How Long Do Natural Empty Capsules Take to Dissolve in the Body?

Most people prefer to take medications or supplements in a capsule form, because they have little to no taste, are easy to swallow and dissolve rapidly in the intestines. Capsules are also easier to manufacture compared to tablets and do not affect the effectiveness of the drugs or supplements.

Gelatin hard capsules dissolve in the stomach, under normal conditions, within twenty to thirty minutes after swallowing. Depending on the application, different gelatin types or additional process steps may influence the dissolution rate.

The dissolution time of gelatin hard capsules depends on the drug composition, the raw material and the processing conditions of the capsule shell. Typical applications are for example pain relievers or anti-inflammatory agents.

Generally speaking, hard caps are made in two shells which fit together perfectly and which are hermetically closed during production. In a second step, contract manufacturers or brand owners fill active ingredients into the hermetically sealed hermetically closed hermetically sealed hard caps with the desired dosage strength.

There is a wide range of empty capsules available, including gelatin capsules and vegetarian capsules. Manufacturers can select the most appropriate type for each application.

Vegetarian options such as HPMC or Pullulan Capsules are manufactured from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC). They are a 100% plant-based cellulose derived from pine and poplar trees, and they are fast and effective dissolving.

The most important difference between these vegetable capsules and gelatin capsules is that a vegetarian option is formulated to hydrate less than 10% water. This enables the capsule to be hydrated 30-60 minutes before the capsule completely breaks down and disintegrates, as opposed to a gelatin capsule which starts with over 10% water and dissolves in about 10-20 minutes.

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