Popping a pill is no longer the only way to take a vitamin. Technical advances mean daily supplements are now available in a wide variety of forms — oral sprays, skin patches and even bath salts.
Just last week, a study at Sheffield University found an oral spray of vitamin D was as effective as pills. We asked Dr Lindsy Kass, a sports scientist and senior lecturer from the University of Hertfordshire, who has conducted studies on how well we absorb nutrients through the skin, for her opinion on some of the latest products. We then rated them.
Technical advances mean daily supplements are now available in a wide variety of forms — oral sprays, skin patches and even bath salts (stock image)
Multivitamin patches
Vie, 30 patches, £16.95, amazon.co.uk
Containing a blend of vitamins C, D, E, several B vitamins and resveratrol, this skin patch promises to deliver the ingredients directly into the bloodstream
CLAIM: Containing a blend of vitamins C, D, E, several B vitamins and resveratrol (an antioxidant thought to fight cell damage), this skin patch promises to deliver the ingredients directly into the bloodstream. Apply one patch to clean, hairless skin such as the upper arm daily.
EXPERT VERDICT: The main challenge when delivering vitamins via the skin is its low permeability; put simply, the skin doesn’t allow many substances to pass through it. In order to be absorbed through the skin, a product must be fat-soluble (because it’s much easier for a fatty substance to penetrate the waxy outside layer of the skin) and contain nanoparticles which are tiny enough to pass through it.
When ingested, nutrients are broken down by the digestive system, reducing the amount absorbed by the body. By delivering them through the skin, the theory is this allows more to be absorbed. Blood levels of some vitamins have been shown to increase with a ‘transdermal’ (skin) application — but research is inconclusive. These patches contain a good range of nutrients but there is no scientific evidence to back them up. The same vitamins in tablet form would cost under £5 a month so, unless you have a condition which affects absorption of food, such as coeliac disease, there is no additional benefit in using a patch.
4/10
Magnesium oil spray
Magnesium oil spray is said to ease sore muscles and help improve sleep
Betteryou, 100ml, £12.20, revital.co.uk
CLAIM: Sprayed directly on to skin, this is said to ease sore muscles and help improve sleep. Ten sprays deliver 200mg of magnesium, 57 per cent of the recommended daily intake.
EXPERT VERDICT: Magnesium is essential for many body functions — it helps lower blood pressure, reduces muscle cramps, aids sleep quality and improves the absorption of calcium. Several studies have shown it can be absorbed via the skin including a study I led in 2017 which found applying a magnesium cream to the skin daily for two weeks improved blood levels of the mineral by more than 22 per cent —more than double what you would receive from a magnesium tablet. So the claim that one squirt gives you 57 per cent of your RDA seems fair here.
Although it is possible to increase magnesium levels by eating more green vegetables, nuts or by taking a tablet, a spray is a convenient — and perhaps more effective — way to boost your intake, and has the added benefit of moisturising skin at the same time thanks to its oil-based formula.
8/10
Magnesium bath flakes
OSI, 1kg, £9.99, planetorganic.com
These magnesium bath flakes are not as magnesium-rich as others on the market, and if you have two to three baths a week, it would cost nearly £40 a month
CLAIM: The maker says these ‘highly soluble’ bath salts are an effective way to increase your magnesium levels. Add 250-300g (two cups) into a warm bath and relax for 20 minutes or more. Take two to three baths per week.
EXPERT VERDICT: There is some evidence that magnesium can be absorbed through the skin during a bath, but the science isn’t strong. Magnesium bath flakes have been around for hundreds of years in the form of Epsom salts which contain magnesium sulphate. Many of the newer forms consist of magnesium chloride, a more highly concentrated type, meaning you should absorb more magnesium from them.
These flakes are a combination of the two, as well as containing other salts which appear to have no known benefits. For the price, they are not as magnesium-rich as others on the market, and if you have two to three baths a week, it would cost nearly £40 a month!
