There are so many vitamins out there that it can become confusing which one(s) to choose. They vary in form, price, quantity and it’s often difficult to know how to maximize what is best for your body. When it comes down to it, the best vitamin is the one your body absorbs the most. Tablets are the most difficult for your body to breakdown and absorb while liquids are the easiest, being that there is nothing to breakdown. There are still two other forms of vitamins that you can purchase: capsules and softgels. So how do you decide what is best? You can conduct a simple, at-home experiment to determine the absorption rates.  First, weigh each vitamin in the experiment and place in a separate cup, noting the weight and vitamin type. Next, fully cover the vitamin with water and wait 24hours. Pour the vitamin and water into a cheesecloth and place the remains on a plate to dry. The remains are what is left of the vitamin and what your body would not have absorbed. Once dried, weigh the remains of each vitamin and measure the difference compared to the initial weight. Next, calculate the percentage of the vitamin that your body actually absorbed. This is the best way to test the efficiency of your vitamins and they way they are working for you. Liquid vitamins have a 90% absorption rate and pill vitamins can have up to a 30% absorption rate. So, if you are happy with liquid vitamins and would like to ensure the highest absorption rate possible, this is the way to go. If you prefer pills, capsules, or softgels, conduct the above experiment and find your best solution!
Resources: http://www.livestrong.com/article/428842-how-to-test-vitamins-for-absorption-rate/ http://www.vitaminmaniac.com/vitamin-absorption-experiment http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/1032/1/The-Importance-of-taking-a-Multivitamin-Supplement.html