Supplement Tablets Have Started to Crumble & Break - ConsumerLab.com (2024)

FAQs

Supplement Tablets Have Started to Crumble & Break - ConsumerLab.com? ›

Answer: Some ingredients in supplements are hygroscopic, that is, they attract water. If sold as uncoated tablets and exposed to humidity, the tablets may become soft, crumbly, and fall apart.

When products absorb extra moisture, it causes them to either crumble or become sticky, which could clog machinery and bring production to a sudden halt. Temperature and humidity exposure are the primary factors that could cause products to become ineffective.

Meaningless claims

Furthermore, a supplement may contain a combination of ingredients that have never been tested together, so it is not known if the combination will work even if there is good evidence for one or more of its components.

While you won't want to break a softgel in half, since it is a one-piece shell that typically contains a liquid ingredient, you can puncture the capsule, squeeze out the contents, and swallow the liquid directly or add to food or a drink.

If sold as uncoated tablets and exposed to humidity, the tablets may become soft, crumbly, and fall apart. Examples of such supplements include L-arginine, chondroitin, and mushroom powders. This also occurs with minerals in a chloride or hydrochloride form, such as magnesium hydrochloride.

You'll want to place the pill inside the v-shaped holder with the score line directly in the middle. Then quickly press downward on the blade to cut the pill. If you do this too slowly, the pill is more likely to crumble.

Some supplements can also cause problems if taken along with certain medicines. For example: Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, might make some chemotherapy medicines less effective. Vitamin K can make the blood thinner warfarin less effective and increase the risk of blood clotting.

What is the one supplement everyone should take? ›

Multivitamin

A good quality multivitamin is one of the most important supplements for optimal health.

The fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E, and K, are stored in the body for long periods of time and generally pose a greater risk for toxicity than water-soluble vitamins when consumed in excess.

It is more important that people do not experience any breaks in their daily supplementation of a vitamin, especially if they are taking it to manage a deficiency.

Is it a good idea to take a break from daily vitamins and minerals every so many weeks or months for health and vitamin-effectiveness reasons? I don't recommend taking a break from daily vitamin and mineral supplements. They don't lose their effectiveness, and the body needs the micronutrients they supply daily.

Capsules are easier to swallow, generally tasteless, and quickly absorbed. On the other hand, they are more susceptible to moisture, temperature, and light than tablets are. Tablets are inexpensive, stable for long periods, and usually able to be split for dose adjustments.

Chipping is when the film-coated tablet becomes dented or chipped, typically around the tablet's edges. A common cause of tablet chipping is excessive attrition during the coating process.

Take a look at what apps you're using

When your tablet keeps an app open, it's using energy, which can slow down the web browser or the video game you're playing. You can either close apps when you're no longer using them or delete them if you don't need the app anymore. Also, take a look at your app's settings.

Disintegration can happen due to the effervescence properties of granules, which can break the tablets very quickly when in contact with water. Swelling of the disintegrant in the presence of water can increase the internal pressure of the tablet matrix and cause the eventual disintegration of the tablet.