The best way to take a pill, according to science

A study from Johns Hopkins University found that the position of your body when taking a pill can significantly affect how quickly it's absorbed, with the wrong posture delaying absorption by up to an hour. Researchers used a simulation model called StomachSim, which mimics the mechanics of the human stomach, to explore how posture influences pill dissolution. The study revealed that lying on your right side is the best position, speeding up absorption by 2.3 times compared to sitting upright. In contrast, lying on your left side is the worst, potentially making it take over 100 minutes for the pill to dissolve. For people who are elderly or bedridden, this difference in posture can have a major impact. Standing upright also works reasonably well, while lying flat on your back is less effective. The study also highlighted that conditions like diabetes or Parkinson’s disease, which affect stomach function, can have a similar impact on pill dissolution as posture does. Future research will focus on understanding how changes in stomach function, posture, and diseases like gastroparesis influence drug absorption and digestion.