Liposomal supplements, like liposomal vitamin C and liposomal glutathione, are all the rage, but many people are unaware of a big problem with most of them.
What are liposomal vitamins?
The term liposome is derived from the Greek words "lipos" for fat and "soma" for body. The root word also describes the properties of liposomes. They form a body (vesicle) that serves as a protective shield.
Liposomes are lipid vesicles made of phospholipids strung together to form a double membrane. A structure arranged in this way is also present in the cell membranes of the human body. Regardless of size or structure, liposomes can enclose different substances.
These are transported both in their aqueous interior and within their liposoluble double membrane. Liposomal thus means the encapsulation of a particular active ingredient in phospholipids.
Liposomes act like a protective shield around the nutrient. Thus, the main ingredient does not come into contact with gastric acid, and consequently, its absorption is not restricted. The desired ingredient is protected in a double membrane made of phospholipids. Therefore, the function of liposomes is mainly to transport the active ingredient in a hidden way so that it can enter our bloodstream without loss of effect.
I know that is a bit sciency, but it’s important to understand because the big problem I mentioned earlier is that most liposomal supplements are not actually liposomal and will not provide the advantages that real liposomal vitamins do. Unfortunately, labeling products as one thing when they are not is common in the supplement industry.
What is the difference between a fake liposomal supplement and a real one?
To get right down to it, most companies' “liposomal” supplements are just the main ingredient, such as vitamin C, mixed with phospholipids. Putting vitamin C in a big blender with some liquid lecithin is not how you make a liposomal supplement. These are not real liposomal supplements and do not offer the advantages a true liposomal supplement provides. However, it is far cheaper and easier to make, so that’s why it’s done.
How are liposomal supplements made?
A real liposomal supplement is made by taking phospholipids and using ultrasound to cause the desired ingredients (vitamins, minerals, herbs, etc) to be enclosed in the phospholipids, thus creating a liposome. The ingredient is then protected inside. By applying this special kind of energy, the phospholipids arrange themselves in the formation of double membranes, which are similar in structure to the human cell membrane. An aqueous solution surrounds the liposomes. The fat-loving heads of the phospholipids are directed inwards, and the water-loving heads are directed outwards to the surrounding water solution. In order to arrange properly, phospholipids must be surrounded by water. Only then would they form a spherical structure. That is when you have a real liposomal vitamin.
Liposomal Vitamin capsules and powders
Properly made liposomal supplements will not come in pill or powder form, only liquid. There are several important reasons for this. I am aware that a lot of companies claim to sell pill and powder versions of them, but it shows a lack of understanding or caring about what they are selling.
The problem with "liposomal pills" is that the entire functional principle of liposomal formulations is based on the fact that the active ingredient is masked, i.e., made invisible, by the phospholipids. The small intestine thus sees only the phospholipids and absorbs them with the main ingredient hidden in them. However, if the ratio between the main ingredient and phospholipids is out of balance and the proportion of the main substance is too high, this again becomes visible to the small intestine, and the liposomal functional principle fails. This is the big problem with liposomal capsules. With liposomal molecules taking up a lot more space than a traditional vitamin or ingredient, companies have to decrease the ratio of phospholipids to the main ingredient, thereby defeating the purpose of a liposomal supplement. The next time you see a company selling liposomal supplement capsules or softgels, know you’re not getting the advantages of a real liposomal vitamin.
So what's the issue with "liposomal powders"?
To create a powder formula, manufacturers first create standard liposomes encapsulated with an active ingredient. These liposomes are homogenized and converted into a dry powder by freeze-drying or spray-drying. One advantage of these formulations is that they have a long storage stability. The question arises: does this come at the expense of bioavailability, utilization of the encapsulated nutrient, and the structure of the liposome? The answer is yes, because liposomes can only exist in water. If there is water inside and around the liposome, a special pressure is created that holds the liposome membrane in place. The liposome cannot maintain its three-dimensional shape if the water falls away. This leads to a loss of the structural shape of the liposome. This means that liposomal powder, in the traditional sense, does not exist. Although the basis of these " liposomal powders" is phospholipids, no spherical phospholipid bilayer forms around the active ingredient. As soon as the liposomes are dried into a powder, the phospholipids "stick" to the active ingredient in a disordered manner. Therefore, the term lipid powder is probably a more appropriate description. Here is a direct comparison in pictures:
The pictures show the clear difference: The liposome in water has a perfect, spherical shape due to the water pressure. On the other hand, the picture of the powdered liposome formula consists only of dried phospholipids and active ingredients. Compared to intact liposomes, the bioavailability of the powder formulas in water is significantly worse. This goes for capsules with powder inside as well. Without water, the liposome ruptures, disintegrates, and does not function normally. This cannot be fixed by buying a powder and mixing it with water. It’s like Humpty Dumpty; it’s not getting put back together again.
