Learning about Liposomes

By Bruce Polack from LivePure Winter 2021

Simply put, Liposomes are a method to safely transport supplements, through digestion acids and enzymes, into the body.

Liposomes were discovered in 1965; in 1971 the first paper was written, on using liposomes, as a drug delivery system. It has just been in recent years that liposomes have been used to transport supplements into the body.

A classic liposome is made up of 2 layers, the outer layer, and inner layer.

The outer layer or the phospholipid layer is made from phosphatidylcholine, (typically from soy or sunflower oil).

The second layer is made up of an aqueous core, this water-based core is where the supplement is found. If the supplement being transported is water-soluble, it will be floating freely in the aqueous core. If the supplement being transported is fat soluble, the supplement will be in micelles, made of Vitamin E, that are found floating in the aqueous core.

The supplement itself is in a nanoparticle form, this means it is very tiny, so it can absorb into the cells more efficiently. The size is different depending on the company, and with nanoparticles, we want the smallest possible.

The most current technology on liposomes is extremely exciting. Where the classic liposome has two layers, the newest technology uses a multi-layer liposome.

What this means is instead of the supplement being released into your system all at once, this multi-layer liposome, releases it throughout the entire digestion tract. We could call it “slow release” or “sustained release” giving your body much more time to absorb the supplement. It is also currently, some of the smallest, and most stable liposomes available.

In summary, liposomes have been around for a long time, originally used to transport drugs into the body. Now as technology has gotten better, it is the most efficient way to transport supplements into the body, up to 400% more efficient than ordinary oral supplements.

Bruce Polack is passionate about natural health, and has been involved in the field, for over 20 years. He is the Natural Health Manager of the West Vancouver Pure Integrative Pharmacy, while also being the Pure Pharmacy’s Corporate Trainer.