Back when moms made their kids swallow their Castor Oil, vitamins were usually delivered in liquid or tincture form. Modern times increased the popularity of pills, capsules, and even injections for B Vitamins, but which is the most effective delivery system? There are people who can't take pills, but is there more of a benefit to the discount vitamins offered in liquid form?

Since the beginning of time, human beings have been using plants and herbs as a way of healing. The oldest methods include direct ingestion of raw plant material, and the use of herbal teas made from fresh or dried plant parts. Tinctures are liquid preparations made by soaking herbs in a solvent to draw out active ingredients. In the year 2007, there are endless options on the market of every vitamin, herbal supplement and mineral you could possibly think of. There are also many different delivery methods, including liquid, powders, tablets and extracts used for each of the endless options available. The biggest debate in the industry is between the liquid form of vitamins and supplements and the tablet form of vitamins and supplements.

First, let's take a look at some of the biggest advantages of both liquids and tablets:

Liquid Supplements

• Easier to swallow

• Faster absorption rate

• More natural

Tablet Supplements

• Longer shelf life

• Better tasting

• More convenient for travel

For some people, pills are hard to swallow and liquids are just easier. Period. Children and senior citizens in particular have a hard time swallowing supplements in pill form. People who take a large number of vitamins and supplements can get overwhelmed with taking the handfuls of pills required many times a day.

There is some evidence that liquid supplements have a better absorption rate than capsule supplements. In The Physician's Desk Reference it states that vitamins and minerals in pill form are only 10-20% absorbed by the body. In contrast, it states that vitamins and minerals found in liquid form are 98% absorbed by the body.

Liquids have different properties than tablets. It is considered more natural to simply liquefy a plant than to process it into a pill form. Liquid extracts are a more potent form of liquid herbs, where the active constituents are more concentrated and therefore considered more natural.

Vitamins and supplements available in pill or capsule form seem to be on every shelf in every store, whereas, vitamins and supplements in liquid form are not. There is a reason for this-tablets and capsules have a much longer shelf life than liquids. This is an advantage for both the retailer and the consumer as it allows for larger quantities to be purchased for cheaper.

Tablets and capsules are also known to taste better. Many herbs have a very bitter taste and creating a supplement in the pill form has helped override the bitterness and unpleasant tastes.

Pills are considered more convenient for the supplement user on the go. A daily dose can be easily packed into a pill carrier. Tablets are also considered more convenient as they don't leak or spill.

Let's dig a littler deeper into some of these advantages. We can't argue that liquids aren't easier for some to swallow or that tablets are less messy and more convenient, but what about the issue of liquids being absorbed by the body faster?

As we already stated, there is some research that shows that as low as 10-20% of the nutrients taken in pill form actually make it to the cellular level. That would mean that 80-90% has to be eliminated by the body. To the discount vitamin shopper this means that 80-90% of the money spent on the vitamins is literally being spent on nothing but waste.

If we look closely at the research, it says that the "absorption rate" of liquid supplements is faster than tablet supplements. But, what does the "absorption rate" actually mean? A diagram of vitamin absorption rates into the body shows that with liquid supplements, the absorption starts in the mucous membranes and then moves onto the walls of the esophagus. In less scientific terms, absorption of liquid vitamins starts in the mouth, thus they immediately make it into the body's system. The same diagram shows that tablet vitamins take longer to absorb into the body's system because they work through the digestive system and need to fully digest prior to working.

The key piece of information that isn't made clear is that the liquid vitamins do NOT go through the digestive system, they absorb immediately. Why is this important? The human body's digestive system is designed to release nutrients fully into the system at the rate of digestion. If something bypasses that system, it is possible that the body isn't actually receiving all of the benefits from that nutrient. It is also being instantly absorbed at the quantity consumed, which could mean that the body is getting too much at one time instead of receiving the nutrient in small doses over time.

On the flip side of that, liquids, unlike tablets, do not have the extra carrier fillers that can slow down the digestive process. Research indicates that those extra fillers demand extra digestive enzymes in order to work. The majority of capsules, pills and tablets are made with these extra fillers such as rock-based ingredients like talc. These are added to help keep the tablet together. In some cases, if the filler is not made from natural substances, the body isn't able to digest it at all and the pill will pass through the system, undigested!

At the beginning of this article, we stated that the major forms of delivery in the vitamin and supplement industry are liquids, powders, tablets and extracts. We already learned that extracts are actually liquids, so where do powders fit into this equation? There is certainly a large selection of powdered supplements available for sale, so why are they left out of these debates? The answer is simple: Powders actually fit into both the liquid and tablet categories. Most powders require being mixed with a liquid in order to be delivered into the system; therefore, it becomes a liquid. Capsules contain dried plant parts that have been powdered, so they are a powdered form of the nutrients, but are in tablet form. There are certain supplements (For example creatine, which is an amino acid that supplies energy for muscle contraction) that do not remain stable in liquids for any period of time. Those supplements are usually available only in the powdered form.

The advantages and disadvantages of both liquid discount vitamins and tablet discount vitamins are fairly equal. Choosing the right vitamins and supplements are as important as choosing which foods you are going to eat and what form of exercise you are going to do. That's why it's important to always do your research, know what's in the supplement and make sure to purchase from a reputable retailer.