{"id":6521,"date":"2023-08-15T01:03:46","date_gmt":"2023-08-14T18:03:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6521"},"modified":"2023-08-15T01:03:46","modified_gmt":"2023-08-14T18:03:46","slug":"do-vitamin-patches-work-experts-say-no","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6521","title":{"rendered":"Do Vitamin Patches Work? Experts Say No"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">I<\/span>n a world where daily demands often leave little room for self-care, any solution that makes it easier to maintain your wellness routine is going to grab some attention, which explains the buzz about vitamin patches. These unobtrusive adhesive squares promise a hassle-free solution to our nutrient needs, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-take-pills-orally\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-take-pills-orally\/\">no pill-popping<\/a> necessary. Plus they feel kinda fun, like stickers. The hype around them is hard to ignore, but amidst the excitement, a question lingers: Do vitamin patches actually work? Are they genuinely capable of delivering the health benefits they claim? For the unfamiliar, vitamin patches are adhesive patches that you stick onto your skin, usually on an area with little hair, like your arm or back. They&#8217;re designed to release a small amount of vitamins and nutrients into your bloodstream over time\u2014common ones include B12, vitamin D, vitamin C, iron, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/too-much-melatonin\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/too-much-melatonin\/\">melatonin<\/a>, and multivitamins. The patches use a technology called transdermal delivery, which means the nutrients are absorbed through the skin and into your body. It&#8217;s like a slow and steady release system, meant to provide you with a consistent supply of vitamins without having to take pills or supplements.<\/div>\n<hr\/>\n<hr\/>\n<h2><strong>Who regulates vitamin patches anyway?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In the United States, dietary supplements are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/consumers\/consumer-updates\/dietary-supplements\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/consumers\/consumer-updates\/dietary-supplements\">food, not drugs<\/a>, but the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) made it possible for supplement companies to bring their products to the market without FDA review. Instead, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/consumers\/consumer-updates\/fda-101-dietary-supplements\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/consumers\/consumer-updates\/fda-101-dietary-supplements\">manufacturers themselves<\/a> are responsible for ensuring their products are safe and accurately labeled. Once a supplement is on the market, the FDA can inspect manufacturing facilities and ensure products are being correctly labeled. This includes the large market of oral capsules, as well as things like gummies, powders, bars, and liquids. But do you know what isn&#8217;t regulated as a dietary supplement? Transdermal patches. \u201cA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/best-supplements-take\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/best-supplements-take\/\">dietary supplement<\/a> must be intended for ingestion,\u201d an FDA spokesperson explained over an email exchange. &#8220;Because of this, transdermal patches cannot be dietary supplements and, therefore, are not regulated as supplements. The FDA is aware that some transdermal vitamin patches are being falsely marketed as dietary supplements; the agency considers this action to be health fraud. Generally, the FDA considers any patch product that is promoted as a dietary supplement with claims to affect the structure or function of the body to be an unapproved new drug.\u201d In other words, the FDA does not consider vitamin patches to be supplements\u2014which is why they don&#8217;t regulate them that way. If a vitamin patch is marketed with claims about a product\u2019s ability to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent diseases or conditions, then it would technically be considered an unapproved drug. Some patch companies market their products by simply listing the ingredients\u2014this is typically considered okay, depending on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/cosmetics\/cosmetics-laws-regulations\/it-cosmetic-drug-or-both-or-it-soap#Intended_use\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/cosmetics\/cosmetics-laws-regulations\/it-cosmetic-drug-or-both-or-it-soap#Intended_use\">intended use<\/a>. On its site, the FDA gives an example of essential oils: Totally fine to say they&#8217;ll make you smell good, but calling them a form of aromatherapy that can help you sleep better qualifies them as a drug. So when patch companies claim that their products boost energy or help you sleep, for instance, they are sliding into unapproved new drug territory and could be inspected by the FDA as drugs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/do-vitamin-patches-work\/\" current-title=\"Here\u2019s Why Vitamin Patches Aren\u2019t Worth Your Time or Money\" current-image=\"GettyImages-1157092742-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-02-14\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/do-vitamin-patches-work\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/do-vitamin-patches-work\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/do-vitamin-patches-work\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><strong>Has any research been done on vitamin patches?