Key Takeaways
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Research suggests that approximately 35–40% of adults experience some degree of pill swallowing difficulty, pill aversion, or discomfort when taking supplements.
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Most supplement industry conversations focus on ingredients, dosages, bioavailability, and efficacy.
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Far fewer discussions focus on pill aversion, supplement compliance, supplement adherence, and user experience.
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StripIt was created after exploring alternative supplement delivery methods for consumers who dislike traditional supplement formats.
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Oral dissolvable supplement strips and oral thin film supplements offer an alternative to pills, capsules, tablets, gummies, and powders.
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The future of supplements may involve improving supplement delivery systems in addition to improving ingredients.
The Statistic That Surprised Us
When my brother and I started building StripIt, we expected to spend most of our time researching supplement ingredients, supplement dosages, vitamin formulations, probiotics, nootropics, bioavailability, and manufacturing.
Instead, one statistic caught our attention and completely changed how we thought about supplements.
Research suggests that approximately 35–40% of adults experience some degree of:
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Difficulty swallowing pills
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Pill aversion
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Pill anxiety
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Swallowing discomfort
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Gagging when taking supplements
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Discomfort with capsules or tablets
That number surprised us.
Before entering the supplement industry, I assumed swallowing pills was simply a normal part of taking vitamins and supplements.
However, the more we researched consumer behavior, the more we realized this challenge is far more common than many people realize.
The Supplement Industry Is Built Around Pills
Walk into almost any supplement store, pharmacy, or wellness retailer and you'll find products primarily delivered through:
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Capsules
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Tablets
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Softgels
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Pills
These formats dominate categories such as:
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Sleep supplements
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Probiotic supplements
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Digestive health supplements
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Immune support supplements
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Cognitive support supplements
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Energy supplements
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Vitamin supplements
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Wellness supplements
Pills remain the standard supplement delivery system across much of the industry.
Yet millions of consumers actively dislike taking them.
Why Do People Dislike Swallowing Pills?
As we researched pill aversion and supplement adherence, we found several common reasons consumers struggle with traditional supplement formats.
Large Capsule Size
Many consumers report difficulty swallowing large capsules or tablets.
Gag Reflex and Discomfort
Some individuals experience gagging or discomfort when taking supplements.
Pill Anxiety
Others experience anxiety associated with swallowing pills, even when the pills are relatively small.
Supplement Fatigue
Consumers who take multiple supplements each day may become frustrated with managing large supplement stacks.
Poor User Experience
Many people simply dislike the overall experience of taking pills and capsules.
In some cases, this frustration leads consumers to stop taking supplements altogether.
The Problem Nobody Talks About: Supplement Adherence
One of the biggest lessons we learned while building StripIt is that supplement adherence may be one of the most overlooked topics in the supplement industry.
Most conversations focus on:
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Vitamin formulations
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Supplement ingredients
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Supplement absorption
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Bioavailability
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Clinical studies
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Dosages
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Efficacy
These topics are important.
However, they all depend on one critical factor:
Whether someone actually takes the supplement consistently.
A supplement routine only works when consumers can maintain it.
That is why supplement compliance, supplement adherence, and consumer experience deserve more attention than they currently receive.
Exploring Alternative Supplement Delivery Methods
As we continued researching supplement delivery systems, we became interested in alternative supplement formats that might reduce some of the friction associated with pills and capsules.
Today, consumers can choose from several supplement delivery methods:
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Capsules
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Tablets
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Softgels
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Gummies
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Powders
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Liquid supplements
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Oral dissolvable supplement strips
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Oral thin film supplements
Each format has advantages and disadvantages.
The goal is not necessarily to replace one format with another.
Instead, it is to provide consumers with more options.
Why StripIt Focuses on Oral Dissolvable Supplement Strips
That research ultimately led us to create StripIt.
StripIt focuses on:
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Oral dissolvable supplement strips
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Oral thin film supplements
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Dissolvable vitamin strips
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Alternative supplement delivery systems
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Consumer-friendly supplement formats
An oral dissolvable supplement strip is a thin film that dissolves in the mouth without water.
We became interested in oral dissolvable supplement strips because they offer an alternative for consumers who:
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Dislike swallowing pills
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Prefer portable supplement formats
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Want compact packaging
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Value convenience
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Are looking for alternatives to capsules, tablets, gummies, or powders
We do not believe oral dissolvable supplement strips are the right solution for every supplement or every consumer.
However, we do believe consumers should have more choices when it comes to supplement delivery methods.
The Future of Supplements
As the supplement industry continues to evolve, we believe more attention will be given to:
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Pill aversion
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Supplement adherence
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Supplement compliance
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Consumer experience
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Oral dissolvable supplement strips
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Oral thin film supplements
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Alternative supplement delivery systems
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Wellness product convenience
The industry has spent decades improving supplement ingredients.
The next major opportunity may be improving how supplements are delivered.
Because the best supplement is often the one people are willing to take consistently.
At StripIt, that belief continues to shape how we think about oral dissolvable supplement strips, supplement delivery technology, supplement adherence, and the future of wellness products.
