Effervescent tablets are an ever popular format of supplementation within the sports and beauty sectors due to the ease with which they are consumed.
According to The International Pharmacopoeia by the World Health Organisation, effervescent tablets by definition are ‘’uncoated tablets generally containing acid substances and carbonates or hydrogen carbonates that react rapidly in the presence of water to release carbon dioxide. They are intended to be dissolved or dispersed in water before administration.’’
HOW IT WORKS
The fizz is a result of a simple acid-base reaction. When an acidic material and a basic material are placed together they react to neutralise their acid and base properties, producing a salt. The most commonly used acid and base in effervescent tablets are citric acid and sodium bicarbonate, respectively. When the citric acid and sodium bicarbonate get together in water, carbon dioxide gas is released (causing the fizz). Water is important to initiate the reaction – no water, no reaction.
6 BENEFITS OF EFFERVESCENTS:
- Practical and On the Go - All you need is water – so effervescent tablets can be used anywhere and at any time. They are also a great alternative for those who don’t like tablets or who have difficulty swallowing tablets
- Improved Palatability -Effervescents also contain other ingredients such as flavours and sweeteners which help improve the taste. They help improve compliance and mean that taking supplements containing vitamins and minerals is easier.
- Gentle on the Stomach and Intestines -As effervescent tablets dissolve in water, the pH of the final solution causes the active ingredients to transit faster from the stomach to the small intestine, helping to reduce gastrointestinal irritation.
- Increases Water Intake -As water is required for effervescent tablets it makes sense that they help increase water intake and thereby help to meet an individual’s daily water consumption alongside vitamin and mineral ingestion.
- Better Bioavailability -Bioavailability refers to the rate at which a substance is absorbed from the site of administration to reaching the bloodstream in order to elicit its effect in the target location within the body. There are 2 main reasons effervescent dosage forms are more bioavailable than conventional forms such as tablets and capsules. The first is due to the carbon dioxide produced from the acid-base reaction which increases their permeability. The second is due to the fact they enter the gastrointestinal system as a solution, resulting in higher absorption rates within the body.
- More Consistent Response - Vitamins and minerals delivered using an effervescent dosage format have predictable and reproducible pharmacokinetic profiles that are much more consistent when compared to tablet and capsule forms.
At Opalbond, we have been supplying private-label effervescent tablets for nearly 15 years, providing the fizzing vitamin and mineral supplementation form for every customer's needs. If you are looking to extend your product range to include effervescent tablets, please get in touch at enquires@opalbond.co.uk.