If you’re into taking supplements, then you’ll have heard all about liposomal supplements, which are meant to be absorbed better and faster with less stomach irritation. Full disclosure, I got into liposomal vitamins about 4 or 5 years ago and I started with vitamin C…. I was hooked when I learnt that with regular vitamin C I was probably only getting about 1/2 of my dosage. Since then there are many other supplements being offered in liposomal form and ‘Youth and Earth’ is one of the brands leading the way with their liposomal offerings and their focus on positive ageing and we’re really excited that their founder Ed Van Harmelen has prepared this very informative piece for us, so read and enjoy.

It’s a typical Monday morning at 8am, and you’re ready to start the day with a glass of water and an entourage of vitamin capsules and tablets neatly arranged on your kitchen counter. It is true that stress, fast paced living, as well as natural ageing, take their toll on our bodies. In spite of our best efforts to eat a healthy diet, supplementing with vitamins and other essential nutrients is still necessary to give our bodies a boost.

But are the vitamins you’re taking really working?

As you put one of those vitamin capsules in your mouth. Pause, to consider this…

The moment that vitamin capsule touches your lips, your body’s sole mission is to break it down! That capsule will travel more or less the same route that your breakfast of muesli and blueberries took. There’s no special lane for vitamins or supplements! It will encounter the stomach’s highly acidic, digestive enzymes, which will break it down at a rapid speed before it reaches your intestine, where it can enter the bloodstream.

So,how much of that claimed 500 mg of vitamin will actually reach the intended organs or cells? And ironically, how much will be flushed away?

On my kitchen counter stands a few bottles and a spoon. Some of the supplements, which I also take religiously each morning, are in Liposomal form. With each spoonful of the liposomal supplement, I’m actually getting that 500mg of the nutrient. Why? Because each vitamin molecule is encased in their own protective bubble you could say. The scientific name is Liposomal Encapsulation Technology (LET). Quite a mouthful but LET actually lets your vitamins perform better!

It may surprise you to learn that this delivery system has been around since the mid-1960s when it was first discovered and is continuously evolving. Liposomes were first used as a drug carrier of medication in the mid 1990 due to their similarity to body cells. They were mainly used for vaccinations, gene therapies and other medication taken orally.

Liposomal supplements as their name suggests are liposomes (pockets of fat cells) or phospholipids, the same building blocks which our cell membranes are made of. Because it’s the same material they are absorbed better or bond better making it an ideal vessel to deliver their cargo that being the vitamins. And thanks to the unique liposomal structure, which has a hollow center, your vitamin resides in a “safe place” away from your harsh gastric acid. We won’t get too scientific but what makes them such ideal transporters is that they can carry either fat-soluble or water-soluble molecules.

The effectiveness of liposomal supplements are far from hearsay. Numerous studies, as well as some I have endorsed for my own liposomal range, have shown Liposomal supplements to far outshine regular vitamins. This breakthrough delivery system using liposomes allows the body to absorb 20 to 100 times more than regular supplements. Their effectiveness has been compared to an intravenous jab of your chosen nutrient, but thankfully without the nasty needles. Yes, finally your body is receiving the intended dosage of vitamins and at a quicker and far more effective pace!

Many of us are taking supplements and it’s only human to want to see results as soon as possible. So if we don’t, we often are tempted to take more than we should. And then we are left wondering how we used our product up so quickly, or worse experiencing tummy cramps, bloatedness, or diarrhea. Put an end to that terrible cycle. Liposomal supplements have been shown to deliver the correct dosage, working more effectively and delivering better results. It’s far nicer to get results without the tummy discomfort and realise how friendly they are to your pocket.

Vitamin C is a perfect example to illustrate this. An interesting fact is that most oral forms of vitamin C can’t be used properly by your body. As a matter of fact, the intestines can’t handle more than 200mg of vitamin C before digestive problems arise.
A workaround would be to get a vitamin C shot that goes directly into your bloodstream. But honestly who would want to entertain the idea of a daily injection and the costs involved. Lucky for us, we don’t have to, because liposomal vitamin C will deliver that 1000mg to your body in just a spoonful!

In the same way, glutathione is a powerful antioxidant produced by the body to protect us from harmful toxins and diseases. Unfortunately, our bodies can’t absorb glutathione easily and as we age our natural levels drop, putting us at a high risk. Hence, we need to supplement with glutathione, but as mentioned before, conventional glutathione pills degrade due to digestion, leaving who knows what amount to actually enter our bloodstream. This is where glutathione in a liposomal form works so well! We ran our own tests and found that glutathione in liposomal form achieved way better results than regular glutathione, in terms of the amount and the speed of glutathione entering the bloodstream.

Ironically, both these vitamins I mentioned form one powerful duo. As vitamin C protects glutathione in your tissues, glutathione works hard to reactivate worn-out vitamin C. Both neutralize free radicals, boosting your immune system. Imagine the anti-ageing potential of this liposomal cocktail!

Let’s go back to Monday morning and you’re about to take those vitamins. Now that you know about the numerous benefits liposomal supplements can offer you, will you be reaching for that spoon too?

Article by Ed Van Harmelen founder of Youth and Earth