When you take a vitamin, the nutrients don’t go straight into your bloodstream. The capsule or tablet must break down first, allowing your digestive system to absorb what’s inside. That makes the design of a supplement an important part of how it works.
One approach is delayed-release technology. Instead of opening in the stomach, these capsules are designed to release their contents farther along in digestion.
Why Release Time Matters
Most nutrient absorption happens in the small intestine. But before supplements reach the small intestine, they must pass through the stomach, where acid helps break down food.
Some ingredients can be affected by stomach acid. To address this, manufacturers can use special capsule materials that resist the stomach’s acidic environment and dissolve later in the intestines.
This process is called delayed release. It’s different from extended release, which controls how gradually an ingredient is delivered over time.
By changing when a capsule opens, manufacturers can help protect certain ingredients until they reach their intended destination.
The Technology Inside Ritual’s Vitamins
Supplement company Ritual uses a patented technology called beadlet-in-oil in its Essential for Women multivitamins.
The design combines small solid beads with an oil-based liquid inside a single capsule. This allows water-soluble and fat-soluble nutrients to remain separated.
That distinction matters because vitamins behave differently in the body.
Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble, meaning they’re absorbed along with dietary fats. Vitamin C and B vitamins are water-soluble and follow different absorption processes.
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Ritual also uses a delayed-release outer capsule designed to dissolve in the small intestine.
During an episode of Tomorrow’s World Today, Ritual Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Nima Alamdari explained how the company considers both nutrient composition and delivery when developing supplements.
“So we’re able to bypass the stomach, get it into the small intestine, and release that for optimal absorption of these nutrients also,” Alamdari said.
Is Delayed Release Better for Absorption?
Delayed-release supplements can be a means of delivering nutrients, but are not necessarily better for all nutrients.
Nutrient absorption can be affected by the amount and form of the nutrient, the health of the digestive system, and whether food is present when the nutrient is taken. Some nutrients are absorbed more efficiently when consumed with a meal.
Capsule dissolution in a simulated gastrointestinal system can also be investigated. Nutrient or health status changes resulting from a supplement need to be determined through clinical studies.
As supplement technology advances, manufacturers are paying more attention to how nutrients reach the body.
And while the ingredients in a supplement matter, the capsule that carries them deserves attention, too.
Watch ‘Science & Supplements’ on Tomorrow’s World Today!
Tune in on Saturday, November 14th, at 10 am/ET on the Science Channel and Sunday, November 15th, at 8:30 am on the Discovery Channel.
Plus, stream the episode on our YouTube Channel starting on November 15th, 2026
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