BENEFITS OF LIPOSOMAL NUTRIENTS (LIPOSOMES)

Health Products Distributors, Inc. carries Quicksilver Colorado Hemp Oil, Glutathione, Vitamin C, Milk Thistle, Melatonin, and  NanoMojo. Among the benefits of using liposomes are that significantly higher levels of glutathione and vitamin C can be delivered directly to the cells where they are needed. In this article, I will provide some of the basic information required to understand the benefits of these products.

Figure 1 shows the basic design of a liposome with the nutrient to be delivered in the center.

A liposome is a spherical vesicle having a lipid bilayer (see Figure 2). The liposome can be used as a vehicle for administration of nutrients. Liposomes can be prepared by disrupting biological membranes (such as by sonification). Liposomes are most often composed of phospholipids, especially phosphatidylcholine derived from soy or sunflower lecithin.

DISCOVERY OF LIPOSOMES

Liposomes were first described by British haematologist Alec D. Bangham in 1961, at the Babraham Institute, in Cambridge. They were discovered during testing of the institute’s new electron microscope by adding negative stain to dry phospholipids. The microscope pictures served as the first evidence for the cell membrane being a bilayer lipid structure. Their integrity as a closed, bilayer structure, that could release its contents after detergent treatment was established during the next year. Bangham and colleagues Jeff Watkins and Malcolm Standish subsequently wrote a paper in 1965 that effectively launched the liposome industry.

MECHANISMS OF LIPOSOMES

A liposome has an aqueous solution core surrounded by a hydrophobic (water hating) membrane, in the form of a lipid bilayer. Hydrophilic (water-loving) solutes dissolved in the core cannot readily pass through the bilayer. Hydrophobic chemicals associate with the bilayer. A liposome can be loaded with hydrophobic and/or and hydrophilic molecules. To deliver the molecules to a site of action, the lipid bilayer can fuse with other bilayers such as the cell membrane, thus delivering the liposome contents directly to the cell.

DIETARY AND NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

Until recently the use of liposomes were primarily directed at targeted drug delivery. However, the versatile abilities of liposomes are now being discovered in other settings. Liposomes are presently being cleverly implemented for the specific oral delivery of certain dietary and nutritional supplements.

A small number of dietary and nutritional supplement companies are currently pioneering the benefits of this unique science towards this new application. This new direction and employment of liposome science is in part due to the low absorption and bioavailability rates of some oral dietary supplement ingredients such as glutathione. Therefore the natural encapsulation of lypophilic and hydrophilic nutrients within liposomes (see Figure 3) has made for a very effective method of bypassing certain elements of the gastric system and aiding the encapsulated nutrient to be delivered directly to the cells and tissues through the lymphatic system.

It is important to note that certain influential factors have far reaching effects on the percentage of liposome that are yielded in manufacturing. These influences also have an effect on the actual amount of realized liposome entrapment and the actual quality of the liposomes themselves. These are very crucial elements which lead to the long-term stability of the liposomes. These complex yet significant factors are the following: 1) The actual manufacturing method and preparation of the liposomes themselves; 2) The constitution, quality, and type of raw phospholipid used in the formulation and manufacturing of the liposomes; 3) The ability to create homogeneous liposome particle sizes that are stable and hold their encapsulated payload. These primary and key elements comprise the foundation of an effective liposome carrier for use in increasing the bioavailability of oral dosages of dietary and nutritional supplements.

OUR SUPPLIER HAS IDENTIFIED HOW TO MAKE
HIGH-QUALITY LIPOSOMAL SUPPLEMENTS (LIPOSOMES)

Our supplier, Quicksilver Scientific, has spent years researching the best formulation techniques and manufacturing processes for liposome encapsulated supplements. As part of this research, they analyzed a broad range liposomal supplements. This is what was learned:

Liposomal Supplements Must Use Phospholipids Suitable for Making Liposomes. In order to make strong, stable liposomes that can encapsulate nutrients and not “break apart” too easily, it is important to use Phospholipids from highly refined sources that have a natural mix of phospholipids, including a high percentage of Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE).

Some products are made with low-quality soy lecithin, which does not have the proper percentage of PC or PE to make liposomes. This type of lecithin is typically used as a food additive, and should not be used in liposomal supplements.

They have found that Phospholipids extracted from non-GMO soy lecithin work the best for high-quality, affordable liposomal supplements. While a very high intake of unrefined soy ingested as food may contain tiny amounts of undesirable substances, the intake of highly refined and purified phospholipids derived from soy lecithin does not pose much risk. In fact, they have not found any evidence of anyone being harmed by the regular intake of phospholipids extracted from non-GMO soy lecithin. (Some manufacturers use a high-quality non-GMO sunflower lecithin.)

