Spotlight on Liposomal Supplements
Have you heard of liposomal supplements? They are becoming an increasingly popular way to take supplements but are they a better option than capsules or tablets?
The form in which a vitamin, mineral or other nutrient is consumed can affect how it is delivered to the cells within the body impacting its absorption level. Simply put this means the amount of nutrient from the supplement that reaches the target cells following the digestive process. Some nutrients are more readily absorbed than others, with some being easily degraded during digestion.
There are many factors at play when it comes to nutrient absorption, such as health, age, lifestyle habits and some medications. Many nutrients also work synergistically increasing their absorption rate for example vitamins A , D , E and K are far better absorbed by the body when consumed with fat, and are known as fat soluble vitamins. This is why a nutritionist will always advocate a food-first approach, to get a range of nutrients. This also means single nutrients are sometimes fighting a losing battle when it comes to absorption, which is why a helping hand in the form of liposomes can make an important difference.
What are liposomes and how are they effective?
Liposomes are tiny particles of fat that create a protective phospholipid membrane around a nutrient. They are similar in structure to our cell membranes, present in all cells of the body. This layer protects the nutrient from the acids and enzymes produced during the digestive process, to ensure the nutrients can reach the intestines intact. They will then be absorbed through the intestinal wall, into the blood stream and used at their target cells. The nutrients are then more readily released into the cell due to the liposomes similarity in structure to the cell membranes.
This is especially beneficial to some nutrients such as curcumin (from turmeric), resveratrol and vitamin C which are easily destroyed during digestion, and significantly reduced in amount by the time the reach the cellular level.
Liposomal delivery is found to significantly increase the bioavailability of a nutrient (1), although studies are still fairly limited at the time of writing this. This method is also currently being explored in advanced clinical trials for medical drugs such as antibiotics and anti-cancer medications. (2)
Are there any downsides?
Good quality liposomal supplements are generally more expensive than capsules and tablets, although it could be argued that this may be balanced out by needing to buy larger quantities of less effective supplements. However what is important to consider is that you can have too much of a good thing, while some excess nutrients are easily excreted , others nutrients have an upper safe level due to high levels being toxic to the body. For this reason it is worth considering being tested regularly for certain nutrient levels if regularly using liposomal supplements, particularly for fat soluble vitamins.
Another factor to consider when taking supplements in any oral form is gut health. If you have digestive issues it will affect how much nutrient is absorbed through the intestinal wall and taking supplements could simply be a waste of time and money. If you do have gut health issues its important to address this first, before taking supplements, to ensure that that you absorb as much as you can from your food and supplements to optimise your overall health and wellbeing.
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References
1. Gopi S, Balakrishnan P. Evaluation and clinical comparison studies on liposomal and non-liposomal ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and their enhanced bioavailability. J Liposome Res [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2023 Feb 10];31(4):356–64. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08982104.2020.1820521
2. Nsairat H, Khater D, Sayed U, Odeh F, Al Bawab A, Alshaer W. Liposomes: structure, composition, types, and clinical applications [Internet]. Vol. 8, Heliyon. Elsevier Ltd; 2022 [cited 2023 Feb 10]. Available from: /pmc/articles/PMC9118483/