When you take the shakes the cleansing action takes place in the entire digestive system...with the caps it only starts at the point that the caps break open. Also, it takes a lot of caps to equal the dose of the shakes and most people don't drink sufficient water when using the caps instead of the shakes. Finally, the Bentonite needs to be hydrated first in order for it to expand and take advantage of its phenomenal surface area...that's why liquid Bentonite is recommended. Breaking the caps open to make shakes would be better than taking the caps...but it's still not as good as using liquid Bentonite along with psyllium in a shake.