1. Introduction
Recent research supports previous contentions that encapsulating vitamins and minerals with liposomes help improve overall bioavailability. This study examined whether ingesting a liposomal multivitamin and mineral supplement (MVM) differentially affects the appearance and/or clearance of vitamins and minerals in the blood compared to a non-liposomal MVM supplement. In a double-blind, randomized, and counterbalanced manner, 34 healthy men and women fasted for 12 h. Then, they ingested a non-liposomal (NL) or liposomal (L) MVM supplement and a standardized snack. Venous blood samples were obtained at 0, 2, 4, and 6 h after MVM ingestion and analyzed for a panel of vitamins and minerals. Plasma levels of vitamins and minerals and mean changes from baseline with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were analyzed using general linear model statistics with repeated measures. The observed values were also entered into pharmacokinetic analysis software and analyzed through univariate analysis of variance with repeated measure contrasts. The results revealed an overall treatment x time interaction effect among the vitamins and minerals evaluated (Liposomes are spherically shaped vesicles that are created from lipids [Multivitamin and mineral supplements (MVMs) have been consumed for decades and are among the most popular dietary supplements [More recently, there has been interest in determining whether ingesting a liposome coated MVM supplement may enhance vitamin and mineral bioavailability compared to a non-liposomal MVM. For example, Tinsley and colleagues [Given the above, the sponsor of the Tinsley and coworkers study [