Advantages Of Gel Cap Vitamins

Vitamins in soft gel caps have several advantages over vitamin supplements in hard tablet form. Many people believe the main advantage of taking gel caps is the ability to easily swallow a gel cap because of its smooth exterior and oval shape. Hard tablets, even when quite small, still occasionally manage to become lodged in the throat. Because tablets tend to dissolve quickly, taste buds tend to discern the bitterness of an unswallowed tablet immediately, making for an unpleasant and long-lasting aftertaste.

Absorption

The human body more quickly absorbs vitamin gel caps, along with medicinal soft gel caps, than hard tablets because of their liquid condition inside the capsule. Once the capsule's exterior is dissolved by stomach acid, the liquid is immediately dispelled and taken into the bloodstream, where it is pumped to all parts of the body. It is sometimes beneficial for certain nutrients to be released more slowly than with normal soft gels. For this reason, doctors may prescribe "time-released" vitamin gel caps that are able to delay release of the vitamin.

Conditions Delaying Absorption

Certain health conditions may delay absorption of essential vitamins. Individuals under chronic stress, for instance, release high amounts of cortisone, which will constrict blood vessels, inhibit the flow of blood and raise blood pressure. Taking vitamins in soft gel cap form helps the absorption process by releasing the vitamins in a less dense, easier-to-dissolve form that is more rapidly dispersed.

Digestive System Problems

When an individual's digestive system is not functioning properly, vitamins in tablet form may simply pass through the digestive process without being fully broken down and absorbed. This won't occur when vitamins are taken in soft gel form because the gel cap is always dissolved in the stomach due to its easily liquefied exterior. The material used to make gel caps is the same gelatin used in foods like Jello-O, which is a food frequently given to those who are suffering stomach or digestive difficulties.

Oil-based Vitamins

Oil-based vitamins -- such as vitamin E, D and fish oil -- work much better in soft gel capsule because soft gels can effectively conceal the odor and taste of these strong-smelling and strong-tasting vitamins. Manufacturing oil-based vitamins in gel cap form is much easier because these nutrients do not have to be chemically altered to assume tablet or pill form. Individuals receive the full benefits of these vital nutrients when taking them in gel capsule form as well, without the added hardening agents used in making tablets.