Which Should You Choose?
Do you prefer capsules or tablets? How do you know? What difference is there between the two? Do they work differently even if they contain the same active ingredient? These are just some of the most common questions people ask when they are given the choice between the same product in different formats.
It’s a convenient luxury that diet pills come in capsules or tablets. It gives customers a wide range of choices. Some people may find themselves sensitive to certain gel capsules because the lubricant used or the coating.
Benefits and Drawbacks to Capsules or Tablets
Both capsules and tablets have legitimate pros and cons. Sometimes diet pill capsules or tablets work better depending on the person. However, people must keep in mind that it takes a lot of time and money to develop a pill that has a good shelf life, but still breaks down in the average persons digestive system.
Capsules
There are certain advantages to capsules, as well as disadvantages. One disadvantage of the capsule is the price. Capsules tend to be more expensive and sometimes larger in size. It is also possible that people may be sensitive or allergic to the capsules shell. In addition to being more costly, capsules are also harder to fill accurately. There are also other differences to consider when choosing capsules or tablets.
However, on a good note, hard gelatin can be a good oxygen barrier, providing good protection for sensitive ingredients contained inside. The shell normally breaks down and opens within about four minutes. Capsules are easy to digest and reduce gastrointestinal irritation. Capsules are also odorless, tasteless, and easy to swallow-perfect for people who have hypersensitive taste buds.
Tablets
There are also certain advantages to tablets that capsules cannot offer. Tablets can be customized in both size and shape. Tablets are also a lot cheaper, low-cost to make, low-cost to buy.
The low-cost tablets coatings, allow for enteric delivery, meaning the tablet will not just breakdown in the stomach but instead in the small intestine. Tablets also have better control over dissolve timing. Tablets can be designed to either dissolve quickly or to dissolve little by little throughout the digestive system.
Some of the disadvantages of tablets have a lot to do with lack of absorption. A lot of times in older people certain pills in tablet form do not quite break down the way they should because the ingredients need a sufficient amount of solid food.
Other disadvantages of tablets include shelf life complications such as granulation upon environmental added heat or moisture. Tablets also have a coating that people tend to be a little sensitive to as well.
Which One is Better?
It is unclear whether a pill is better in capsule form or tablet form. That really all depends on the user. Many factors that decide which is better include budget, age, type of pill, as well as how long the pill is going to be sitting.
Another important factor is coating sensitivity, whether the user is more sensitive to a tablet coating or whether the user is more sensitive to the capsule’s shell. When it comes to choosing capsules or tablets, each person will need to experiment to find what works best for them.
Questions to Ask Yourself to Decide on Capsules or Tablets
Even after knowing all the pros and cons behind capsules and tablets, the right choice may not be obvious to you. After all, it’s not as though one form is more effective than the other. Many of the differences are simply a matter of personal taste and preference. To help you decide, it can sometimes be easier to ask yourself a number of questions instead of simply comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each:
- Do you successfully use pills for other reasons, such as painkillers or anti-nausea medication? If so, are they tablets or capsules? You may wish to choose the same form.
- Do you have trouble swallowing pills? Some people find that tablets are smaller and are therefore easier to swallow. Equally, other people find that they have better luck with capsules because they often float and will slide down along with the water.
- Do you have allergies and dietary needs? If you have an allergy to certain inactive ingredients, then that will make your decision an easy one. You need to avoid that ingredient. That said, many people who are vegan or certain types of vegetarian will want to be careful as well, particularly with capsules. The capsule casing will sometimes be made of gelatin, which is an animal-based substance. Therefore, they may not be appropriate, making a tablet – or a different veggie-based capsule product – more appropriate.
Final Thoughts
When it all comes down to it, it’s typically a matter of preference whether you choose capsules or tablets. As you can see, there are a few additional things to consider. Therefore, if you are given opportunity to choose between them, it’s worth it to take the time to make the right choice.
