Treatments that do not follow standard medical practice and haven’t been scientifically established tend to provide less in-depth data regarding risks and benefits, making it harder to tell whether they’re safe or effective.
Birth control alternatives that do not rely on hormones include IUDs and implants (also referred to as long-acting reversible contraception). There are also options that use only progestin as birth control pills such as minipill.
Troches
Troches can be an effective alternative to pills for those who struggle with swallowing or have digestive disorders. Simply place these small lozenges between cheek and gum, place in mouth between cheek and gums and allow to dissolve over 30 minutes.
Custom-compounded troches can be prepared using virtually any medication and enhanced with various flavors for greater patient compliance. Such flavors may help increase takership of medications on time.
Hormones taken as troches bypass both digestion and first pass metabolism in the liver, though some amount will still reach this organ through regular circulation.
Capsules
Capsules are an increasingly popular and beneficial dosage form, offering patients many advantages. They’re easier to swallow, with an outer capsule masking any unpleasant tastes or odours, more precise dosing capabilities and protecting sensitive ingredients against degradation.
Capsule shells can be made of either gelatin or non-gelatin polymers such as HPMC (hypromellose), mixed with water and plasticizer. When airtight sealed they make an ideal long-release option, and may also contain powders, granules, pellets or microparticles in addition to liquid. Capsules provide a flexible solution for early stage formulations of medications which are difficult to compress into pill pills.
Powders
Powders are intimate mixtures of dry, finely divided medications with or without excipients that can be administered both internally and externally, usually via oral administration. Popular powdered drugs include antacids (sodium bicarbonate), laxatives, dentifrices and dietary supplements.
Registered dietitian Julia Zumpano explains that powdered greens include vegetables like spinach, kale and beets that have been freeze-dried and ground into a powder form for easy mixing into beverages. You can find these supplements both online and at health food stores.
Supplements made of powder tend to require fewer ingredients, binders and fillers than pills or capsules, making them more suitable for those seeking clean labels.
Teas
Studies have linked tea consumption with lower risks of heart disease; however, these observations cannot conclusively demonstrate this correlation. Yet including at least one cup per day as part of your diet could prove beneficial.
TEAS exam comprises three sections: mathematics, science and English and language usage. The 54-minute math section has 36 questions that cover algebraic calculations and measurement skills while its 53 questions in its 63 minute science component cover life sciences as well as scientific reasoning. Finally, 28 minutes are allotted for questions regarding Standard English conventions and vocabulary use.
