Liquid Vitamin Supplements: Pro and Con

Several companies offer liquid vitamin supplements that make taking vitamins easier. Even if you don't have trouble swallowing pills, your body will absorb liquid vitamins more easily.

Pills contain fillers and preservatives packed tightly. The gastric juices in your stomach have to dissolve the pill before you can get the vitamins inside.

Liquid vitamin supplements don't have to broken down. When a liquid vitamin supplement is properly formulated, you feel an immediate boost from the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants inside.

The problem with liquid vitamin supplements is that the stability of many vitamins and minerals is questionable when they are dissolved in water or suspended in a colloidal state.

When vitamin levels aren't stable, the effects of the supplement aren't reliable. The biggest disadvantage is that many antioxidant vitamins, especially vitamin C, begin to lose their antioxidant potency as soon as they are exposed to air.

The value of some liquid vitamin supplements begins to wane just as soon as you open the bottle, sooner if they aren't properly manufactured, and very quickly if you don't close the container tightly after every use.

Another key concern about liquid vitamin supplements is taste. If you're trying to give vitamins to a picky child, bad taste is a serious drawback. The offending substance is usually the B vitamins, or the stabilizers manufacturers add to the mix to keep antioxidant vitamins from deteriorating.

Add to these concerns the fact that you want your liquid vitamins to be free of artificial dyes, artificial flavors, casein, gluten, soy, and sugar.

What's the answer? Here's what you need to look for.

If you ask the manufacture how the liquid vitamins are made, they should be able to explain how they were made in a clean room to ensure they are free of microbial contamination, and also free of pollen, dust, dirt, and lint.

The manufacturer should be able to explain to you how your liquid vitamins were transported from the factory to the warehouse. There should be temperature control. This is particularly necessary for preserving the potency of the antioxidant vitamins.

Another valid concern is shelf life. How long will the vitamins keep before you open them? And does the label tell you how long the vitamins will keep after you open them?

Another valid question is, do your liquid vitamins contain propylene glycol?

Propylene glycol is a chemical used to stabilize liquid vitamin supplements. You may have heard of it. It's also used in antifreeze.

The chances of your getting too much propylene glycol aren't high, but the risk is serious. Too much propylene glycol can cause seizures and fatal arrhythmias of the heart.

Why would propylene glycol be an issue? Can't the vitamin manufacturers simply measure a harmless amount?

You would think the answer to this question would be yes, but it happens that measurements for liquid vitamins are typically given in milliliters while propylene glycol is sold in a measurement called millilitcrs. Without getting too technical, the bottom line is, many pharmacists simply don't know how much propylene glycol is in a formula. They typically use too much.

When pharmacists can't use propylene glycol, they typically substitute sorbitol. The problem with sorbitol is, it can cause diarrhea. Glycerine is sweet, but it is very thick, and taking products with glycerine also can cause diarrhea and they raise blood sugars sharply.

So now you have three more things to look out for: propylene glycol, sorbitol, and glycerine. That pretty much leaves natural fruit flavorings for as your liquid vitamin supplements? sweetening source.

Liquid vitamin supplements are great for people who have trouble taking pills. Just be sure you're getting nutrition and nothing but nutrition, in a shelf-stable bottle you keep tightly closed when not in use.

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A lot more vitamin information besides liquid vitamin supplements back at The Vitamin and Supplement Guide home page.

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