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How Are Liquid Vitamins Made?
Liquid vitamins, unlike those in pill or capsule
form, are highly-concentrated, potent sources of vitamins. Solid vitamin
pills can contain up to 80% inactive substances, including colors and
flavors, filler material, and preservatives. In addition, vitamins of
the kind found in pills are often synthetic.
Liquid vitamins are different. Vitamins in liquid form are a
concentrated source of essential nutrients, with no preservatives,
fillers, or any other kind of artificial additive, although some liquid
vitamin formulations do contain natural colors or flavors. In addition,
liquid vitamins are generally derived from natural sources.
Why is there such a big difference in these key factors? It comes down
to the way in which the different types of vitamin supplements are made.
Vitamin pills are made using chemically synthesized vitamins, and the
pills themselves need all kinds of additives to increase the shelf life
of the vitamins, help the pill keep its shape, and make the pill more
palatable. Some experts believe that these additives can actually reduce
the body’s ability to absorb the vitamins in these pills. And the way in
which vitamin pills are made – often high temperatures are required –
may actually decrease the bioavailability of the vitamins.
Liquid vitamins, on the other hand, are made using vitamins from
natural, plant-based sources. These concentrated plant liquids are
carefully formulated to make sure that both fat-soluble and
water-soluble vitamins are available for the body to absorb and use.
Most liquid vitamin supplements also contain essential trace minerals
such as magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese, which are required by the
body but are sometimes hard to obtain from food. And because liquid
vitamin supplements don’t contain inactive additives, they are easier
for the body to absorb, and gentler on the stomach. A side-effect of
this is that liquid vitamins have a much shorter shelf life, because
they do not contain any preservative ingredients. This means that liquid
vitamins are made, stored, and transported in a strictly
temperature-controlled environment to maintain freshness and quality,
and it also means that most liquid vitamin supplements must be
refrigerated at home.
For reasons that experts still don’t understand, it appears that
vitamins from natural sources are more effective than synthetic
vitamins. Liquid vitamins are the only way of taking supplemental
vitamins that are just the same as those that are found in foods. |