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Tablets or Capsules
What’s best for your supplement formulation?

How to choose Tablets or Capsules for your Supplement Business

Having decided there is a great opportunity to market your own supplements and come up with a range, your next decision is whether your formulation is best marketed as a tablet or a capsule.

Its obvious that each product looks very different, but there are 3 really important issues to consider when making the choice between tablets and capsules for your formulations.

Absorption Efficiency

The first question is whether capsules or tablets are the most easily digested and whether one is more effective delivery method than the other for the active ingredient.  There have been many studies around the world on this topic, and the inference from the majority of these is that, if properly formulated, there is little difference between the 2.  This is assuming the individual has a normal gut response.

Dosage – Size Matters!

Dosage is a crucial factor in determining the best delivery solution for your supplements.  The biggest capsule #000 is able to accommodate about 900mg of active ingredients comfortably, with the smallest #5 about 100mg.

Tablets on the other hand are able to accommodate much higher dosage levels, so if you need to offer your supplements in dosages larger than 1000mg, then tablets are the way to go.

Consumer Preference

There is strong evidence from research carried out in the US, UK and Europe that supports the view that consumers tend to prefer capsules to tablets.  There are a number of reasons for this.  Consumers believe that not only are capsules easier to swallow, they are also more effective in getting the active ingredients into their system.

Conclusion – which should I choose?

Market trends and consumer preference is clearly a very important factor, consumers seem to prefer taking capsules.  However, the cost of creating your own tablets is set at a much lower bar, with single punch tablet presses starting at £720.  Compare this to an entry level semi automatic capsule filler at around £12000 and there is a big difference in the capital outlay required. 

Tablets are also cheaper to produce per unit as there is no additional empty capsule to purchase, although you will need to consider the cost of binders and excipients

Overall tablets can accommodate higher dosages and are cheaper to produce, however this is where marketing comes into play as capsules may be perceived as superior and for large dosage can split into 2 capsules.  This might allow not only premium pricing for your supplements, but also a higher throughput and therefore revenues because more are being consumed to get the same dose over a similar tablet.