Do gummy vitamins work? Well we know which one you are more likely to take: the one that tastes like candy. Recently gummy vitamins have exploded in popularity. Because of their delicious taste and chewy texture, they have quickly become the go-to option for adults and kids alike who don’t like swallowing traditional pills or tablets. So yes they are yummy but what about the elephant in the room: Do gummy vitamins actually work as well as their pill counterparts? Specifically, how do they compare in terms of bioavailability – the amount of the nutrient your body can actually absorb and use?
The short answer is that it depends on the vitamin, but evidence suggests gummies are at least as effective, and in some cases more bioavailable than tablets. Let’s dive into the science:
A 2019 crossover study published in Nutrients examined the bioequivalence and bioavailability of vitamin D3 in gummy versus tablet form (Wagner et al., https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6566230/).
The research involved two phases:
- A pilot with 9 healthy adults.
- A larger confirmatory trial with 31 participants.
Participants received a single high dose of 20,000 IU vitamin D3 as either gummies or tablets, followed by a washout period and crossover to the other form. Blood levels of vitamin D3 were measured over 48 hours.
Key findings:
- In the confirmatory study, gummies showed significantly higher bioavailability.
- Area under the curve (AUC, a measure of total absorption): Gummies 1474 ng·h/mL vs. tablets 774 ng·h/mL (p < 0.0001).
- Peak concentration (C_max): Gummies 47.3 ng/mL vs. tablets 23.4 ng/mL (p < 0.0001).
- Geometric mean ratios favored gummies by over 2:1 for both AUC and C_max.
The researchers attributed this to gummies being chewed, allowing partial dissolution and absorption to begin in the mouth (via saliva and buccal tissues), while tablets are swallowed whole and dissolve later in the gut. Time to peak (T_max) was similar, indicating comparable absorption speed overall, but total uptake was greater for gummies.
This challenges the assumption that pills are superior – quite the opposite, gummies led to higher circulating levels, potentially improving outcomes like achieving vitamin D sufficiency.
So what does this mean? Chewing the gummies is the key difference here as absorption begins in the mouth when you’re chewing that delicious vitamin packed gummy vitamin instead of waiting until it hits your stomach.
What About Other Vitamins?
Vitamin C is water-soluble, unlike fat-soluble vitamin D, so absorption mechanisms differ. High doses can saturate transporters in the gut, leading to lower relative absorption.
A randomized controlled trial on vitamin C (1,000 mg dose) found that a popular gummy brand was bioequivalent to a caplet comparator. Absorption profiles, peak levels, and total bioavailability were statistically similar, with no significant differences in safety or tolerability.
This suggests that for water-soluble vitamins like C, the format (gummy vs. tablet/caplet) doesn’t substantially impact effectiveness when doses are equal. Chewing may offer minor buccal absorption benefits, but the primary uptake occurs in the intestines for both.
Short version? Gummy versions of Vitamin C are just as good as their pill format counterparts.
Multivitamins combine water- and fat-soluble nutrients, plus minerals, making it harder to compare to single vitamins, but we have data here as well.
A pilot crossover study on multivitamin gummies vs. tablets measured absorption of vitamins E (fat-soluble), B12 (water-soluble), and folate.
- Vitamins E and B12: Similar absorption (no significant differences in AUC or C_max).
- Folate: Gummies showed faster absorption (shorter T_max), but overall exposure (AUC and C_max) was comparable.
This indicates multivitamin gummies can perform similarly to tablets, with potential advantages for quicker uptake of certain nutrients. Plus they’re delicious.
| Vitamin/Nutrient | Format Comparison | Bioavailability | Key Metric |
| Vitamin D3 (fat-soluble) | Gummies vs. Tablets | Gummies significantly higher | AUC: ~2x higher for gummies; C_max: ~2x higher |
| Vitamin C (water-soluble) | Gummies vs. Caplets | Similar (bioequivalent) | No significant differences in AUC or C_max |
| Multivitamin (mixed) | Gummies vs. Tablets | Similar overall; faster for some (e.g., folate) | Vitamins E & B12: equivalent; Folate: shorter T_max in gummies |
So Are Gummies Better?
Gummy vitamins aren’t just candy—they can be highly effective. The 2019 vitamin D study shows gummies outperforming tablets for that nutrient, likely due to chewing enhancing dissolution. For vitamin C, they’re equivalent, and for multivitamins, largely comparable with possible speed advantages.
If you’re choosing based purely on absorption, gummies hold their own or better for many vitamins. But let’s be honest, you’re not choosing purely on absorption – you’re looking for the green light to replace those gross tablets with delicious gummy candy – and who could blame you? Gummies are delicious, and, as it turns out, very effective in delivering vitamins. So don’t overdo it as all these gummy vitamins also have sugar (well at least the ones that taste good), but they will give you the vitamins your body needs.
Ultimately, the most effective vitamin is the one you’ll take every day. If gummy vitamins help you stick to a regimen, more power to you.
