When and How to Swallow Tablets and Capsules –
Finding the Best Way


There are plenty of people out there who have no troubles whatsoever to swallow just about any kind of medication or supplement, no matter in what form or size it comes. Naturally, to them the question “how to swallow a pill” is never an issue.

The other end of this stick represents their extreme opposite: people who cannot swallow any kind of tablet or capsule, no matter how small. So, let’s look at some helpful tips for everyone.

When

For both kinds of “swallowers” and everyone in between, there’s one important rule of thumb: Read directions on the package!

If directions tell you to take your remedy three times a day, take it three times a day, not once the whole day’s batch. There are documented cases of people who took a few days worth of bowel cleansers all at once. You can probably imagine what the consequences (sometimes in public places) were…

If the directions tell you to take your cure half hour before the meal, it’s important to do just that. Good example is herbs that are supposed to make you eat less and lose some weight. The way they work is - they expand in your stomach and make you feel full. Taking them after your stomach is already full of food might be a painful experience.

When the directions state taking something with food or after a meal, that’s also important. Obviously, the substance is most effective this way or – taking it on an empty stomach might make you really feel its ramification. In case of taking cayenne on an empty stomach – for some time you’d feel real hot!

Last but not least: do not overdose. The result might be anything from feeling uncomfortable to fatal (with some strong pharmaceuticals).

How

First of all, almost any tablet can be crushed and taken with liquid or food. Another way to make sure you swallow your pill with no trouble is to use easy-to-swallow kind of food. When my son had to take certain medication for an extended period of time, he took it with banana or sometimes yoghurt. He said taking that tablet with water left nasty aftertaste in his mouth for all day long.

Another good thing is that capsules can be opened and powder in them taken with liquid or food. This way of taking the content of capsules also assures better and faster absorption. Some people’s digestive juices in the stomach are so weak (according to the Blood Type Diet® especially characteristic in blood type A individuals) that the capsules never have a chance to dissolve. Sometimes the whole capsule is eliminated.

Never take any medication with soda pops or alcohol if you really want the benefits of the cure or supplement, not their side effects or even harm, caused by the bad combination of chemicals.

I realized a while ago that taking my pills with food works best for me. Foremost, they are easy to swallow with food and there’s an added, significant benefit in this approach. I find myself chewing each bite especially thoroughly when I’m getting ready to swallow a tablet or a capsule. Chewing properly adds more enzymes from saliva to the food. That means better digestion, easier work for my stomach and the ointment I add just before swallowing easily slips down my throat. It never bothers me one bit.