It was said that a spoonful of sugar helped the medicine go down but what’s equally important is that the medicine,whether this be a conventional drug or a supplement, is absorbed into the body where it can get to work.

Generally speaking, the digestive process runs smoothly without much effort from us. However, as we get older it becomes less efficient. Consequently the digestion of tablets, for example, may not be complete, such that the absorption of nutrients is not as good as it should be.

It’s not only digestive problems that may leave someone short of the nutrients they need. With increasing age comes the likelihood of swallowing difficulties either as a result of disease or simply because getting older means the swallowing mechanism doesn’t function as well as it used to. Moreover, whatever their age, many people simply don’t like swallowing tablets and not just the ‘horse-pill’ sized ones either. Although tablets are seen as convenient, if someone dislikes taking or can’t take them, they may decide that they just have to do without. For such people doing without will leave them lacking the nutrients or medicines they need. This is why liquid formulations of supplements have become a popular alternative.

In liquid form a substance doesn’t need to be digested, it comes ready-prepared to be absorbed. Liquids have a greater bioavailability than tablets meaning that with all things being equal, more of the substance in liquid form will be absorbed into the blood stream. Liquid is easier to swallow too.

Consider osteoarthritis where wear and tear results in painful joints that often prevent a person participating in the activities they long to do. Glucosamine forms part of the structure of healthy joints and glucosamine supplements can reduce osteoarthritis pain, enabling someone to be more active. Osteoarthritis is more likely to develop as someone gets older. Also, with increasing age, nutrient absorption may not be so efficient and swallowing may be more of a problem. In this situation a liquid supplement of glucosamine would be a good option so that the benefits of this supplement can be enjoyed. Cod liver oil has been offered in liquid form for decades: its benefits in keeping joints and indeed the heart healthy are now well recognised. Its problem has always been its taste, which is why blending it with orange oil and lemon extract has for many people made all the difference.

The immune system is weakened by increasing age,illness or medical treatments, or a less-than-healthy lifestyle. Consequently infections become more likely and skin injuries often take longer to heal. One important vitamin needed for good immune function, wound healing and the absorption of iron is vitamin C. Once again, a liquid form (eg effervescent vitamin C) is a good way of ensuring that the body gets what it needs when the tablet form may not be so easy to take.

People are often heard saying, ‘I suppose there’s nothing I can do, I just have to put up with it’, when they are faced with a problem. Invariably this is not true because usually there is something to be done. When the problem is related to taking a medicine or a supplement, the solution is often simple - to have it in liquid form.

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