Feb 07, 2025
Tablets VS capsules. Which is a better option?
If you need medicines or dietary supplements to cure your disease or improve your health status, capsules and tablets are the most usually seen oral dosage forms, and they are important options that effect the way medications are absorbed in your body. Tablet or capsule? When it comes to the issue of tablets vs capsules, we need to make a rational decision. Outwardly, capsules and tablets are different in their shapes and sizes, and they also differ in the aspects of swallowing difficulty, dissolvability, internal availability, sensitivity to environment, etc. This essay will analyze benefits and drawbacks of capsules and tablets, helping you make a better choice when facing the two options. What Are Capsules? Knowing basic knowledge of capsules and tablets is essential for you to understand the difference between capsule and tablet. There are two main types of capsule: hard-shell capsules and soft-shell capsules, respectively used for containing powdered or granular ingredients, and containing liquid formulations. A majority of capsule shells are made of gelatin, while others are made of vegetable (friendly to vegetarians). Samples of these capsule types are shown in pictures below. No matter what kind of shell is, both hard shells and soft shells are digestible, letting powder and granules enclosed in capsule shells be released in your body. Capsules are soluble, ideal for containing medications which need a rapid efficacy. Capsules contain mainly medical or health supplement ingredients. Compared to tablets, capsules have less inactive components, to some degree reducing drug allergy. A significant benefit is that capsules are easier to swallow with water. What Are Tablets? Tablets are a solid dosage form for the most frequent use in pharmaceutical and health supplement industries. Typically, tablets are small, round or oval objects produced to be ingested orally. They are produced by compressing powder into solid pieces of different shapes and sizes. In terms of composition, tablets mainly contain active pharmaceutical ingredients— the “API”, while other components include fillers (for increasing the tablet bulk especially when API is of a small amount), binders (for holding a tablet together), disintegrants (help a tablet break apart in gastrointestinal tracts, releasing API), lubricants (for reducing friction between tablets and the equipment at production stages), and coatings (for improving flavors or protecting tablets from dissolving in the stomach). Tablets are easy to be taken along, and it’s convenient to carry them in a paper box or a plastic container. Not susceptible to moisture and light, tablets are unlikely to decay when being exposed to air, offering longer shelf life and higher stability compared to capsules or liquid drugs. Comparing capsules and tablets, wh...
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