Do vitamin patches work? Experts evaluate effectiveness and safety

If you swallow a horse pill hoping to avoid it undernourishment Not for you It’s understandable to be curious about vitamin patches. These small patches, sometimes called stickers, promise to provide the nutrients you need after they’re applied to your body.

Vitamin patches are appearing at major retailers such as goal and AmazonWhich suggests that they are not going away any time soon. But there is not much information about these products compared to their tablets or powdered counterparts.

While doctors and nutritionists say there is potential value in using them In theory, They also have some concerns. That’s why they’re not in a hurry to recommend vitamin patches.

What are multivitamin patches and how do they work?

Each vitamin patch is a little different, but the concept behind them is the same. These patches are usually waterproof and are stuck to your body to provide you with specific nutrients or vitamins throughout the day. Some of those include Vitamin BVitamin D and multivitamins. For most people, you can simply remove the patch at the end of the day and throw it away.

“The idea is that nutrients move from the patch, through the skin barrier, into the circulation over time,” says Scott Keatley, co-founder of the company. Ketley Medical Nutrition Therapysays the self. This concept can be attractive if you hate swallowing pills. “Instead of taking a pill and absorbing the vitamin through the intestines, the vitamin crosses the skin and is absorbed that way.” Jamie Allan, Ph.Dsays an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University.

He explains that the spots are activated by body temperature and humidity Sandra Chang, RDN, LDNa registered dietitian at the Frances Stern Nutrition Center at Tufts Medical Center. “Fat-soluble vitamins may cross the skin easier than water-soluble vitamins,” she tells SELF.

There is limited information about its safety and effectiveness.

This is the big sticking point for experts. “There’s not a lot of data on them.” Howard Greller, MDassociate professor of emergency medicine and director of the Medical Toxicology Fellowship at Rutgers University-New Jersey Poison Information and Education Service, tells SELF.

While the labels on many vitamin patches say they’re intended for children ages 12 and up, some look like they’re intended for kids, due to their fun, bright designs. This is potentially harmful, although a lack of data on how much vitamins are absorbed makes it difficult to know for sure, Dr. Greller says.