The structure of liposomes is very similar to that of a human cell. The chemical law of nature applies: "Like mixes with like." Liposomes' special interaction with our human intestinal cells happens because both comprise phospholipids. This allows the intestine to transport the main ingredient unhindered into the bloodstream. In the case of tablets or powders, the active ingredients must be absorbed via osmosis or other transport channels. So even if your pill or powder says it is liposomal, it will not be absorbed like a real liposomal liquid, resulting in reduced absorption compared to a truly liposomal vitamin. The digestive tract can be a hostile environment for conventional dietary supplements. Ingredients sensitive to stomach acid or digestive enzymes are often poorly absorbed because they become degraded by digestive secretions. Liposomes can bypass these obstacles in the digestive tract, keeping the ingredients safe and delivering them efficiently to the cells and bloodstream. No liquid = no benefit of liposomal supplements
Real liposomal supplements will always be in liquid form so that the effect and benefits of the liposomes are not lost. The formation of the encapsulation around the active ingredient is only possible in the liquid state, which is why the production of liposomal capsules is not an alternative. Liposomal supplements are also a great choice for people with difficulty swallowing pills. Dried powders or oils inside of a pill will not be liposomal.
How should liposomal supplements be packaged?
How your liposomal supplement is packaged makes a huge difference.
First up, it should be protected from light. Clear packaging is a terrible idea, as it is for other supplements. Light will cause a breakdown of a number of different nutrients, and the supplement will have reduced potency.
Second, it should not be in plastic bottles or foil packets. Packaging them that way will cause significant leaching into the product. None of us need more microplastics, BPA, or similar substances in our bodies. Just because the bottle says BPA-free does not make it a safe plastic. Pills or powders inside a plastic bottle are fine, but you don't want liposomal liquids in plastic. We contacted many of the largest manufacturers of liposomal supplements, who package them in plastic bottles and foil packets. None of the ones we talked to tested properly for microplastics, BPA, and other similar compounds.
Liposomal supplements should be packaged in dark glass. That is the best way to protect the product and your health.
Preservatives in liposomal vitamins
Far too many liposomal supplements have preservatives that are not things you want to put in your body, like EDTA, sodium benzoate, and potassium sorbate. Properly made liposomal vitamins don’t need those, and you should not buy supplements with them. One preservative we see a lot in liposomal supplements is something called tocofersolan. This is identified on the label as being vitamin E. This seems harmless enough and makes the label look clean. What these companies conveniently leave off the label is that this is not regular vitamin E but a polyethylene glycol (PEG) derivative of vitamin E. It is not the common form of natural vitamin E used as a preservative. Companies should be upfront and put that on the label, but I guess it would not be so appealing to people looking for clean products.
Hexane and acetone in liposomal supplements
Most liposomal supplements use phospholipids that were extracted with hexane and acetone. You don’t want or need those in your supplements. It’s important to choose those made without those solvents.
How to use liposomal supplements
Liposomal supplements can be taken with or without food. Make sure to shake them well before using. They can be mixed with any cold food or beverage.
After opening, the products should be refrigerated and consumed within 6-8 weeks. Please note that in order to maintain the liposomal effect, they should not be heated or frozen.
The Best Liposomal Vitamins And Supplements
Finding a company that made real liposomal supplements without any unwanted preservatives and packaged them correctly felt like a herculean task. There were just so many fake ones. We think this is because most companies selling them don’t make them themselves and don’t truly understand what a real liposome is. That or they don’t care. The sheer number of companies that just said they were nutrients mixed with phospholipids or lecithin was astounding. After all these years, you would think I wouldn't be phased by its insanity, yet here I am. If they don't even know what liposome is, how can we trust that their products are made correctly?
The vast majority of liposomal supplements are made by just a handful of large white/private label manufacturers and then the supplement companies just slap their label on it.
That was certainly not going to cut it for us. We wanted to find a company that made their own liposomes, not just put their name and label on a finished product.
We wanted one packaged in dark glass, free of hexane and acetone, free of questionable preservatives, and, of course, it had to be in liquid form. Most importantly, though, they had to truly be liposomal supplements, not one of the eight million fake ones we looked at. We also wanted them to be free of sweeteners and non-food flavorings.
Our search took us around the world because we could not locate a line of them in the United States that met our standards. Thankfully, after banging my head on my desk eight thousand times and being bullshitted by countless companies, we finally found one.
Actinovo Liposomal Supplements
Actinovo Liposomal Supplements are produced in Hamburg, Germany, by their parent company PlantaCorp. They have one of the largest and most comprehensive lines of liposomal supplements.
They use hexane and acetone-free phospholipids, which are over 96% pure and derived from European-grown sunflower seeds. Most phospholipids are made from soy, which can be problematic for those with soy allergies.
They do not use unwanted preservatives; sea buckthorn and rosemary provide a natural and safe preservative solution. In addition, malic acid is used to balance acidity. No potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, polyethylene glycol, alcohol, or EDTA are used.
Their unique manufacturing process, using ultrasound, creates true liposomes that deliver the full advantages they offer. There are no fake liposomal supplements here.
All of their products are packaged in dark glass. In addition, they are all gluten and dairy-free and vegan.
One of our favorite things about them is that the glycerin in their products is not made from palm oil, which unfortunately, most glycerin is. Palm oil is one of the worst crops, ethically and for the environment, so whenever we find supplements made without palm oil, it makes us really happy.
While the process of finding a good liposomal supplement company was, let's just say, not the most fun, it was certainly worth it. You can see the full line of Actinovo products we have here.
Liposomal supplement questions and support
If you have questions about liposomal vitamins and supplements, please email us at info@rooted-nutrition.com, and we will be happy to help!