Liquid Vitamins vs. Tablet (Pill) Vitamins: Which is best?

At my health club last week, a seminar presenter talked about taking a liquid vitamin. He claimed that a liquid vitamin is far superior to the tablet form. He cited some very compelling research that 98% of vitamins in the tablet form simply pass directly through the human body. The evidence seemed logical and I have no doubt he was sincere.

My club happens to sell a liquid vitamin at a rather high price, but hey if these vitamins support a healthier life maybe they are worth it.

Being a true citizen of the Internet, I decided to do some online research on the most credible medical Web sites. And, as a member of the Hub community, I’m sharing my research results with you.

Caveat: I am not a medical professional. I you have health concerns please do consult a licensed medical practitioner.

First are liquid vitamins better?

The primary benefit mentioned for buying liquid vitamins is a better absorption by the body. Proponents of the liquid vitamin say that your body simply passes hard pills through the digestive tract and excretes them intact.

The claim that liquid vitamins may get into your system better than most tablet-form vitamins seems to be true. However, my research indicates a couple of additional facts:

1. The lowest quality tablet-form vitamins have a coating that hinders the absorption rate. These low quality vitamins use the cheapest ingredients possible and the cheapest excipients, which are the binding ingredients. Due to the cheap excipients used, the nutrients in lower quality vitamins are indeed released mostly in the stomach where the stomach acids destroy them. In this case, 90%+ of the vitamin can indeed get flushed down the toilet.

2. This flushing away of the valuable nutrients is not only a problem with tablets. It appears that liquid vitamins are no better than good quality tablet-form vitamins. When you drink a liquid vitamin supplement, it enters the stomach. Your stomach acid destroys the vast majority of the active ingredients in the liquid vitamin.

The biggest downside of the liquid vitamin seems to be its much higher cost. Also, some particular vitamins, most notably vitamin C, break down when exposed to air, which means liquid vitamins can quickly lose potency as soon as you open the bottle. The biggest advantage of the liquid vitamins seems to be ease of intake for people who cannot easily swallow pills.

From my research, it seems the best approach, if you decide you need vitamins added in your diet, is to take a high quality tablet vitamin.

Higher quality tablet vitamins will have the appropriate excipients to facilitate proper absorption. Quality excipients seem to make sure your body absorbs the nutrients in the lining of the walls of the upper intestine, which enables the nutrients to enter the bloodstream and do their good work.

What are the best vitamin brands?

According to an article on CNN, price alone does not seem to necessarily reflect quality. This article cites a report by Consumers Union that reported the most expensive vitamins, liquid supplements The Greatest Vitamin in the World and Eniva Vibe, which cost more than $39.95 per bottle -- failed the Consumer Lab.com tests. Consumer Lab seems to have the most current research on quality vitamins. You can go to Consumer Lab and buy their report if you want additional information.

Read more about it here:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/08/22/healthmag.multivitamins/index.html

Some additional resource on best vitamins.

http://www.comparing-vitamin-supplements.com/vitamin-brand-ratings.html

What vitamins do you need?

I think the best answer is the proverbial “it depends”. You need to consider your life-style, diet, age and any specific medical issues. You should also consult your doctor during your regular physical. For me, I know I spend way too much time in front of a computer; so, I’m definitely going to get my Vitamin D level tested at my next physical.

Here’s another resource regarding useful vitamins:

Vitamin Cheat Sheet

http://i.timeinc.net/health/i/200612/VitaminChart.pdf

Of course the best way to get the right nutrients is through a varied and healthful diet. Here’s link to a few useful charts on

Vitamin Requirements and Food Sources

http://www.healthalternatives2000.com/vitamins-nutrition-chart.html

Top 20 Anti-Oxidant Food

http://www.lifescript.com/diet-fitness/articles/archive/diet/eat-well/top_20_antioxidant_foods.aspx

Decide on the vitamins you need and look for the best quality sources.