Awareness Wednesday: Gel Capsules

Hello hello! Time for another Awareness Wednesday post. Today's topic is important because it is about an item that may be difficult to get around consuming because it can be needed for your health.  I am talking about gel capsules. We have all seen them in commercials, in the pharmacy, and maybe even prescribed by your doctor.


Source.

Gel capsules can be filled with vitamins, such as vitamin E or Echinachea, over-the-counter pain killers like Aleve, or even prescription medications. They can be clear as shown in the photo above, or in solid colors; filled with liquid or powder.


Source.

However, they all have one thing in common: they are all made of gelatin. Avoiding these little guys can be tricky. Like most things that are not vegetarian, the easiest thing to do is stop ingesting them.  But when it comes to your health, gel capsules can't always be avoided.

Here are a few different things you can do if you come face-to-face with gel capsules.

1. If you are purchasing an over-the-counter medicine, most brands have many different varieties. Try to pick up medicine that comes in tablets rather than capsules.

2. If this medication is prescribed by your doctor, ask if you can get the medication in a different form.  They might be able to give you the same medicine in a tablet, or liquid form. When I was diagnosed with a vitamin D deficiency, my doctor prescribed me vitamin D capsules. Instead, I found out how much I needed to take, and purchased vitamin D oil in liquid form.

3. If there is no way to get your medication in another other form, you can always open up the capsules and dump its contents into some food or a drink, and ingest it that way. I got MRSA when I was in college, and the only way to get the medication I needed was in capsules. Every day I would open them up and pour the powder into apple sauce.

Hopefully everyone stays healthy and doesn't need to take medications, but if you find your self needing gel capsules, hopefully these tips help you avoid them without jeopardizing your health.

Do you need to take gel capsules for anything? Are you going to try a new way to take your medicines?

Bye from the Veggie Side!