The Spreen Water Test It's time to give your tablets a test. An HSI member named Tressa recently posted this question on the HSI Forum: "Does anyone know the details of the test to check whether a tablet is designed properly so it is likely to dissolve when you swallow it, rather than be excreted as so many tablets are? I'm not sure water is the correct test. Perhaps it should be lemon juice? Or are you supposed to put HCl (hydrochloric acid) in the water? Stir it or not? How long is it supposed to take to dissolve? Etc." Inasmuch as HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., has previously told us that the contents of hard pills are not easily absorbed, I asked him if he'd ever heard of a tablet test. He has, and here are his comments: "Theoretically, 'proper' testing is supposed to use vinegar, I believe. However, I don't know because I wouldn't consider such a test. If a pill doesn't disintegrate almost immediately in water I don't use it. Many people don't produce nearly enough acid, so even if they're taking digestive enzymes (but as hard pills), they may never actually absorb anything. "Hard pills are cheaper than capsules for one thing, and another thing is that more 'stuff' can be pressed into them. That does NOT mean you can get it back out. If I'm forced to use hard pills I at least break them in half, and I'd crush them if I knew I could tolerate the taste. Capsules are the way to go. Just ask a septic tank cleaner, most of whom can attest to the tons of undigested pills that settle to the bottom of tanks! "For the same reason I'd also avoid 'time release' types, which are specifically designed NOT to release! Be your own time-releaser and take the capsules more often. "Nutrient supplements are taken to enhance nutrient levels that should be in our food (but often aren't, due to the poor quality of our 'civilized' diet), so they should survive stomach acid if mixed with food. Supplements shouldn't be taken alone, anyway…a waste of money. "Vitamin B-12 may be one exception, where injections and sub-lingual types (under-the-tongue) are superior to oral, where acid may really lessen the dose." We have some hard pills around the office. Maybe we'll give them the Spreen water test to see how they do. To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute | 
