Liposomal liquid vs. liposomal powder - The comparison

What will you learn in this guide?

1. Have you ever tried liposomal powder? Neither have we...
2. What are liposomes?
3. What are phospholipids?
4. How is a liposome formed?
5. How are liposomal powders made?
6. The transport of active substances in the body
7. ActiNovo studies
8. Test winner: Liquid liposomal vitamin C from ActiNovo

1. Have you ever tried liposomal powder? Neither have we...

Why do we at ActiNovo only offer liposomal products in liquid form? Are powdered preparations as effective as liquid preparations? The answer, which is based on scientific research, is no .

To understand why there are no liposomal powders, we explain what liposomes are, how they are made and what their normal function is.

2. What are liposomes?

Simply put, liposomes are lipid vesicles made up of phospholipids arranged in a row. This arrangement creates a double membrane that allows them to envelop a nutrient such as glutathione.

The formation is so special because this structure is present in almost all cell membranes of the human body.

3. What are phospholipids?

The name itself gives the first clue: phospholipids are bound to a phosphate group.

Phospholipids have 1. a water-loving (hydrophilic) head and 2. a fat-loving (lipophilic) tail. This property enables phospholipids to mediate between water-soluble and fat-soluble substances.

Phospholipids are found both in our own bodies and in foods. For example, lecithin (which is mostly made up of phospholipids) is used in the production of ice cream, where fat and water are mixed. Lecithin is often used as an emulsifier in foods to help water and fats combine smoothly.

4. How is a liposome formed?

By supplying a special type of energy, the phospholipids arrange themselves in the formation of double membranes. The fat-loving tails are directed inwards and the water-loving heads are directed outwards towards the surrounding water solution. In order for phospholipids to arrange themselves, they must be in water . Only then do the phospholipids naturally form a spherical shape. This reaction has already created the liposome!

At ActiNovo, we use ultrasound as a gentle energy source to produce these liposomes. During this phase of production, we can pack active ingredients such as vitamin C or vitamin D3 into the liposomes. Our liposomes are surrounded by an aqueous solution that maintains the structure of the liposomes and the active ingredient.

We use 96% pure phospholipids as the basic building blocks for our liposomes. We obtain these from European GMO-free sunflower seeds. This is the highest level of purity available on the market.

5. How are liposomal powders made?

To create a powder formula, manufacturers first create standard liposomes encapsulated with an active ingredient. These liposomes are homogenized and converted into a dry powder by freeze-drying or spray-drying. One advantage of these formulations is that they have a long storage stability. The question arises: does this come at the expense of bioavailability, utilization of the encapsulated nutrient and the structure of the liposome?

Yes, because liposomes can only exist in water.

If there is water inside and around the liposome, a special pressure is created that holds the liposome membrane in place. If the water falls away, the liposome cannot maintain its three-dimensional shape. This leads to a loss of the structural shape of the liposome.

This means that liposomal powder in the traditional sense does not exist. Although the basis of these " liposomal " powders is phospholipids, no spherical phospholipid bilayer forms around the active ingredient. As soon as the liposomes are freeze-dried into a powder, the phospholipids "stick" to the active ingredient in a disordered manner. Therefore, the term lipid powder is probably a more appropriate description. We will show you a direct comparison in pictures:

The pictures show the difference: The liposome in water has a perfect, spherical shape due to the water pressure. The picture of the powdered liposome formula, on the other hand, consists only of dried phospholipids and active ingredients. Compared to intact liposomes, the bioavailability of the powder formulas in water is significantly worse.

If no water is present, the liposome ruptures, disintegrates and does not function normally.

6. The transport of active substances in the body

The structure of liposomes is the same as that of a human cell. The chemical law of nature applies:

"Like mixes with like".

Liposomes fuse with our human intestinal cells because both are made up of phospholipids. This allows the intestine to transport the active ingredient unhindered into the bloodstream.

In the case of tablets or powders, the active ingredients must be absorbed via osmosis or other transport channels. The digestive tract can be a hostile environment for conventional dietary supplements. Active ingredients that are sensitive to stomach acid or digestive enzymes are poorly absorbed because they do not enter the bloodstream. For example, glutathione, which is hardly absorbed at all as a powder or capsule, can be absorbed orally up to 63 times better as liposomal liquid glutathione.

Liposomes are able to bypass these obstacles in the digestive tract, keeping the active ingredient safe and delivering it efficiently to the cells and bloodstream. The only other way to ensure maximum absorption is intravenous injection, but this can be expensive, cumbersome and requires the intervention of doctors!

No liquid = no benefit of liposomal supplements

Although powders can increase the bioavailability of the active ingredient, they cannot increase the bioavailability of intact liposomes. This reduces the effectiveness of the powder. In addition, powders are much more expensive than true liposomal formulations and are less well absorbed by the body.

7. ActiNovo studies

If you compare the three forms of liposomal powder, the classic tablet and the liposomal liquid form, a study shows the difference: Liquid liposomal supplements prevail with their unbeatable effectiveness over conventional tablets and also the liposomal powder form!

The liposomal powder performs worst in the overall comparison and is even the least effective compared to conventional tablets.

• LLA = ActiNovo´s liposomal liquid vitamin C
• LLB = Competitor's liposomal liquid vitamin C
• PL = Liposomal Vitamin C in powder form
• NL = Conventional non-liposomal vitamin C tablet

8. Test winner: Liquid liposomal vitamin C from ActiNovo

1000 mg of liquid liposomal vitamin C has a 12 times higher bioavailability than 1000 mg of vitamin C in tablet form! The liquid form is absorbed much better by the human body and can be detected in the blood for significantly longer.

And why?

The vitamin C contained in a liquid liposome is well protected from the environment of the gastrointestinal tract. This means that it is transported directly into our bloodstream and can immediately exert its antioxidant effect. One thing is certain: lipid powders are clearly inferior to liposomes in water.

Would you like to learn more about liposomal technology at ActiNovo?

Then click here and find out more on our explanatory page "What are liposomes".