Many people regularly take medications, supplements, or vitamins in either tablet or capsule form. While both are common oral dosage forms designed to deliver active ingredients, they possess distinct characteristics. Understanding these differences can offer clarity regarding how medications are manufactured and how they might interact with the body.
Understanding Tablets
Tablets are solid forms of medication created by compressing powdered ingredients. This compression process binds the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) with inactive substances, known as excipients, into a single, compact unit. These excipients, such as binders, fillers, and disintegrants, are chosen to improve the tablet’s structure, taste, and stability. The manufacturing process often involves blending raw materials, sometimes granulating them into larger particles, and then compressing them using specialized machinery.
Tablets come in various shapes, including round, oval, or oblong, and can be imprinted with symbols or numbers for identification. Many tablets feature a score line, allowing them to be accurately broken for dose adjustments when necessary. A polymer coating might be applied to tablets to make them easier to swallow, control the release rate of the active ingredient, or enhance their shelf life by protecting them from the environment.
Understanding Capsules
Capsules are a different type of oral medication, characterized by an outer shell that encloses the active ingredients. This shell is typically made from gelatin, a protein derived from animal collagen, or from plant-based alternatives like hypromellose, making them suitable for various dietary needs. The contents inside a capsule can vary, appearing as powders, granules, liquids, or gels.
There are two primary types of capsules: hard-shelled and soft-shelled. Hard gelatin capsules consist of two pre-formed pieces—a body and a cap—that are joined together after being filled with dry ingredients like powders or pellets. Soft gelatin capsules, often called softgels, are seamless, single-piece shells typically used for liquid or semi-solid formulations, particularly those sensitive to moisture or oxygen.
Key Distinctions and Practical Implications
The fundamental distinction between tablets and capsules lies in their form and composition. This structural difference leads to varying dissolution and absorption properties within the body. Capsules often dissolve more quickly than tablets, potentially leading to a faster onset of action for the medication, as the shell rapidly disintegrates in the stomach, often within minutes. Tablets, conversely, may have a slower dissolution depending on their formulation, with some designed for extended or controlled release.
Capsules generally offer better masking of unpleasant tastes and odors because the active ingredient is sealed within the shell. While tablets can also be coated for taste masking, this requires an additional manufacturing step. Hard capsules are typically manufactured in two separate steps: shell creation and then filling, while softgels are often formed and filled simultaneously.
From a practical standpoint for the consumer, these differences influence ease of swallowing, potential for stomach irritation, and dosage flexibility. Capsules, with their smooth outer coating and often elongated shape, are generally considered easier to swallow than tablets. Tablets, especially larger ones, can sometimes be more challenging to ingest. Capsules may also be less irritating to the gastrointestinal tract for some individuals compared to certain tablet formulations. Furthermore, capsules can sometimes accommodate a wider range of formulations, including liquids and multiple beads, offering more versatility in drug delivery.