Ingestion of supplement

[happyade]

Hi,

 

I wish to take a supplement containing lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso zeaxanthin, but there only seems to be three companies that make it. I have been in touch with researchers in Ireland who have been researching the benefits of a brand by the name of MacuShield. The possible benefits indeed do seem to be significant for those afflicted with macular degeneration.

 

My problem is that all three companies' products are encapsulated by gelatine, which is unacceptable for a vegetarian like myself. I have been in touch with the aforementioned researchers, and with another company by the name of MacuHealth, and I am getting conflicting messages regarding whether or not the efficacy of the supplement would be affected by breaking open the capsule and consuming the contents directly. The Irish researchers say their biochemist thinks that the stomach acid would destroy the carotenoids, but the correspondent from MacuHealth said that it would be alright to consume it this way. Both products have the same ingredients in the same proportions, so there is obviously not much difference between the two.

 

I would be grateful for any feedback.

 

Thanks,

Adrian.

[John Cuthber]

The gelatine capsules certainly won't survive the acid etc. in the stomach.

So, shortly after you swallow the capsules, the carotenoids will be exposed to those acids anyway.

 

Carotenoids are fairly readily destroyed by light and air so I'd suggest only opening the capsules shortly before you swallow the contents.

[happyade]

Thanks John,

 

That's interesting that you say the gelatin capsules would not survive the stomach acid, given the quote from the email I received from the research assistant in Ireland.

 

"I asked our biochemist about your query this morning and she said that yes, taking the contents out of the capsule would affect the efficacy of the carotenoids. This is because the capsule stays intact long enough to protect the contents against the acid in the stomach, and allows it to travel through to the intestine, where it disintegrates and where bioavailability is more efficient. If you were to simply consume the free contents, most of the carotenoids would be destroyed by the stomach acid."<br style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">

If I was to do it by breaking open the capsules and transferring them to a vegetarian capsule, I would be doing it as quickly as possible to avoid destruction of the carotenoids by exposure to the air and light.

 

Cheers,

Adrian.

[John Cuthber]

Then it can't be just gelatine.

Put one in some warm water and see what happens.