Gummy Supplements: What to Know

HEALTH · UNITED KINGDOM

Gummy Supplements: What to Know

Why gummies differ, dosing and sugar, children and storage

Gummy supplements are easier to take than tablets, which is their real advantage, and the format changes what can go in them.

Why they differ from tablets

Only so much active ingredient fits into a pleasant-tasting sweet, so gummies generally contain lower doses than capsules of the same product. Minerals in particular are bulky and taste unpleasant, so amounts are frequently small.

Compare the amount per daily serving against the reference intake rather than assuming equivalence, and note how many gummies make a dose.

Sugar and acids

Most contain sugar or sugar alcohols and citric acid, which is why dentists raise concerns about chewy supplements taken daily. Take them with a meal, rinse with water afterwards and do not brush immediately.

Sugar-free versions use sweeteners that cause digestive upset in quantity, and xylitol-containing products are toxic to dogs.

Stability

Some vitamins degrade faster in a gummy base, which is why manufacturers overfill at production. Check the date, store them cool and dry, and do not leave them in a warm car or a sunny kitchen.

Children

Gummies look and taste like sweets, and overdose from a child eating a whole jar is a real risk, particularly with iron and vitamin A. Store them out of reach with a proper lid, exactly as you would medicines.

Do you need one at all

Most supplements are taken without a specific reason, and a varied diet covers almost everything in them. Vitamin D in winter, folic acid in pregnancy and B12 for vegans are the clear cases.

Test rather than guess where a deficiency is suspected, since treating an assumed problem means never finding the real one.

Reading the label

Amount per daily serving against the reference intake, the form of each nutrient, and third-party testing. Avoid proprietary blends that hide quantities.

Interactions

Several supplements interact with prescribed medicines — vitamin K with anticoagulants, calcium and magnesium with some antibiotics and thyroid medication, St John's wort with a long list. Leave hours between where advised.

Tell your doctor and pharmacist everything you take, including anything described as natural.

Where the money goes

Work out the cost per day and what it is actually delivering. Gummies cost considerably more per unit of active ingredient than tablets, which is the trade for palatability.

Buy sizes you will finish before the date rather than a large jar on offer.

Storage

Keep the lid sealed and out of heat, since gummies stick together and degrade in a warm cupboard.

Where they fit

Useful for anyone who cannot swallow tablets, and a supplement is still only worth taking for a specific reason.

Tell your pharmacist what you take.

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