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In 2019, board-certified general surgeon <a href=\"https:\/\/asmbs.org\/provider\/shireesh-saurabh-md-facs-GEXR\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/asmbs.org\/provider\/shireesh-saurabh-md-facs-GEXR\/\">Shireesh Saurabh, MD<\/a>, published a retrospective\u00a0chart review comparing bariatric surgery patients who used a multivitamin patch versus those who took an oral multivitamin. His trial found <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31302845\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31302845\/\">patients who used a vitamin patch were more likely to be deficient in vitamin D<\/a> and had lower serum concentrations of B1, B12, folate, and ferritin. Given his findings, today he only recommends oral supplements for his patients. When I reached out and asked about the vitamin patches branded for wellness, he points out, \u201cMost of the patches in the market do not have any data\/study information on their website which can back their claim.\u201d The trials we do have on transdermal vitamin patches are small and unblinded, a research approach where both the researchers and the participants are aware of the treatment or intervention being administered. An unblinded study is considered less reliable than a blinded study because the level of awareness regarding what&#8217;s being studied can introduce bias and influence both the participants&#8217; and researchers&#8217; perceptions and outcomes. Until these patches can be tested in larger populations, in a more controlled environment, it\u2019s hard to tell just how meaningful the results are.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>So\u2026 do vitamin patches work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Every doctor and pharmacist I spoke to for this story agreed that, while vitamin patches have the <em>potential<\/em> to work in some scenarios, we simply don\u2019t have the data to prove they are an effective route to getting the nutrients our bodies need. \u201cThe thing with transdermal patches is that we just don\u2019t have the same amount of data in terms of studies [being] done on them as compared with oral supplementation,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.massgeneral.org\/doctors\/19693\/fatima-stanford\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.massgeneral.org\/doctors\/19693\/fatima-stanford\">Fatima Stanford<\/a>, MD, MPH, MPA, a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and recent appointee by Biden to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dietaryguidelines.gov\/2025-advisory-committee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.dietaryguidelines.gov\/2025-advisory-committee\">Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee<\/a>, which provides evidence-based recommendations to inform the development of dietary guidelines for Americans by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA). Dr. Standford\u00a0does not use transdermal vitamin patches with her patients. What is already well-understood? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gut-health-tips\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gut-health-tips\/\">Nutrient absorption through the GI system<\/a>. This is why one pharmacist I spoke with told me they lean toward recommending oral supplementation, whether that be gummies, capsules, or tablets. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/skin-barrier-protection\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/skin-barrier-protection\/\">Our skin works as a barrier<\/a>, keeping foreign things from entering our bodies. However, there are FDA-approved drugs in patch form\u2014think <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/tobacco-products\/health-effects-tobacco-use\/nicotine-why-tobacco-products-are-addictive#4\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/tobacco-products\/health-effects-tobacco-use\/nicotine-why-tobacco-products-are-addictive#4\">nicotine<\/a>, scopolamine (used to prevent motion sickness), hormones (birth control), etc.\u2014that are capable of penetrating the skin barrier. What\u2019s more, Dr. Stanford also points out that most people don\u2019t need supplementation in the first place, since we get the majority of our nutrients from the foods we eat. \u201cBefore deciding to go to your favorite pharmacy or Amazon or wherever you go to buy your vitamins, first, check and see if you really need it,\u201d she says. If you suspect you may be deficient in vitamins, the best approach is to consult a doctor. They can assess your symptoms and medical history, and possibly order blood tests to determine your vitamin levels accurately. Self-diagnosing deficiencies can be unreliable, so it&#8217;s important to seek professional guidance for an accurate assessment and appropriate recommendations. So while the hype around vitamin patches does make them sound appealing (I&#8217;ve tried more than a few billed as being able to boost your energy) and I do love self-diagnosing, I\u2019m going to save the money I&#8217;d spend on them for Starbucks instead, a tried and true way to energize myself.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a world where daily demands often leave little room for self-care, any solution that makes it easier to maintain your wellness routine is going to grab some attention, which explains the buzz about vitamin patches. These unobtrusive adhesive squares promise a hassle-free solution to our nutrient needs, with no pill-popping necessary. Plus they feel &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6522,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6521"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6521\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}