The Physics of Form: Powders, Capsules, & Liquids

by Jason J. Duke - Owner/Artisan

Fresh Content: December 11, 2025 11:04

A supplement you cannot absorb is just expensive waste. We must analyze the Dissolution Kinetics of pills versus the immediate availability of liquids. Efficacy is not just about the molecule; it is about the Physics of Form. We reject the "Excipient Tax" of binders and fillers in favor of immediate biological diffusion.

Comparison of supplement forms showing a compressed tablet dissolving slowly versus a liquid extract diffusing instantly into simulated gastric fluid
Figure 1: (Click to Enlarge) Left: The inertia of a compressed tablet (Static). Right: The explosion of a liquid extract (Kinetic).

The Audit: Compressed Mass vs. Liquid Integrity

Mechanism Tablet / Hard Capsule Liquid Extract (Tincture)
Surface Area Low / Restricted. Must be mechanically broken down by the stomach (Churning) to expose the nutrient. Infinite / Immediate. Molecular dispersion happens upon contact with fluid. No mechanical breakdown required.
The "Excipient Tax" High. Requires digestion of Magnesium Stearate, Silicon Dioxide, and Cellulose binders. None. The solvent (Alcohol/Glycerin) is the carrier, requiring no digestion to release the payload.
Absorption Site Small Intestine (Requires transit). Sub-Mucosal (Mouth) & Gastric Lining (Immediate).
Vagal Activation None (Bypasses taste). High. Bitters/Aromatics trigger the "Cephalic Phase" via the tongue.

1. Geometry: Surface Area is the Driver

Absorption is a function of contact. For a nutrient to pass through the intestinal wall, it must first be in solution. A compressed tablet is a "rock" that the body must erode. Until that rock dissolves, its Surface Area is minimal, meaning only the outer layer is interacting with your digestion.

Liquids have what we call Infinite Surface Area relative to a solid. When a drop of tincture hits the stomach fluid, it disperses immediately. There is no lag time. There is no erosion required. The "Dissolution Step"—the primary bottleneck in supplement efficacy—is removed entirely.

2. The "Excipient Tax"

To make a machine press a powder into a hard shape that won't crumble in the bottle, manufacturers use "Excipients." These include Binders (to hold it together), Fillers (to take up space), and Flow Agents (like Magnesium Stearate, to keep machines running fast).

Your body treats these as obstacles. Before it can access the ginseng or the vitamin, your stomach acid must burn through the Magnesium Stearate coating. This is the Excipient Tax—energy and time spent breaking down the packaging rather than absorbing the nutrient. In compromised digestion (low stomach acid), the tablet may pass through the "absorption window" of the small intestine before it fully dissolves.

3. Organoleptics: The Cephalic Phase

The Medical/Industrial model tries to hide the taste of nature with sugar coatings and gelatin shells. This is a physiological error. The body is designed to signal the stomach based on data from the tongue.

This is the Cephalic Phase of digestion. When you taste the bitterness of a Gentian root or the pungency of Ginger, the Vagus nerve signals the release of Gastric Acid, Bile, and Enzymes before the substance arrives. Capsules bypass this alarm system, dropping a "cold" substance into an unprepared stomach. We do not hide from the taste; we use it as a bio-semiotic key to unlock digestion.

The Sovereign Reframe: Convenience (pills) often comes at the cost of Efficacy. The Sovereign is willing to taste the earth to absorb its power.

Codex III: Mechanics

You understand the Physics. Now, understand the Medium: