Joint Supplements: Powder vs Tablets
Joint supplements come as powders or tablets, and the difference that matters most is how much of each ingredient you get in a serve.
Joint supplements: powder vs tablets at a glance
| Powder (Complete Joint Care) | Tablets | |
|---|---|---|
| Serve | One heaped teaspoon, 5 g | Usually 1 to 3 tablets |
| Collagen | 2,550 mg per serve | Rarely included, it is too bulky |
| Other ingredients | Flavour and sweetener from lemon and monk fruit | Binders, fillers and coatings to press the tablet |
| How you take it | Stirred into water or juice | Swallowed whole |
| Regulated as | Food | Often a listed medicine |
Why collagen does not fit in a tablet
A large tablet weighs around a gram or a little more. A useful serve of collagen is measured in grams, so it would take several tablets on top of the glucosamine. In powder form, 2,550 mg of collagen sits in the same scoop as the glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM.
How to compare the cost
Work out the cost per day, not per bottle. For tablets, divide the price by the number of days the bottle lasts at the stated dose. For Complete Joint Care, a 200 g jar is 40 days at one serve a day, from $1.25 to $1.62 a day depending on the pack.
When tablets suit better
If you travel a lot or dislike flavoured drinks, tablets are easy to carry. If you want collagen and the three classic joint ingredients together without a handful of tablets, a powder does it in one scoop.