3/10
Omega-3 plus patches
PatchMD, 30 patches, £16.95, amazon.co.uk
Each omega-3 plus patch contains 1,250mg omega 3 fats ‘to maintain normal brain function and support eye sight, joints and the immune system’
CLAIM: Each patch contains 1,250mg omega 3 fats ‘to maintain normal brain function and support eye sight, joints and the immune system’. Apply one patch daily and wear for 8 hours.
EXPERT VERDICT: Omega 3 plays a vital role in the functioning of the nervous system and may help keep the heart healthy. Yet many don’t get enough, largely because we eat too little oily fish, which is the main source of this essential fatty acid (‘Essential’ because our body needs them but can’t make them so has to consume them.)
People often don’t stick to taking omega 3 capsules because they’re generally very large and tricky to swallow — and some find they leave a fishy aftertaste. There is no published research into delivering omega 3 via a skin patch; even if particles were able to cross the skin barrier, there is no evidence yet that it could be used by the body in the same way as omega 3 taken orally. But if you can’t bear to eat more fish or take capsules, it could be worth giving patches a try.
6/10
Vitamin D3 spray
Holland & Barrett 50ml, £9.99
This vitamin D3 spray should be sprayed once daily into the mouth
CLAIM: A peppermint-flavoured spray which the maker says may be beneficial if you eat no oily fish, are largely housebound or tend to cover your skin when outdoors. Spray once daily into the mouth.
EXPERT VERDICT: Vitamin D helps keep bones and teeth healthy. The body creates vitamin D from sunlight on the skin, so we tend to get enough from late March to late September. Public Health England recommends a daily supplement of 10 mcg in autumn and winter.
Oral sprays deliver nutrient-containing droplets which are absorbed directly into the bloodstream via the cheeks, teeth, gums and under the tongue — in theory, increasing the amount absorbed. Vitamin D tablets start at around £5.50 for a three-month supply, so the price is nearly double for the same dose. But it’s probably worth it, because it should be better absorbed.
7/10
Ubiquinol oral spray
13.5ml, £21.00, yourhealthsolutions.co.uk
Ubiquinol is a form of the nutrient Coenzyme Q10
CLAIM: Ubiquinol is a form of the nutrient Coenzyme Q10, which the maker says can protect cells from damage caused by ‘free radicals’, rogue molecules linked to ageing and disease. It recommends eight sprays a day to provide a 40mg dose.
EXPERT VERDICT: There isn’t much evidence to support supplementation of CoQ10 or ubiquinol in healthy adults. While it does have important functions in the body, creating energy and fighting cell damage, and we produce less as we age, there’s little evidence that older people are actually deficient in CoQ10 or that they need more to remain healthy.
It’s also found in foods such as cabbage, chicken, beef and broccoli. The absorption route for ubiquinol is not well understood, and there’s no evidence that it’s better absorbed from a spray. This product also only provides 40mg of ubiquinol — less than half that in most common branded tablets, but at double the price. The one group which may benefit from ubiquinol supplements in any form are those on statins to treat high cholesterol, as it is thought these drugs can also block the body’s production of CoQ10.
3/10
B12 oral spray
Healthspan, 15ml, £8.95, healthspan.co.uk
This B12 oral spray is a blackcurrant-flavoured spray containing vitamin B12 ‘to support the immune health and energy levels’
CLAIM: A blackcurrant-flavoured spray containing vitamin B12 ‘to support the immune health and energy levels.’ Up to four sprays daily under the tongue.
EXPERT VERDICT: B12 is a water-soluble vitamin needed for healthy function of nerve cells and making red blood cells. As it’s found only in meat, fish, dairy, eggs and fortified breakfast cereals, vegans are at risk of not getting enough. The recommended daily amount in the UK is 1.5 micrograms per day.
This spray gives a dose of 250mcg and suggests a maximum four doses daily. Although much higher than the daily recommended amount, there’s no evidence of harmful effects from large doses. Because B12 tablets can be bulky to swallow, this spray would be easier to take. And for £8.95 for roughly a month’s supply, seems comparable in price to tablets.
7/10