Vitamin C has long been known for its positive health effects, and thanks to our friends at Abundance and Health, we recently learned that liposomal supplements of this vitamin could be even more beneficial than the traditional form. Read our Winter 2020/21 article on the subject below!
C the Vitality
Study reveals benefits of liposomal supplements
by Aisling Cronin
It has long been common knowledge that Vitamin C promotes good health … but deeper layers to this knowledge have been revealed by a study that was recently published by the International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine (ISOM).
Liposomal encapsulation technology is a cutting-edge technological method of making liposomes – microscopic bubbles that encapsulate various substances. The name liposome originates from two Greek words – lipos and soma – ‘lipos’ meaning fat and ‘soma’ meaning body.
Liposomal supplements are a class of health supplements that feature a protective shell around their major molecules. This shell can safeguard the supplements from external wear and tear, but is easily broken down by the body once ingested. Standard oral tablets and capsules can fall short when it comes to delivering their full therapeutic potential, due to the actions of enzymes in the stomach and intestinal tract. The absorption process may be further hindered by the integrity of the intestinal lining or the addition of fillers, binders, gelatins and sugar, which may lead to incomplete disintegration, reducing bioavailability of the active components. Some nutrients also efficiently crossing cell membranes.
The goal of the study published in the ISOM was to compare concentrations of ascorbate (vitamin C) in plasma and white blood cells following oral administration of liposomal vitamin C (LivOn Labs, Altrient), versus traditional vitamin C in the form of powder.
The study authors were Nina Mikirova, Tom Levy and Ronald Hunninghake. Tom Levy is a consultant of the Riordan Clinic and LivOn Laboratories. He said: “When choosing a liposomal product, the most important factor, apart from encapsulation rates, is the stability of the liposome. You want the liposome to remain stable in its packaging and also to remain stable in the body, so it can deliver its load to the cells. You can easily test for a liposome and its encapsulation rates outside of the body –however, once in the body, it is more complicated to test stability. Blood levels of vitamin C is one way of testing how stable a liposome is.”
Some of the key points in the study were:
- The body retains the vitamin C from liposomal vitamin C longer than non-encapsulated vitamin C.
- Faster uptake of liposomal vitamin C was observed in the white blood cells.
- 50% more vitamin C was absorbed in white blood cells from liposomal vitamin C than from non-encapsulated vitamin C.
Nutritional therapist Jackie Newson BSc (Hons) explains, ‘the unique delivery system of liposomal encapsulation technology ensures a near complete uptake of vitamin C into the bloodstream by avoiding some of the usual hazards that contribute to poor absorption. By wrapping vitamin C into a liposome, the body continues to absorb it over time and it stays in the bloodstream longer, so plasma levels increase and stay at those higher levels for a longer period.’
