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Toxic ingredients & dangerous additives (supplements & food)
Magnesium stearate commonly referred to by other names (misleading for something else), such as “vegetable stearate” or “steric acid,” is a substance commonly found in many products that we use every day, including in dietary supplements and medicines. The problem is that its regular intake may be harmful to the body.
It is a popular filler, whose main advantage is the ability to fill manufacturers’ pockets. It allows to obtain a large capsule at a low cost, which does not stick to the packaging, and they also have the ability to produce more such drugs, because magnesium stearate does not clog the substance during production, which reduces losses. But what about our health?….
What is magnesium stearate?
It is a substance that is a white powder, no smell. Its main features include reducing dustiness and increasing adhesion. These features make it widely added to powders and all kinds of other cosmetics with a loose texture.
This substance is composed of stearic acid and magnesium ion. However, it is not worth suggesting naming, because there is not even the smallest amount of magnesium that could be absorbed by our body.
The occurrence of magnesium stearate is common. Huge quantities of magnesium stearate go to numerous medicines and dietary supplements. Manufacturers are able to release large, attractive capsules to the market, with cheap filling. It is widely regarded as an economical and at the same time very effective filler. In addition, the addition of magnesium stearate makes it much easier to give the tablet or capsule the right consistency, they do not stick to the package and stick to it.
An important advantage is also the minimization of production losses, because the addition of magnesium stearate causes that the filling of drugs does not stick to the machines during the production process, which allows you to obtain a larger amount of the product. The industrial effectiveness of magnesium stearate unfortunately does not go hand in hand with health benefits, it is a harmful product that can cause a number of side effects.
Regular intake of preparations containing magnesium stearate in its composition may lead to the formation on the intestinal walls of an impermeable coating that prevents the absorption of beneficial substances from our food and supplements that we need for proper functioning. It has also been shown that the intake of products containing stearic acid can lead to damage within the immune system, which in turn results in immune-suppression and numerous health problems.
The argument that even more clearly shows how harmful magnesium stearate is, is also the question of its origin and acquisition. It is most often obtained from cotton seeds, which in turn is one of the most genetically modified plants in the world. In addition, it absorbs pesticides from the environment very effectively.
The World Health Organization at the end of 2011 detected toxic substances in magnesium stearate. Their appearance was related to inadequate production conditions. Detected substances show a high level of harm to the body.
Deciding to buy a dietary supplement, which is to support our health and let you enjoy it much longer, we should learn to read (small print) and understand their labels carefully and with comprehension.
Natural Partners and Thorne Research conducted a study in which two tablets containing vitamin C were dissolved in water. One of them, the cheaper one contained in its composition magnesium stearate, the other slightly more expensive was deprived of it. After one hour, tests were carried out to test the bio-availability of the vitamin found in the water. The tablet, in which the cheap filler was present, much worse dissolved in the water and poorly connected with it.
The results of the study showed that from a tablet with magnesium stearate, the human body can absorb only about 18% of vitamin C, while from a competitive one, which does not contain this ingredient up to 95%. All this means that by choosing inappropriate dietary supplements, instead of helping ourselves, we can still do harm. Keep that in mind.
In many countries, the manufacturer is not obliged to label on the label what fillers he used in his product. And in this way, magnesium stearate gets into our body along with various dietary supplements, medicines and even food. Most disturbing is the fact that its occurrence in children’s products is quite common. Are we therefore doomed to receive substances harmful to our body?We can make an informed choice!
It is necessary to carefully read labels and reject medicines and supplements as well as other products that contain magnesium stearate.
The form of the product that we will accept will also be important. Magnesium stearate is most commonly used in dissolving powder, tablets and capsules. Rather, there are no cases of its use in drops.
We should also only decide on products from organic manufacturers, then we have more confidence in what we provide to our body.
Wish you all – best of health!
