Deciding on Supplement Delivery: Which Mode is Most Effective?

Not only is the health supplement market overcrowded and noisy – it’s also opaque. Sure, this amino acid supplement is the highest potency you can find, but how much actually gets where it’s supposed to go once you take it? A supplement’s delivery system can make or break whether it does any of the things it claims, which is likely why we have cabinets full of supplements but aren’t sure whether any of them really do anything.

The three main modes of supplement delivery are pills, powders, and tinctures. The question is really about the bioavailability of the ingredients in each mode. Bioavailability refers to the percent of an active ingredient that actually makes it to your bloodstream still in a form where it can do the stuff it’s promised to. Depending, bioavailability rates for products like energy and focus supplements or adaptogenic herb blends can range from less than 20% to almost 90%.

(Mainlining something is the only way to get 100% absorption, so we’ll be happy with the 90%, thank you.)

Let’s take a look at the hows and whys, then summarize our findings in a nice, tiny TL;DR table.

Energy Supplement Pills

Pills are by far the most common mode of medication and supplement consumption. They’re portable, convenient, very shelf stable, and affordable to produce and purchase. Plus, dosages are clear; there’s no question of exactly what’s in each not-so-little capsule. Speaking of not-so-little capsules, that’s the big downside for many people – taking supplement pills is like swallowing a handful of marbles.

As far as bioavailability of pills, it’s low – unimpressive to disappointing, at best. Pills have to be digested and broken down physically. That journey + stomach acid destroys bioavailability. However, bioavailability can be increased to some extent with the addition of black pepper extract. Plus, the ability to make time-released capsules can offer the benefits of more sustained effects, which is useful for energy and focus supplements.

Wellness Drink Powders

Drink powders tend to be more common in adaptogen stacks and nootropic drinks because of the ability to smash high concentrations of typically hard-to-get compounds into a dissolvable mixture. Because the nutrients are soluble, absorption can start in the lining of your mouth and stomach – way before the acid gets to it. Since absorption starts quickly, bioavailability is higher than capsules, so the effects of supplement drink mixes come on faster as well as stronger.

This delivery method can deliver higher doses with better absorption than pills, and wellness drink powders also support a healthy hydration routine. However, you need a minute or two, access to a sink, and a clean water bottle on hand, so these aren’t as convenient as capsules. Non-water-soluble nutrients may not absorb as much if they require a fat or oil to process.

Liposomal Extract Tinctures

Suspensions have been around for a bit; steeping herbs in an alcohol or oil-based solution passively extracts all the good stuff from the herbs, creating a concentrated suspension of the target ingredients. Liposomal tinctures are more recent; they use super-tiny phospholipids to encapsulate the nutrients. This is the same material your cell membranes are made out of, so not only do the liposomes protect the nutrients from digestive processes, but they allow absorption directly through cell membranes.

Liposomal tinctures have high bioavailability – as much as 10x better absorption than pills, and much faster, too. They’re ideal for fat-soluble nutrients as well as delicate compounds that can’t survive the extraction and desiccation process of adaptogen stack pills or protein powders. But they tend to be pretty expensive, are less shelf stable, and need more specific storage conditions to prevent separation or deactivation of the active ingredients.

Supplement Delivery Comparison: Pros vs Cons

Different delivery methods might be right for some and not for others. Can’t stand the taste and texture of bitter greens suspended in viscous liquid? Tinctures are probably not for you. Not big on swallowing horse pills? Maybe stay away from the 6-pills-per-serving supplements.

While it might not be the most effective of the three, a wellness drink powder is the most accessible and the most convenient. Don’t like the taste? Mix it in your favorite smoothie and change the game. Don’t worry about bitter greens, refrigeration, or choking on rocks; just worry about keeping a daily habit of MTE’s feel-good greens powder and you’ll soon realize that few percent difference in absorption didn’t matter because you feel great now, anyway.