Supplement Solutions for Swallowing Difficulties
Struggling with pills? You’re not alone. For millions of adults, swallowing tablets, capsules and softgels, whether medication or supplements, is difficult. Michele Kettles, MD, MSPH, preventive medicine physician at Cooper Clinic, shares insight on easy-to-swallow vitamin options for better compliance and well-being†.
Understanding Dysphagia and Swallowing Difficulties
The ability to swallow without difficulty is something most adults take for granted. But, for as many as 15 million adults, difficulty swallowing – dysphagia – is a condition affecting everyday life. It is estimated that 1 in 25 people experience some form of dysphagia in their lifetime, including 22% of adults age 50 and older.1
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$25.98 Add to cartHow Dysphagia Affects Supplement Use
Dr. Kettles says, “For some people, it’s a true medical condition. They have a stricture in their esophagus or something that makes it difficult to swallow. Some people have anxiety that may cause swallowing symptoms. Some people just don’t like to swallow large pills. So, where we see the impact is people really struggle with medications and vitamins because they can’t swallow or it’s uncomfortable to swallow.”
With almost 70% of adults taking at least one prescription medication – and more than 20 percent taking five or more2 – difficulty swallowing makes the ability to take the medications prescribed by their physicians extremely challenging. According to Dr. Kettles, “People who have never had a problem can create one by taking too many pills.”
Non-Pill Supplement Options for Adults
When it comes to vitamin supplementation, consumers now have more options than ever. “There are options, particularly for vitamins that are notoriously large, including multivitamins, fish oil capsules, and calcium tablets. Multivitamins are available in both chewable and liquid forms. ”
Physician Perspective: Personal and Patient Experiences
“When I started at Cooper Clinic, I had patients who wanted to take a multivitamin. And, they’d whisper to me, ‘I’ll just take my kid’s Flintstones chewables.’ Like it was a bad thing to do. I said, ‘That’s great!’ Because they kind of like taking it. It’s almost like a little treat. It got them to take their multivitamin and didn’t make them gag every morning. Some people just do better with chewables.”
In terms of her own personal regimen, Dr. Kettles prefers a few favorite non-pill supplements. “I do have a few go-to ones. Fish oil is a big one because those capsules are large. One product is Coromega, which is a squeeze pack of omega-3 fish oil in gel form. It doesn’t taste sweet. But it doesn’t taste like fish. So, it really goes down easy. Magnesium is a popular supplement because it helps with relaxation for bedtime† as well as with cramps† and constipation†. People like magnesium gummies. And Natural Vitality makes magnesium gummies and powder†.”
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We asked Dr. Kettles if any of the non-pill forms of nutritional supplements offer better or more comprehensive levels of nutrients than others. “I can’t think of anything that’s not available in a non-pill form. I can find good options whether they’re chewable or not.”
Are Gummy Vitamins a Good Choice?
In terms of the sugars found in gummies, “I tell my patients, ‘Let’s look at dose, let’s look at added sugars.’ Because if they’re taking all supplements in gummy form, they could consume up to 100 additional calories a day. It can add up. There are also low-sugar options available. Someone who is super strict on their calories might have to be more careful. But, generally, it’s not a huge enough volume that it’s a big deal.”
Tailoring Supplement Plans to the Individual
Dr. Kettles takes a highly individualized approach to supplement recommendations for her patients. “Back in the day, it used to be, ‘Everybody needs a multivitamin.’ Now, it’s, o.k. your B12 is low, or your B12 and D are low, so you need B12† and D†. If you get to the point where your B12 is low, your D’s low, and your iron’s low, you might as well take a multivitamin that has all of those.
At Cooper Clinic, every patient in for preventive medicine exams has their vitamin D, omega-3 fish oil level, B12, and iron levels checked with same-day lab results. “Those are the deficiencies that come up most frequently for supplementation†,” says Dr. Kettles. “We do check magnesium and calcium – all the electrolytes – and can always add other things as the patient needs.”
Finding What Works for You
Dr. Kettles herself has some difficulty swallowing pills. “I’m one of those people who can’t tolerate any type of fish oil capsule. They’re just too big. I can’t swallow them. That’s how I found Coromega fish oil gel pack. That’s where my journey began. Now, the occasional patient who took their kids’ Flintstones chewable multivitamin can find just about anything in an adult version for a vitamin supplement. There’s a reason for that. People want it. And compliance is better when people don’t mind taking their vitamins†.”
References
1 ASHA,2008; Bhattacharyya, 2014
2 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2019
Medically Reviewed By: Michele Kettles, MD, MSPH, Chief Medical Officer and a preventive medicine physician at Cooper Clinic.