Vegetarian Capsules

Vegetable Capsules Are A Healthier Alternative

There are now more vegetarians in our present society than before. The U.S. Department of Agriculture made a change in the Four Basic Food Groups in the early 1990s. They recommended that more whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables be added to the daily food intake. This started the steady increase of people eating vegetarian diets. It eventually made vegetarianism a part of mainstream society instead of just being a niche market. Since then, more and more products are developed to cater for the growing number of people going on vegan diets.

The industry producing vitamin supplements are also affected. Vegetarians began seeking for supplemental products that do not contain animal by-products in them. Thus, instead of gelatin caps, vegetarians want their health supplements encased in vegetarian caps. All gel caps are made from animal by-products and they are not suited for a vegetarian. To them, eating animal based foods is not a healthy way of living.

This reasoning is not without basis because eating foods derived from animals and animal products causes medical problems in some people. This is just talking about animals which are fed with organic foods without chemical additives and synthetic supplements. We have to consider that nowadays, most farm animals where our animal foods come from, are fed with a wide array of chemically and synthetically grown foods.

What Are Vegetarian Capsules?
In the past, all capsules were made of gelatin. Even vegetarians in those days have taken gelatin capsules simply because they are the only ones available then. But with the increased awareness about the consequences of eating animal products, and the growing market for vegetarian products, many manufacturers are now producing different kinds of vegetarian capsules.

The first vegetarian capsules are actually made of HPMC, a semi-synthetic product which incorporates a plant cellulose-based shell. Another material by which veggie capsules are made of is pullulan which is produced from starch made by the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans. These organic plant alternatives to animal-based gelatin are ideal for making edible coating and blends well with moisture sensitive substances.

Advantages of Vegetarian Capsules
Since they are plant-based foods, vegetarian capsules have some decided advantages over gelatin capsules. Here are some of them.

• Unlike gelatin capsules, vegetarian capsules will not cause allergies to people who have sensitive skin. Hypersensitivity to cow and bovine products triggers itchiness and hives when gelatin capsules are taken. There will be no such problems when veggie capsules are taken.
• Those who have kidney and liver problems can now take their supplements with veggie caps without worrying about the side effects. Before, they can’t take their supplements because of the protein contained in gelatin capsules. Their liver and kidneys have to work hard to excrete the protein contained in the gelatin capsules.
• Vegetarian capsules are also friendly to people who are eating Kosher foods. Since these capsules do not contain any animal by-product, they are sure that what they are eating is really “clean” food with no traces of non-kosher animals.
• With vegetarian capsules, you are sure that there are no chemical additives or traces of anti-biotics in the supplements that you are taking.
• The thought that you are eating an all-natural product puts you in a more positive mental state – knowing that it is your health that benefit the most.

Uses Of Vegetarian Capsules
As in gelatin capsules, vegetarian capsules are also used for encapsulating all sorts of substances such as medicines and vitamin supplements. As already mentioned, they are a healthier alternative to gelatin capsules. That means the utilization of gelatin capsules are also the same with veggie capsules. The only difference is the material they are made of.

Sizes And Colors Of Vegetarian Capsules
The typical sizes of vegetarian capsules are the same as the sizes of gelatin capsules. Empty vegetarian capsules are also available in sizes starting from 1, 0, 00 and 000. The contents of size “0” are also the same with gel caps which is about 400 to 800 milligrams.

Manufacturers have tried to make vitamin capsules more appealing to the consumer by producing them in different colors. Like gelatin capsules, you can also buy empty veggie capsules that are colorless, or with colors such as red, orange, pink, green or blue.

The Future Of Vegetarian Capsules
With the increasing demand for more naturally grown and organic food, the demand for vitamins and medicines encased in vegetarian capsules is expected to rise. Statistics showed that there is a 46% rise in sales of vegetarian capsules. It is interesting to note that this rise in demand is co-related to the decrease in other similar forms of products, including those which are at the top of the list. This only indicates that consumers are getting more and more conscious about their health.