Why Do Supplements Have So Many Different Delivery Formats?

• Capsules are easy to swallow.
• Capsules can mask unpleasant taste as the ingredients are within the capsule cavity.
• They tend to have lower doses of ingredients compared to a tablet.

• Tablets are useful when a supplement contains a large amount of ingredients (for example, multivitamins and minerals) or when the dose needs to be high ( like in the case of calcium, magnesium).
• Some tablets can be cut in half or crushed to make swallowing easier.
• Tablets do not mask unpleasant tastes.

SUBLINGUAL TABLETS/NUGGETS

These tablets are designed to dissolve under the tongue.

• Sublingual tablets are helpful when a nutrient needs to be delivered directly into the bloodstream. For example Vitamin B12 is better absorbed under the tongue than if it is swallowed. 
• Taste can be a concern but Solgar® has great-tasting tablets such as Vitamin B12 nuggets.

• Chewable tablets are fun to eat.
• Ideal for those who struggle to swallow tablets and children too.
• Chewable tablets tend to include sugars, colours & flavours. Opt for those that use natural flavours & natural sugars or sweeteners.

• Gummies are fun to eat.
• A great way to get children to take a supplement. For example Solgar® U- Cubes™  Gummies are perfect for the littlest members of your family. 
• An option for those who struggle to swallow capsules and tablets. 
• Gummies tend to include sugars, colours and flavours. Opt for those that use natural flavours and natural sugars or sweeteners. 
•  It is important to follow the directions for use. Gummies aren’t sweets even though they look and taste yummy.

• Generally, have lower doses of ingredients than tablets.
•  Softgels are good for enclosing fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E and K.
• Gelatine softgels are helpful for protecting ingredients that can be easily oxidized like fish oils.

• Plant-based Licaps™ can mean liquids no longer need to be enclosed in a gelatine softgel. 
•  For example, Solgar® Brain Works with Full Spectrum Curcumin and BacoMind is in a vegan Licap™ format.

• Powders can be useful when the dose is higher than could fit in a tablet 
• Powders tend to be readily absorbed 
• Useful for those who don’t like swallowing pills or when the daily dose is too large for a pill. 
• Powders may to include artificial colours and flavours. Opt for those that use natural flavours . 
•  For example, Solgar® Ester-C Plus Vitamin C 1000 mg Effervescent Drink is a powder available in natural orange flavour as is Solgar® Grass-Fed Whey To Go Protein.

• Liquid supplements are helpful for those who struggle to swallow tablets and capsules
• Liquids tend to be absorbed quickly 
• Typically, these do not need to be mixed with water or another liquid 
• Liquids mean the dose can be easily adjusted 
• Liquids may have an unpleasant taste. 

FAQs about Delivery Formats

1. Why are some tablets so big?

Tablets come in various sizes and this depends largely on various aspects including

-The number of ingredients the tablet contains

-The type of ingredients in the tablet; some ingredients are weightier than others

-The form of the nutrients used, e.g. chelated minerals have more volume than mineral oxides  and tablets will typically be bigger

-Multivitamin and mineral formulations can sometimes contain over 50 ingredients and this then means the tablets will be larger.

Many of Solgar’s mineral formulations include chelated forms of minerals. Chelated minerals are generally better absorbed1 but because they are bulkier than other mineral forms, tablets can be quite big.

2. Can I break or crush my tablets so that I can swallow them?

Although this can be fine with some supplements, always check with the manufacturer to confirm you can do this. Some tablets may have coating that protect the ingredients from stomach acid, for example, and breaking or crushing the tablets might not be ideal. 

Never chew tablets that aren’t meant to be chewed because hard tablets may damage teeth and some tablets may have ingredients that aren’t good for teeth like betaine hydrochloride found in digestive enzymes.

3. Why aren't fish oils available in a vegetable capsule?

This is because fish oils are exactly that… oils. Oils tend to be unstable in vegetable capsules and gelatine-based softgels help to protect fish oils from oxidation.   

Solgar® understands for many consumers beef or pork-based gelatine cannot be consumed for religious, cultural or ethical reasons and for this reason Solgar® has created Fish Gel Omega-3 740 mg, a high dose, and one-a-day fish oil supplement with fish gelatine capsules.