When choosing the best product for your company, you must consider all factors. Keep the consumer in mind. Between the formula that is used to the way your body absorbs the supplement — it’s a decision you want to research. Both fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins are important to the body, and both have benefits and drawbacks. This information is important for you to know when choosing which product you want for your customers.

Let’s first talk about vitamins.

Vitamins are crucial to the human body, and in today’s society, most people aren’t getting sufficient amounts of vitamins through diet alone – which is why the vitamin and supplement industry is so important.

Why we have fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins in the first place.

The body needs both macronutrients and micronutrients to thrive. Macronutrients are the building blocks of what we eat and what our body uses for energy and growth. This includes proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and water. The micronutrients in our body are much smaller quantities, but they are necessary for the normal body function. These include vitamins and minerals.

Micronutrients rely on macronutrients to help them be absorbed into the body. Fat-soluble vitamins dissolve in fats, and water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. Simple, right?

Well, there’s a lot more to it than that – fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins differ in the vitamins they contain, how they are stored in the body, and how quickly they leave the body.

Fat-soluble vitamins:

• Include vitamins A, D, E and K, which support our vision, immune system, bone health, destruction of free radicals, and formation of blood clots.
• Are absorbed in the intestines and then are stored in our fatty body tissue or the liver.
• Continue to provide nutrients for longer periods of time. This means they will continue to provide nutrients to the body for longer, but care must be taken to not consume these types of vitamins in excess.
• Can lead to toxicity if too many are taken, so sticking to the recommended guidelines on the label is crucial.

Water-soluble vitamins:

• Include all of the B and C vitamins, and are essential for our immune system, heart, metabolism, nervous system, brain, blood and skin.
• Quickly dissolve in water and are easily absorbed into our body tissues.
• Are not retained in the tissue for periods of time, excess amounts are excreted out.
• Have much less risk of toxicity, but since they exit the body quickly, it is important to take them on a regular basis to replenish the nutrients.

The best way to produce vitamins.

Based on our findings, fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K need to be made in a way that easily allows fat to absorb them, like capsules. Water-soluble vitamins such as B and C need to be made to dissolve in water to make it easier for the body to absorb, like a powder or tablet. Understanding how the body stores and absorbs the different vitamins is important so you know how to manufacture them. If you make vitamin A into a powder supplement, then your customer won’t get the nutrients delivered to their body the way they need, which could be detrimental.

How to choose the right vitamins for your customer.

Choosing the right vitamin starts with the vitamin itself. If you want to produce B or C vitamins, they will need to be manufactured in a form that easily absorbs in water, like a tablet or a powder. If you want to produce A, D, E or K vitamins, they need to be manufactured in a form that easily absorbs in fat, like a capsule.

The label is equally as important. Fat-soluble vitamins need to be taken on a schedule so as not to cause toxicity. Water-soluble vitamins need to be taken on a regular basis to keep the levels of those vitamins optimal over time. Make your labels clear and easy to understand so your customers don’t have a costly misunderstanding.

At Sawgrass Nutra Labs, our team has decades of experience in vitamin and supplement manufacturing. We can help you create your perfect fat-soluble or water-soluble vitamin. From formulation to testing to labeling, and everything in between – Give us a call today to learn more!