Liposomal Supplements Must Have at Least an Equal Ratio of Phospholipids to Key Nutrients. By analyzing many commercial and homemade products, it was found that most of them are of poor quality. Some are merely emulsions.  This means the nutrients are simply mixed with a small amount of low-quality phospholipids or lecithin, and there are very few liposomes, if any at all.

One indicator of an emulsion is the amount of phospholipids or lecithin in the product. For proper liposome encapsulation, you must have at least an equal amount of phospholipids and nutrients. If the phospholipids or lecithin are listed as “Other Ingredients,” it is very likely there is not enough material to create any liposomes, even if the production process is otherwise appropriate.

Some companies choose to make emulsions and call them “Liposomal Supplements” because they are easy and inexpensive to produce.

If you take an emulsion that contains lecithin and a nutrient like vitamin C, you may see overall good results since both components are excellent supplements individually. You will not, however, be able to experience the potentially exceptional results offered by products using real Liposome Encapsulation Technology.

Liposomal Supplements Must Be Protected from Oxygen. Liposomes are a natural fit for water-soluble nutrients that are not otherwise bioavailable. But the process of making stable, quality liposomes is tricky. Liposomes are sensitive to factors such as heat and oxygen.  The inherent stability (and in some cases instability), of the phospholipids and each nutrient also play an important role in the overall stability of liposomal products. Getting all of these things exactly right, then assuring the liposomes and nutrients remain stable throughout the product’s shelf life is key.

One way to enhance the stability of a liposomal product is through uni-dose packaging. Many of the liposomal products that have been analyzed are stored in jars, plastic bottles, or even capsules within bottles. Opening the bottle to remove the product exposes the remaining product to heat, light and oxygen. This can be detrimental to the liposomes, and can cause rapid degradation of the nutrients.

Uni-dose packaging protects the product from oxygen until moments before it’s consumed, keeping it safe and effective throughout the shelf-life of the product.

Three Additional Signs of a Low-Quality Liposomal Supplement:
1) Consistency. If the product is very watery, it is most likely due to an insufficient amount of phospholipids or the use of low quality phospholipids.
2) Uniformity. If the product separates into layers, it is a strong indicator the liposomal mixture is deteriorating. On the other hand, if there are noticeable lumps or the product feels gritty, it is a sign that the nutrients are coming out of the liposomes and forming crystals.
3) Size. If the volume of the dosage is too small, there are not enough phospholipids and water to make proper liposomes.  For example, 1,000 mg of vitamin C and 1,000 mg of phospholipids, along with the necessary amount of water for proper liposome formation, will fill a teaspoon (5 ml).  It is not likely this amount of material could fit into one or even two large-sized capsules.

EFFECTS OF LIPOSOMAL SUPPLEMENTS

Liposomal supplements effects are significantly increased as far as mental and physical potency, due to increased absorption into the system. The effects of specific supplements are increased to extreme degrees, because higher doses can be taken of vitamins and minerals with minimal side effects endured and because they are delivered directly to the cellular structures where they are needed.

As an example of the power of these liposomal supplements, Dr. Thomas Levy (who has extensive experience with liposomal supplements) states “My clinical opinion is that one gram of properly-produced and orally-ingested liposome-encapsulated vitamin C is as or more effective than 5 to 10 grams of vitamin C given intravenously, for an acute viral syndrome”.

LONG-TERM BENEFITS

Over the long-term, the added benefits of liposomal products include, increased vitality and immune support, lowered tolerance to the substances (even at high dosages and when taken over long periods of time) administered, and supplements lasting much longer due to the increased strength. Liposomals are now attached to some of the strongest, most popular and most well known anti-oxidants in the world (e.g., glutathione, curcumin, R-lipoic acid, and vitamin C), and are becoming a mainstream phenomenon in the supplement industry.

SHORT-TERM BENEFITS

Many users of liposomal supplements decide to do so in order to reap many of the short-term health benefits they can offer, which include increased energy throughout the day and a much brightened mood.

THE BOTTOM LINE FOR LIPOSOMES

There are many liposomal supplements from which to choose. Some are effective, many are not. The key is finding the liposomal supplements that work best for you from a company you can trust. We trust Quicksilver Scientific. If you are not satisfied, at any time, you can return the unused portion for a full refund.

Contact Us:

You can reach HPDI by calling 1-800-228-4265, email support(at)IntegratedHealth.com, or visit the retail website: www.IntegratedHealth.com

Health care professionals and retailers can apply for wholesale account, which includes access to the HPDI reseller website: www.HealthProductsDistributors.com