Educational · Plant Physiology Health

What does liposomal mean?

How it works — and why it matters to you. An honest explanation, with the evidence set out soberly alongside.

An honest start

A lot is promised about liposomal supplements. This is what’s actually true.

Anyone who looks into supplements soon comes across claims that most of what you swallow is lost. Sometimes 80% is mentioned. Sometimes more.

We’re not going to say that.

Not because the problem doesn’t exist — it does, and we explain it clearly below. But because health choices deserve accurate information, not fear designed to force a purchase. We believe the best reason to choose a supplement is understanding, not scaremongering.

So here’s an honest explanation of what liposomal means, how it works, where it really makes a difference — and, just as importantly, where the evidence is still limited.

“Because your vitality isn’t optional. And neither is honesty.”

In plain language

The delivery problem

Imagine you’re sending an important letter. The message is exactly right. But the envelope is made of tissue paper. By the time it arrives, half of it is damaged or lost.

That’s the challenge with many oral supplements. The ingredient can be high quality and correctly dosed. But between the moment you swallow it and the moment it needs to reach your cells, it has to pass through one of the most aggressive environments in the human body: your digestive system.

Stomach acid. Digestive enzymes. The intestinal wall. The liver, which intercepts and breaks down part of it before it reaches the general circulation. Each of those barriers reduces what finally arrives.

What is a liposome?

A tiny protective sphere — made of the same fat as your cells.

A liposome is roughly a thousand times smaller than the thickness of a human hair, built from the same type of fat that forms the wall of every cell in your body. The active ingredient sits safely inside that sphere. Because it’s made of the same material as your own cells, your body recognises it and takes it up as a natural cell component — instead of breaking it down as a foreign substance.

The key word is absorption. What counts isn’t how many milligrams are on the label — but how many milligrams actually reach your cells.

How it works

From capsule to cell, in four steps

Safely wrapped

During production, the active ingredient is enclosed in a protective sphere of phospholipids — shielded from the start.

Survives the stomach

Stomach acid can dissolve metal; the sphere’s shell keeps the active ingredient intact along the way.

Taken up by cells

In the small intestine, your cells recognise the sphere as familiar and take it up whole.

Released where needed

Once inside the cell, the sphere opens and its contents are released where your body needs them.

For the critical buyer

What to look out for

Genuine liposomal structure

A liposome is a sphere formed at molecular level. A powder simply mixed with lecithin isn’t one — however often the word “liposomal” appears on the packaging.

Dry rather than liquid

Liquid liposomal products oxidise and often need preservatives. Our dry powder matrix stays stable for 36 months at room temperature.

Clear about the dose

More milligrams isn’t automatically better. We dose according to what research associates with an effect — and we explain why.

Certified production

Made in an FSSC 22000-certified environment in the Netherlands, independently audited by Kiwa. Read how that works.

Radical honesty

What we don’t claim

No absorption percentages without a study to back them. A percentage without a source is a marketing figure, not a measurement.

We don’t call our products pharmaceutical. That’s a specific classification for medicines. Our products are food supplements, made to the highest food safety standards.

Supplements don’t replace medical care. They support your body’s normal functions. If you have a medical condition, work with a healthcare professional.

Liposomal isn’t always better. For some substances it makes a clear difference, for others less so. We tell you which ones.

We only use EU-authorised health claims. The EU permits a specific list for vitamins and minerals. We stick to it.

See something on our site that you’d question as a substantiated claim? We genuinely want to hear about it.

Is liposomal technology safe?

Yes. The protective sphere is made of a type of fat that occurs naturally in every cell of your body — the same substance found in eggs and sunflower seeds. It has been used in medicine for more than forty years, with an excellent safety profile.

All our products are made in a certified facility in the Netherlands and checked for purity before they’re sent to you.

How do you take them?

Cold or lukewarm water. Heat can damage the protective sphere — don’t mix them into hot drinks or food.
On an empty stomach or with a meal — both are fine. Unlike ordinary iron tablets, they don’t irritate an empty stomach.
Take them at the same time every day. For most supplements, regularity matters more than the exact time.
Exception: the GABA + Ashwagandha formula works best taken 30–60 minutes before bed.
Taking medication? Talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Take iron and calcium at least 2 hours apart.

Frequently asked questions

Good to know

Regular vitamin C is absorbed via transport proteins in the small intestine that become saturated: above roughly 400–500 mg per dose, the gut no longer processes it, and the excess causes loose stools. Liposomal vitamin C takes a different route to your cells. In an independent clinical study (CT-0007-17, n=24), 1.76× higher bioavailability was measured at the same dose.

No — and we say so openly. It makes the biggest difference for substances that face the greatest absorption barriers, such as glutathione, vitamin C in high amounts, CoQ10 and iron. For substances that are already well absorbed in their regular form, the gain is smaller.

Liposomal supplements are generally well tolerated. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or taking prescription medication, consult your doctor first.

That depends on the supplement and how depleted your levels are. With iron deficiency, blood levels usually start to rise within 4 to 6 weeks. For the sleep and stress formula: give it at least 4 weeks. A blood test after 8 to 12 weeks is the most reliable way to confirm progress.

Yes. All capsules are plant-based (no gelatine). In all but one of our products, the fat for our spheres comes from sunflower seeds — no soy, no animal sources. The exception is liposomal CoQ10, which contains soy lecithin (clearly stated). All products are non-GMO.

Making genuine liposomes requires specialised equipment and high-quality phospholipids. That costs more than simply mixing an ingredient with lecithin powder — which is what many cheaper “liposomal” products do in practice.

Legal note: all health claims comply with Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. PPH products are food supplements, not medicines, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal health advice.