10 replies to this topic

[Michael]

All:

 

I take PC supplements, and have been very frustrated by the frequent occurrence of leakage from the softgels: this gets all over the other supplements in my pill boxes, generally leading me to throw them out from an abundance of caution, and also makes a mess of the box, and of my fingers if I get any on them: it's extremely viscous and sticky, and hard to clean off.

 

Looking around, I see claims in online reviews that Solgar has few or no leakers, an n=1 that Biotics Research also lacks them, and mixed claims on Country Life.

 

Has anyone found a brand with consistently very few leakers? Confirmation or refutation of the above would be of particular interest.

Edited by Michael, 20 October 2020 - 09:22 PM.

[zorba990]

I never had an issue with NOW.

[Michael]

I never had an issue with NOW.

 

Thanks — but AFAICS, NOW doesn't make PC softgels. Are you maybe talking about phosphatidylserine, or non-concentrated lecithin, or even a choline salt? If you really mean PC, would you link the product online?

 

Thanks.

[zorba990]

Thanks — but AFAICS, NOW doesn't make PC softgels. Are you maybe talking about phosphatidylserine, or non-concentrated lecithin, or even a choline salt? If you really mean PC, would you link the product online?

Thanks.

https://www.amazon.c.../dp/B003BHZ71G/
But if you want pure PC then you should go for the liquid PhosChol or some such

[Yosi]

Hi Michael --

 

I'm using Solgar's PC and in the past used Thorne. I've encountered leakage with both products, though not as serious as you describe them. I haven't noticed any serious issues washing it off my fingers, though.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Yosi

[albedo]

I had similar issues in several occasions (mainly softgels sticking to each other in the bottle) with LEF's Hepatopro containing 900 mg of polyenylphosphatidylcholine. Never succeed to have LEF correcting the problem (probably being judged not so serious) but were always promptly reimbursing the expenses when the problem happened. Not sure this answer your question though!

[APBT]

If you're alright using a liquid form, instead of the softgels, Core Med Science has a product:  https://coremedscien...omal-pc-complex

[Michael]

Thanks to everyone for your answers: they're all useful, albeit without leading me to the leakproof option I was hoping for. I'm only going to directly answer two:
 

https://www.amazon.c.../dp/B003BHZ71G/
But if you want pure PC then you should go for the liquid PhosChol or some such

Thanks. I don't need a 100% PC product, but I did want something with no less PC than what most PC supplements contain (35% PC, 420 mg). I'd seen NOW's sunflower lecithin a while back but hadn't seen it again in my recent search; it's lower in PC, but maybe I'm being too finicky. Certainly if it almost never leaked, that would save me some wasted capsules (of PC and of the stuff on which they leak) and a lot of hassle.

 

If you're alright using a liquid form, instead of the softgels, Core Med Science has a product: https://coremedscien...omal-pc-complex

Yeah, liquid makes my supplement life even more hassle-filled, and certainly isn't very compatible with taking on the go. Plus, based on studies of fish oil, I think it's a very safe bet that the pure liquid will oxidize a lot more than softgels.

Edited by Michael, 24 October 2020 - 05:52 PM.

[MrSpud]

Phospholipids like phosphatidylcholine prevents the softgels seals from forming properly if any of it gets in the seams when the capsules being formed. Phospholipids are capable of making membrane layers one molecule thick and almost inevitably coat the gelatin in the seam area because the water in the gelatin makes the phospholipid spread out and form a layer that prevents the gelatin from melting and sealing properly. The same membrane forming properties that make phospholipids so useful in the body is what makes softgel capsules seals weaker than softgels that don’t contain phospholipids like fish oil. Lecithin and other phospholipids also pull water and glycerin in from the softgel shell making them get brittle overtime which also increases the likelihood they might leak. Pretty much it’s the properties of phospholipids that make the softgels prone to leaking. The leaker rate can be reduced with careful manufacturing, but it can’t be eliminated completely.

[Michael]

First: thanks, Mr. Spud, for explaining the sheer technical difficulty of reliably encapsulating PC. In the interim I found a more detailed explanation of the reasons for leaking phosphatidylcholine softgels here (jump down to the comment by user  ParrotSlave), which is focused on polyenylphosphatidylcholine (as in HepatoPro and PhosChol) but also applies to other PC and other phospholipids.
 
Zorba: I'm glad you have had no issues, but many of the Amazon.com Customer reviews of NOW Foods Sunflower Lecithin PhosphatidylCholine report a problem with leaking for this product, too.

[Harkijn]

I order my PC from a US company called Piping Rock and I have never seen any significant leakage. I do notice however that the capsules are always slightly greasy on the outside, so I store them in the fridge.