All vitamin supplements available in the market are not the same in terms of quality. Three basic types are available: tablets, capsules, and liquid form. Tablets are the most common, formed by mixing organic or inorganic binders and compressed into tablet form. They have poor absorption rate, often less than 30%. The absorption also depends on the quality of binders used. High-quality vitamin supplements use expensive organic binders, which makes their nutrients get absorbed in the upper intestinal walls straight into the blood stream.

Liquid vitamin supplements, claimed to have high-absorption rates, are available in a wide range of flavors. However, the claim that these are capable of effecting an almost 90% absorption must be regarded cautiously. They cannot be assumed to be better than tablets, since faster absorption is not the key issue, but better assimilation and optimum utilization of the nutrient for the bodys well being. Vitamins, when suspended or dissolved in a fluid, can become quite unstable. They cannot carry the enzymes in a usable form for more than a few hours. Hence, the nutrients get destroyed when they reach the stomach acids before they reach the upper intestine, where the highest absorption occurs. The same enzyme can be a useful, stable agent in a high-quality tablet vitamin supplement. However, people who have trouble with swallowing, as well as those for whom absorption of solids is difficult, have been observed to get good results with vitamin supplements in their liquid forms.

Natural foods are the best source of vitamins and nutrients, which work wonders for the body in a holistic manner. For example, natural vitamin E is clinically proven to be far more effective than synthetic vitamin E. Fortunately for the consumer, the nutraceutical industry has taken note of this and begun encapsuling and packaging natures best vitamins and nutrients, retaining their natural forms and making them available to the discerning vitamin seeker without the perils of chemicals, binding agents, and preservatives.