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How Do Liquid Vitamins Compare to Solid
Vitamins? It is difficult, if not
impossible, for the body to get all the nutrients it needs every day,
even with a balanced diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables.
Vitamin supplements have long been used as a way of addressing this
problem, but until fairly recently, most of us have taken our vitamins
in pill form. Liquid vitamins have been around for quite a while – they
were developed several decades ago, but until recently they have been
prescribed mainly for infants, the elderly, and people with digestive
problems. In the past ten years or so, liquid vitamins have become much
more popular with the general public, as people have become aware of the
added benefits of taking vitamins in liquid form.
Liquid vitamins have several benefits. For those of us who have
difficulty in swallowing pills, liquid vitamins are a great alternative.
Liquid vitamins do not contain as many additives, preservatives, and
other inactive ingredients as vitamin pills do, so they are gentler on
the stomach, and are also beneficial for people with digestive problems.
In addition, liquid vitamin supplements tend to contain a wider variety
of natural vitamins and minerals. Unlike vitamins in pill form, which
are usually synthetic, liquid vitamins are commonly derived from plants,
and they very often contain far more trace elements and minerals, which
are required by the body only in very small amounts, but which are very
difficult to get from foods or vitamin supplements in pill form.
Most important, however, is the increasing amount of evidence that
suggests that vitamins in liquid form are more easily absorbed and used
by the body than vitamins in pill form. This is called
“bioavailability”, and refers to the amount of nutrient in a food or
supplement that is absorbed and used by the body. The problem with
vitamins in pill form is that they tend to contain many different
additives and preservatives, which increase the shelf life of the
vitamins, and make the pill form more stable. However, these additives
reduce the bioavailability of the vitamins themselves. Liquid vitamins
do not contain such additives, and for this reason, they have higher
bioavailability – they are absorbed by the body faster and more easily,
meaning that the body has a more consistent, readily-usable source of
vitamins and other essential nutrients. |