Vegetable Capsules

Alternative to Gelatin Capsules

Gelatin is the typical material used to encapsulate supplements. This is made from collagen from fish, swine, or bovine. This is broadly used in the health market because of its affordability.

But because gelatin capsules are made from animal by-products, some consumers with dietary restrictions due to health, religion, and preference might not be comfortable with taking it. Fortunately, with the help of technology, another option is available to consumers-vegetable capsules.

Vegetable capsules are a good alternative to gelatin capsules because they’re similar in appearance. Both are easier to swallow than tablets, are odorless, and are tasteless. The benefit is that they’re made from plant-based ingredients instead of animal byproducts, so people who have problems taking the latter can benefit from the healthy ingredients of the supplement.

Made of Plant-Based Ingredients

If you’re wondering if vegetable capsules are safe to take, it’s beneficial to understand what they’re made of. To ensure your health safety, this type of capsule is manufactured from plant-based ingredients.

To help you understand better, vegetable capsules are made of cellulose that is extracted from plants. There are different types of vegetable cellulose used for this type of capsule. One of the most popular ones is called hypromellose-which is often taken from softwood trees such as fir, pine, or spruce.

Other than that, some vegetable capsules are also made of tapioca, which is a vegetable starch that comes from cassava roots. It’s clear and sticky when compared to other types of capsules.

Fast Acting and Easy to Digest

Unlike tablets, which are typically bulky and more likely to cause irritation, capsules tend to go down quickly. It dissolves well when exposed to human body temperature, which means that the healthy contents can take effect faster.

Compared to gelatin capsules, vegetable ones dissolve faster because of the increased bioavailability and rate of absorption. For most supplements made with this capsule, it only takes half an hour for the capsule to dissolve, so that your body can start absorbing the nutrients inside it.

In addition to that, only vegetable capsules are suitable for both powdered and gel supplements.

Easy to Store

Before buying a supplement, read the label on how to store it properly. Some products are not suitable in humid and bright places. To keep the vitamins in the best condition, follow the instructions.

Fortunately, vegetable capsules have a low moisture content compared to gelatin ones, which makes them more stable even when in humid conditions. Other than that, this type of capsule is also not sensitive to light.

Because of these reasons, it’s easier to store vegetable capsules. As long as you don’t expose them to extreme environments, they will last long in most places inside your home.

Suitable for a Wide Range of People

If you can’t take gelatin capsules for any reason, vegetable ones might be the better choice for you. Because they’re made from plant-based ingredients, they’re suitable for a wide variety of diets and may be taken by vegans and vegetarians. Other than that, it’s accepted in most cultures and religions. The capsules are typically Halal-certified too.

Vegetable capsules are also safe to take because they’e natural and non-toxic. There are no negative side effects because the capsule is made from vegetables. This makes it suitable for long-term consumption.

Gelatin Capsules

Gelatin has been used as a medication for many years and is the most common material used in capsule production. Gelatin itself has known health benefits when digested – it is good for the digestive system, protects joints and helps to reduce joint pain, it is believed to assist in improving sleep, lifting moods and some studies suggest it improves cognitive functions. This is why most supplement manufacturers still use gelatin capsules as their main choice when developing new products.

Skin, Bones and Connective Animal Tissues

Gelatin is a translucent, brittle solid substance that is colorless or slightly yellow, nearly tasteless and odorless. It is a mixture of peptides and proteins created by partial hydrolysis of collagen extracted from the skin, bones, and connective tissues of animals. Beef, chicken, and pork are commonly used. Blends of bone and pork skin gelatins are normally used to produce hard capsules. The bones produce a tough, hazy but brittle gelatin film, whereas skin produces a clearer material with greater plasticity.

3 Stages of Gelatin Production

Pretreatment: The first stage involves washing the raw material with dilute acid to remove calcium and treatment with hot or boiling water to remove fats.

Extraction: Extraction of the collagen is achieved using either acid or alkali, depending on the nature of the raw material, and is performed in a series of steps.

Refining: The final stage of refining may include several steps such as filtration, evaporation, drying, grinding, and sifting.

Gelatin has been used in medicines for many years and a wide range of both hard and soft gelatin capsules are available commercially, differing in features such as colour, size and flavour. Hard gelatine capsules are ideal for encasing solid powdered drug formulations or nutraceuticals. They are not suitable for aqueous liquids or slurries as water can infiltrate and degrade the gelatine shell. This has to be borne in mind when choosing the type of capsule material. For aqueous materials, polymer-based capsule materials are to be preferred.

Vegetarian Alternatives

There are now 2 main types of Vegan and Vegetarian capsules on the market. The first is HPMC which is made from cellulose. The second is Pullulan which is an extract of tapioca roots. More and more HPMC capsules and Pullulan capsules are becoming increasingly popular. This is for a variety of reasons.

Religious, Cultural and Personal Reasons: The consumption of gelatin from particular animals may be forbidden by religious or cultural customs. For example, Jewish kosher and Islamic halal practices require gelatin from sources other than pigs, such as cattle or fish. Vegans and vegetarians choose not to eat foods containing gelatin made from animals, and an option for such people is to substitute the animal gelatin with material made obtained by extracting collagen from fish bones.

Non-Toxic Cellulose: An alternative to both animal and fish gelatin is that of cellulose. This material is of natural plant origin and has no known potential health hazards, even when taken for long periods. It is non-toxic. Research into synthetic collagen began in 2011, and partial success has been achieved in replicating collagen's organic structure using self-assembling peptides. There are other materials that are widely used as alternatives to gelatin in cooking. Examples include the seaweed extracts agar and carrageenan, in addition to pectin and konjac. Such materials may, however, not be suitable for forming into capsules.

Compromising on health benefits? Vegetarian and vegan capsules are, now available commercially in a range of sizes and shapes, and should be considered when choosing for filling capsules. It must be remembered, however, that vegetarian substitutes for do not possess the medical benefits commonly attributed to animal gelatin, such as help with joint issues.

Similarities between Vegetable and Gelatin Capsules

There are clear differences between gelatin and vegetable capsules in terms of how they are made. However, there are still some similarities between these two types of capsules. You may also consider both types of capsules in comparison to tablets. Many people prefer capsules over tablets because they are easy to swallow. Capsules keep for a significant amount of time without going bad. Both gelatin and vegetarian capsules store easily for long periods of time. In addition, both of these capsules are odorless and even tasteless. There is no need to worry about medication or supplements with an unpleasant taste or smell. Finally, both vegetable and gelatin capsules dissolve easily in the digestive system. They are much easier to swallow than tablets.