Nutritional Sprays: A New Mode of Delivery for Supplements
Pharmaceutical and supplement companies are constantly looking for ways to make it easier to deliver drugs and supplements to the body. Currently, the most common delivery system is pills and capsules which go through the oral route.
However, innovations are making it possible for people to see new changes in the scene of pharmaceutics. Gone will be the days when people only rely on pills and capsule supplements. A French company, Erbalab, is banking on the idea of nutritional sprays as an alternative way to deliver nutrition to the body. Headed by Nicolas Brodetsky, the company has launched 16 sprays that use airless pump bottles similar to those utilized in the cosmetic industry. The company is developing different products including herbal extracts to improve overall well-being.
What Is a Sublingual Spray Nutrition?
As the name implies, the sublingual spray nutritional spray is made from herbal extracts and is delivered through a sublingual format which is placed at the base or back of the tongue. The extracts are kept inside a specialized spray bottle that comes with a mister so that the back of the tongue can be easily targeted.
The tongue has hundreds of capillaries. Thus the nutrition can be quickly taken up directly by the tiny blood vessels. Unlike traditional pills and capsules, the oral nutritional sprays contain potent mixtures of herbal extracts. Users only need to spray a small amount to get the results. The oral nutritional spray is equivalent to taking ten pills or capsules, which makes it very convenient.
Why the Sublingual Route?
The company emphasizes on the sublingual delivery of the oral nutritional spray. Many pharmaceutical experts view sublingual delivery as a promising alternative to the traditional capsule route. In a study conducted by researchers from India’s Kurukshetra University in 2011, it has been noted that this mode of delivery is useful for people who have problems with swallowing, such as the children and the elderly.
The rapid release of the active compounds directly into the bloodstream also promotes immediate effects. Conventional pills that are delivered through the oral route need to be broken down by the stomach acids then transported to the small intestines where the active ingredients will be slowly reabsorbed by the body. Because there are a lot of reactions involved, the potency of the pills are typically reduced in half. With a sublingual delivery system, the supplements can take effect within 10 to 15 minutes.
Benefits of The Sublingual Nutritional Sprays
Many consumers associate pills and nutrients as drugs even if they are just supplements. This negative connotation makes taking pills and capsules highly unattractive to many patients. When customers brand pills and capsules as “pharma,” they get two perceptions: (1) the products are more effective or (2) they may cause a lot of side effects. With sublingual nutritional sprays, people will not associate them with drugs at all. The fear of medicine and pharma solutions are then lessened.
Nutritional sublingual sprays look very promising. It will be interesting to see how they are applied in medicines and nutrition in the future.
Source: www.nutraingredients.com
