If you’re taking your supplements in capsule form, it’s not just the active ingredients that matter. The capsule does too.
Supplement capsules broadly can be split up into two categories: vegetarian capsules (often just called “veggie caps”) or gelatin capsules.
We highly recommend only choosing supplements that use vegetarian capsules. In this article, we’re going to break down why.
And we’ll also make the case that it goes beyond just the problems with gelatin capsules.
Quickly, what are supplement capsules?
Supplement capsules are small, dissolvable containers used to deliver active ingredients, typically in powder or liquid form, directly into your body. They are commonly made from either gelatin, derived from animal by-products, or plant-based materials, such as cellulose, which are used to create vegetarian capsules. Capsules are designed to dissolve in your digestive system.
Where Gelatin Capsules Come From
Most people don’t realize that many capsules are made from gelatin, a substance derived from the collagen found in animal tissues. Typically, this gelatin is sourced from low-quality animal by-products, such as the tendons, ligaments, and bones of cows, pigs, and sometimes even fish.
Animal by-products are the leftover parts of animals that are not used for meat, such as skin, connective tissue, and bones.
These materials are often processed into gelatin, but they can come from animals raised in questionable conditions, and the quality of the raw materials varies. Think mass factory, grain-fed farming, and there's a good chance the gelatin in your supplements comes from the scraps of that process.
Additionally, these by-products may contain contaminants, additives, or hormones. You want to steer clear of anything that has to do with gelatine capsules.
Where Vegetable Capsules Come From
Vegetable capsules are made from plant-derived materials, typically cellulose, which is a natural fibrous plant material. In fact, you eat cellulose when you eat all kinds of fibrous foods, from celery to apples.
Unlike gelatin capsules, veggie caps are free from animal by-products.
In addition to being plant-based, veggie caps are hypoallergenic, free from common allergens, and less likely to cause digestive issues. They also provide a cleaner option, as they are often produced without the use of harmful chemicals or additives. It's the obvious choice.
If A Supplement Uses Low-Quality Gelatin Capsules, What Else Are They Hiding From You?
In Atul Gawande’s book, The Checklist Manifesto, there’s a story about David Lee Roth, the lead singer of Van Halen, and brown M&Ms.
Wherever they toured, Roth insisted that each venue they played at left them a bowl of M&M’s backstage, but with every brown M&M removed.
Once, they canceled a show because the venue didn’t follow through on this. Why? It wasn’t about the M&Ms. Gawande writes, “This turned out to be, however, not another example of the insane demands of power-mad celebrities but an ingenious ruse.”
It was because they used dangerous theatrical stunts, and if they couldn’t trust a venue to pass the brown M&M test, they couldn’t trust them to set up their equipment correctly.
The same applies here.
If a supplement brand chooses low-quality capsules, they probably aren’t going above and beyond to give you the best ingredients. It probably means they’d rather save a few pennies and choose higher margins. Maybe they’ll use generic ingredients instead of patented ones. Maybe you can’t trust that their label reflects reality at all. (After all, in a recent survey 25% of protein powders had less protein than the label claimed.)
So even if you’re not concerned about gelatin capsules, we believe it should raise a red flag, just like failing the M&M test did for David Lee Roth and Van Halen.
Check the Label
Does it say “vegetable capsule,” or “gelatin?” This simple ingredient may tell you more than you think about the quality of your supplements.
Sometimes, you can skip the capsule altogether, but it depends on the supplement. For creatine, learn more in this article on creatine powder vs pills.
