets or capsules, powders are useful for individuals who are allergic to certain substances.  In addition, powders are often cheaper than tablets or capsules.

Liquids:  Liquid formulas for oral use are easy to swallow and can be flavored.  Many children's formulas are in liquid form.  Some supplements (such as vitamin E) also come in liquids for applying topically to the skin.  Eye drops are another type of liquid.

Chewable:  Such supplements-usually packaged as flavored wafers-are particularly recommended for  those who have trouble getting pills down. 

Lozenges:  A number of supplements are available as lozenges or  drops that are intended to dissolve gradually in the mouth, either for ease of use or, in the case of zinc lozenges, to help in the treatment of colds and the flu.

Sublingual Tablets:  A few supplements, such as vitamin B12, are formulated to dissolve under the tongue, providing quick absorption into the bloodstream without interference from stomach acids and digestive enzymes.

Special formulations

You will usually pay more for a supplement if the label says "time-release" or "chelated."  Does it provide extra benefits?  Hardly ever, according to available data, and so paying more for this type of product is generally a waste of money.

Time-Release Formulas:  These formulas contain microcapsules that gradually break down to release the vitamin steadily into the bloodstream over roughly 2 to 10 hours, depending on the product.

There are no reliable studies showing that timed-released formulas are more efficiently utilized by the body than conventional capsules or tablets.  The gel-like substance that acts to delay the release may actually interfere with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. 

Chelated Minerals:  Chelation is a process in which a mineral is bonded to another substance, or "chelator"-usually an amino acid.  This attached substance is supposed to enhance the body's absorption of the mineral.  In most cases, there is no proof that chelated minerals are absorbed any better or any quicker than nonchelated minerals.

The Healing Power of Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs.