However, even on a Paleo diet, it can be hard to avoid some fillers, thickeners, and additives. In fact, many common Paleo foods contain more additives than their Neolithic counterparts. For instance, commercial nut milks and coconut milk often contain thickeners like gums or carrageenan, while your run-of-the-mill grocery store whole cow’s milk is additive-free.
In this series, I’ll review the science on some of the most common additives and let you know whether you should be concerned about consuming them. First up—magnesium stearate.
Is magnesium stearate a harmless additive or a dangerous chemical? Check out this article to find out. #magnesium #magnesiumstereate #foodadditives
What Is Magnesium Stearate?
Magnesium stearate is a salt that is produced when a magnesium ion bonds with two stearate molecules. Stearate is just the anion form of stearic acid. Stearic acid is a long-chain saturated fat that is abundant in beef, cocoa butter, coconut oil, and other natural foods. As I mentioned in my red meat article, it’s also the only long-chain saturated fat that scientists and medical practitioners agree doesn’t raise cholesterol levels, and doesn’t increase the risk of heart disease.
Uses and Function
Magnesium stearate is most commonly used in supplement manufacturing as a “flow agent,” which helps ensure that the equipment runs smoothly and the ingredients stay blended together in the correct proportions. It can also be found in some cosmetics.
Given the seemingly benign components of this additive, it’s a little surprising how controversial it is. There are a lot of misconceptions and inaccurate statements about it floating around the internet, and while I wouldn’t recommend consuming vats of the stuff (not that you’d want to), I think the concern over magnesium stearate is largely overblown.
What Are the Supposed Side Effects and Dangers, and Are They a Cause for Concern?
1. Effect on Immune Cells
One study that many people have used as evidence against magnesium stearate is a 1990 experiment entitled “Molecular basis for the immunosuppressive action of stearic acid on T cells.” This baffles me, and I suspect that anyone using this study to indict magnesium stearate hasn’t actually read it.
In the experiment, scientists isolated T cells and B cells from mice, put them in a Petri dish, and bathed them in a solution containing stearic acid (along with some other components). They observed that the T cells incorporated the stearic acid into their cell membrane, eventually destabilizing the membrane enough that the cell died.
First of all, this study has nothing to do with magnesium stearate. They just used the plain old stearic acid that you’d find in your beef, chocolate, or coconut oil, so this study could just as easily be used against those foods. If you’re going to be concerned about this study (which you shouldn’t be), you’d have much bigger sources of stearic acid to worry about than the magnesium stearate in your supplements.
Second, the study has nothing to do with stearic acid consumed in the diet. Under normal conditions, your T cells are not bathed in stearic acid, even if you consume superhuman amounts of coconut oil, tallow, and cocoa butter.
Finally, the researchers used T cells from mice, and in this case, the results cannot be applied to humans. The mouse cells incorporated stearic acid into their membranes because they lacked the ability to desaturate fatty acids. However, human T cells do have the ability to desaturate fatty acids, so even if you did bathe your T cells in stearic acid, they would be able to maintain their membrane function. (1)
In case you got lost, here’s a summary: this study has no relevance whatsoever to human consumption of magnesium stearate, I have no idea why the study is being referenced in this manner, and you shouldn’t be concerned about it.
2. Concerns about Pesticides and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
Another criticism is that because stearate is often derived from cottonseed oil, it can be contaminated with pesticides. Keep in mind that magnesium stearate is a highly purified substance, and goes through an intensive refining process before appearing in your supplements. So far, I haven’t come across any reports indicating that magnesium stearate retains substantial amounts of pesticide residue.
As for the concern that cottonseed oil is often genetically modified, the source of crude fat shouldn’t make a difference in the final form of the stearate. Stearic acid is an 18-carbon molecule with a specific chemical structure that will be the same whether the stearic acid is from a genetically modified cotton plant, a bar of Hershey’s chocolate, or a grass-fed rib eye steak.
3. Effect on Nutrient and Drug Absorption
Another criticism is that magnesium stearate might inhibit nutrient absorption. One in vitro study conducted in 2007 found that tablets containing magnesium stearate dissolved more slowly than tablets without magnesium stearate when placed in artificial gastric juice. (2) The study authors concluded that in vivo studies are needed to determine whether this finding has any practical significance. However, an earlier study found that although magnesium stearate increased the time it took for a drug to dissolve, it had no effect on overall bioavailability, as evidenced by blood levels of the drug in test subjects. (3) Further, another study found that levels of magnesium stearate didn’t affect tablet dissolution at all. (4)
All of this information indicates that although magnesium stearate might affect the rate of tablet dissolution in some circumstances, it doesn’t affect the overall bioavailability of the drug or supplement.
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4. Biofilms
I’ve seen this claim pop up in a few places around the internet, so I’ll address it briefly. Some critics of magnesium stearate claim that it can induce formation of harmful biofilms in the intestine. (Biofilms are immobile communities of bacteria that form when bacteria adhere to a surface and generate a polysaccharide matrix.) This assertion appears to be based on the fact that soap scum contains magnesium and calcium stearate, so they insist that just as soap scum creates film on your sink or shower, magnesium stearate creates film on your intestines.
It should be pretty obvious that the intestinal lumen is a vastly different environment from a shower door, but some people still seem to be concerned. Rest assured, there is no conceivable reason why this would take place, and I haven’t seen a single scientific article that even hints at this possibility.
5. Magnesium Stearate Allergy
A 2012 study entitled “Magnesium stearate: an underestimated allergen” reported on a 28-year-old woman who had an allergic reaction to magnesium stearate, resulting in hives. I’m very curious about this result, because an allergy to either magnesium or stearate seems highly unlikely, but unfortunately, I don’t have full-text access to that study. But, needless to say, if you develop hives (or another allergic response) after consuming magnesium stearate, you should probably avoid it in the future.
6. Magnesium Stearate in Cosmetics
Magnesium stearate has several uses in the cosmetics industry: it’s an anti-caking agent, a bulking agent, a colorant, and more. In the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, magnesium stearate is marked as “low hazard,” although it’s noted that limited data are available on this ingredient.
So, Is Magnesium Stearate Safe or Bad for You?
As a final note, a rat study determined that you’d have to take 2,500 mg of magnesium stearate per kilogram of body weight per day to start seeing toxic effects. (5) That means a 150-pound person would have to consume 170,000 mg per day, which is so far beyond any amount you would encounter in supplements that it’s a non-issue.
Overall, I haven’t found scientific evidence to substantiate the claims against magnesium stearate, and the small amounts found in supplements shouldn’t be a problem for the majority of the population.
To everyone that has stuck their neck out, and opened themselves up to potential ridicule for speaking their “truth”,
THANK YOU. When recommending supplementation, I now take your input into consideration, and avoid those that contain Mg stearate, if at all possible…
The irony here is that you will be warning people away from something they probably have been ingesting in medications for many years.
I will agree that there are some people who seem to have sensitivities, but that hardly warrants telling everyone to avoid something most people have been ingesting safely most if not all of their lives.
I am severely allergic to Magnesium Stearate
I in the hospital and was on IV Gravol for severe morning sickness & when I stopped vomiting thanks to the IV they put me on Gravol pills…then I had the reaction…I got the shakes, my heart just about thundered out of my chest & the last thing I remember is feeling so sick
When I woke up(they called a code blue on me) they told me I had a reactio to something & since the only thing that changed in my diet was the gravol they investigated…In pill Gravol there is the Magnesium Stearate & not in IV..they then looked at the previous reactions(not so severe but severe enough) & looked at those drugs.
So I do have a diagnosed allergy to Magnesium Stearate & I am terrified of the stuff….
Magnesium Stearate does cause stomach problems when ingested. The proof is in the Mineral Safety Data Sheet, which states the following,
“Ingestion: May cause gastroenteritis (inflammation of the lining membrane of the stomach and intestines) with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.”
Thank you so much for the clarification, I was taking prenatal vitamins and most seem to have some forms of this, which got me concerned. I really appreciate the thoroughness with which all the arguments were addressed. My favorite part:
“As for the concern that cottonseed oil is often genetically modified, the source of crude fat shouldn’t make a difference in the final form of the stearate. Stearic acid is an 18-carbon molecule with a specific chemical structure that will be the same whether the stearic acid is from a genetically modified cotton plant, a bar of Hershey’s chocolate, or a grass-fed ribeye steak.”
Thanks again and keep up the awesome posts, we need more critical analysis of people’s claims that “xyz” is bad for you or good for you based on incomplete information.
Curious that magnesium stearate may be the explanation for mysterious hives on hand.
For the last 7 years, I have been suffering with hives on my hand. I have seen multiple allergists and dermatologists and noone can determine the cause. I recently noticed however that my hives went away when I didn’t take Motrin/ibuprofen. I also noticed I had an extreme case of hives when I took Goody’s Powder. Naturally I assumed my hives have been a direct result of NSAIDs so i discontinued all. That is until a co-worker gave me an Excedrin Migraine when I asked for a Tyelonol by mistake. I braced myself for the hives I knew I was going to get, yet nothing!
Weird right?
So now it’s been several months of no hives for the first time in years, I stick to Tylenol and no other meds and have had no problems. Now, for the first time in a decade, I start back on birth control pills (Vestura) and I have a slight case of hives on my hand.
I’ve decided to compare all inactive ingredients between Motrin, Excedrin Migraine, Goodys, and Vestura. The only common 2 common denominators are Magnesium Stearate and Lactose Monohydrate. Problem is, Tylenol also has Magnesium Stearate (no hives from Tylenol) so I would then assume it’s an allergic reaction to Lactose Monohydrate, except I’m not lactose intolerant and I don’t have a milk allergy.
Can anyone help??
It could be due to a salicylate/phenol intolerance.
I understand what you are saying that many of those with adverse reactions to magnesium stearate also have some other medical issues. I have been taking supplements my entire adult life and I have never had any kind of problem with magnesium stearate until recently. I also have no medical problems.
For me, this started last year when I bought a vitamin D3 I had never used before and my stomach really became a mess with bloating, dark bowel movement and diarrhea. At first I thought it was the D3 because it was a different brand and a different type of D3 than I was used to taking. This D3 was made from lanolin, which I had never taken before. I thought it was the lanoline causing my stomach problems and finally stopped taking those and went back to the D3 I was used to. End of stomach problems.
I then bought an L-Arginine supplement from NOW and my stomach problems returned exactly as before. I looked at both supplements and they contained magnesium stearate.
I stopped using the NOW L-Arginine and my stomach problems went away. I bought the GNC brand of L-Arginine that does not contain magnesium stearate and no stomach problems.
I recently got a bad chest cold and I took Muccinex and sure enough my stomach problems came back again, just like before. And looking at the Muccinex, it contains magnesium stearate. When I stopped taking them, the stomach problems went away.
I have no idea what changed in me last summer when I first noticed the problem between my stomach and magnesium stearate, but I have never had this problem before and I certainly would have taken supplements with magnesium stearate in the past.
This is why I originally came to this thread, wondering why magnesium stearate would suddenly start bothering my stomach. I would rather it didn’t since finding many supplements without it is a hassle sometimes.
Sam:
I am sorry to hear about your troubles with Magnesium Stearate. The comments on this blog have led me to believe there are definitely people who have problems with the substance. It makes no scientific sense whatsoever, but people need to know that some people have problems.
Hi Shawn,
Thank you for your recent clarification. Sorry if you felt my judgement was “a bit harsh”. I felt justified in making it because although you had never posted anything opposing my own posts, I still felt aggravated and empathetic irritation at the way you repeatedly ascribed a label of “unscientific” (i.e. effectively “irrational”) to the posts of others who were simply writing about their own experiences, explaining carefully the ‘experiments’ they had carried out (both intentionally and unintentionally) which had convinced them that their negative health results may have been related to Mg Stearate, then using their intellect to think about why this might be so and stating their opinions about what might be done to help – even if only a small subsection of the community.
I have not been to the other fora you mention, but if you have suffered aggressive verbal treatment there, it may help to understand why someone effectively calling you ‘irrational’ or ‘idiotic’ is not a helpful way to arrive at rational answers.
If I may offer a different ‘translation’ of your statement above, “It makes no scientific sense whatsoever, but . . .”, it would be, “Science does not yet know why, but . . .”
Thank you for being more careful with your words in recent posts. I appreciate it and I am sure others do, too. I also appreciate any other positive contributions you can make here from your intense study on the subject, which might suggest a way forward or open new insights.
I_Fortuna,
Functional nutritionists are trained to complement, and work with physicians. The “best” physicians are those that work with nutritionists. This is the best of both worlds…
FYI, diabetes (both types I and II) ARE treatable, in many cases without meds or with withdrawal of meds over a period of time. I have had several clients completely symptom free for good, as long as they followed their individualized protocol… and this holds for MANY conditions. Nutrition is the basis of health…
I have read most of the comments on this page and most of the people disturbed by the use of magnesium sterate are people with, what seems to be, multiple medical conditions. It is possible that certain supplements as well as medications and the mixture of the two could trigger various physiological reactions.
However, I think it is absurd for most people to experiment on themselves and draw conclusions that cannot be proved. If one is taking perscription medicastions even some herbs can react badly with them.
That said, I feel better now than I ever did taking supplements in moderation than I ever did without them and many contain magnesium sterate. I make my own kefir in order to maintain a healthier digestive system too. easy
Also, since doctors literally saved my life more than twice, I will admire and keep them close and continue to avail myself of their great medical knowledge as it vastly exceeds mine. Doctors and science know a lot more than the untrained and uneducated, this should go without saying. Are they perfect? No.
As a diabetic, I wish I could throw out the meds and doctors but that would be suicidal as diabetes cannot be controlled by diet alone. To suggest that it could be is very dangerous.
I would like to say, though, that I wish the pharmacy attendant on a recent visit had known what a boil is.
When I asked her where the meds were for this she pointed me to the foot care department. I asked her if she knew what a boil was and she said she did. I guess she thought I said bunion. LOL I can’t wait for her to fill my next perscription!
Type 2 diabetes can be reversed by diet alone. Here’s the link to a study showing a calorific restriction of 500 kcals/day normalised the beta cells of the pancreas by the end of the week by clearing out fat from first the liver, then the pancreas: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21656330
Surprising at the lack of interest shown in this amazing cure for T2DM. I guess the prospect of going hungry for a week is pretty frightening to some but then blindness, kidney failure and amputations sound pretty frightening to me.
Shawn, who are you?
If you think Quackwatch is a respectable site, I feel sorry for you. You’re obviously VERY opinionated and have already made conclusions.
While I might not buy everything on Mercola’s site, he does a great job in informing people of things they would otherwise not have known. It’s kind of nasty to knock someone else down who is doing a service for people. I learned about GMOs, amalgams and all that from Mercola, not Chris, maybe because he is newer on the scene.
Susan,
I think that ‘Shawn’ has written enough on this forum to demonstrate that he is not interested in discussing the issue or sharing useful information. Rather, he is intent on shoving his own dogmatic view down everybody else’s throat – and quite aggressively, at that.
I guess that you are forming the same idea that I am – that he is probably a ‘plant’ from some company that uses Mg Stearate in its products and wants to rubbish the genuine concerns that some people have.
If anybody disagrees with my opinion, it is their prerogative to do so. I would simply suggest that they read every one of his posts here and make up there own mind about the question.
As for me, I shall, more than likely, simply ignore any further posts he makes. I’d invite anybody who shares my opinion to do the same. If nothing else, it might teach him to be better mannered!
I agree
Hedles:
Are you kidding me?!?
My problem is with people that take very unscientific claims (or scientific claims that have been disproved), provided by people with a vested financial interest in convincing people that it is dangerous attack anyone who disagrees with them. 98% of the information I have researched in the past seven months or so clearly indicate it is totally safe. I started this journey, worried because I take meds and supplements that do not offer a Magnesium Stearate free option. If you could read my posts in other threads, I am often the one recommending avoiding certain meds and supplements. I only do so when there is scientific evidence supporting my statements though. This thread is actually a bit ironic where my beliefs are concerned.
Wow! Hedles post was very disturbing to me. I immediately went back and read the entire thread. On one hand, I think this judgment of me is rather harsh. On the other hand, I made a surprising discovery. As I said before, I came to this site, and many others expecting to find supporting evidence for claims made by people like Mercola. No one could have been more surprised than me to find irrefutable evidence, over and over that clears the name of Magnesium Stearate. During this time, I have also been debating this subject on another forum where those who are against Magnesium Stearate have been very ugly, calling people names, and making totally unsupportable and blatantly false claims. I feel that after reading this forum from top to bottom that I have been a bit harsher than I knew, in consideration of the posts who disagree with me (I was reacting to the tone from the other forum here without realizing I was doing it). I truly apologize for that unintentional cross-posting. I have never meant to make anyone feel like I discounted their “personal experiences.” If I have done that, then I apologize for that as well. The only thing I will not apologize for is for standing behind the truth that Magnesium Stearate is not Hydrochloric Acid, a heavy metal, or any of the ridiculous comparisons and accusations that have been levelled at it. In fact, Hedles has made statements supporting my view where the information was new to me. I researched them and found them to be true and they actually helped immensely with my discussion on the other forum.
I hope this clarifies things a bit. I have never had such surprising accusations levelled at me, so it was an unpleasant shock. I can assure you that my intentions have always been the best. I can see that my delivery suffered, so I have apologized for that.
Shawn
Relax, you haven’t been anything near harsh, you’ve been pretty calm and logical from what I’ve seen.
I’m actually rather impressed with you demeanor.
Something is being missed in this debate overall. The main problem with this substance is that it goes into your soft tissue and causes much havoc (joints, organs etc.) Any inorganic mineral outside of the food chain does this including calcium carbonate. I know this from a lifetime of personal experience and experimentation. I believe these unnecessary substances are a leading cause of joint problems and circulatory issues, strokes/heart attacks. Please avoid!
Interesting view. I will agree that there is evidence that supplementing with calcium has been shown to (detrimentally) penetrate muscle tissue but I have not seen anything to indicate this is true with other minerals. I don’t imagine you pulled that statement out of thin air, so I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide a source, or sources for that information.
I would however repeat what Chris said, that you would have to take massive amounts of products containing Magnesium Stearate because it makes up such a miniscule amount of each product.
Thank you in advance for sharing your concern and I look forward to the references.
Mr. Paleo:
If you type Dr. Mercola into Google, the second most popular search that comes up is:
Dr. Mercola Quack
Following that link, you find page after page of respected people and organizations (such as Quackwatch) who have labeled him a Quack. I read about 20 of them, and it is extremely clear he truly is a quack.
You mention the “good” information on his site, and I agree. I too found information of merit. Then I started running into obviously false information.
Mercola’s distrust-heavy spin seems to have hit a particular nerve. “That’s the fundamental sales hook,” says Barrett (of Quackwatch). “That you can’t trust the government, and because I don’t trust the government, you can trust me. And a lot of people don’t trust the government for a lot of reasons.” So the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
To be honest, it’s what originally drew me to his website. Soon the skeptic in me became more and more irritated as I read one ridiculous claim after another, often for the sole purpose of selling his overpriced products. I always try to be as objective as possible and grant that you can find good information on his site, but it means wading through the BS and being knowledgeable on the subjects to avoid being misled. He supports the idea that all cancers are actually fungus and can be healed by injecting baking soda into them for crying out loud!! Ironically, one of the most influential sources of information in the “Natural” treatments and cures is the Health Sciences Institute, and they promote a number of cures and treatments for cancer that involve mushrooms (a fungus).
Unlike Chris, he posts a lot of information that is downright dangerous and unsupportable. His only high ground is his self-proclaimed battle with “Big-Pharma.” He rarely supports his claims with actual facts. I give HSI credit for at least quoting actual double blind studies to support many of their claims. Of course, as some have pointed out, many of these studies are flawed and often the researchers find what they set out to find, regardless of the science in their studies that could just as easily lead to completely different outcomes. They produce a very thick “Anthology of Underground Cures” titled “Miracles From the Vault.” It is full of interesting ideas, supported in various ways with the primary intent of selling one or more products in each chapter.
The book, and their site (like Mercola’s) make many claims that are absurd to anyone with any intelligence and not in “wishful thinking” mode. I know I was there at one time, and actually exhibited side-effects to some of the substances they rail loudly against. Since educating myself, I have gone back and exposed myself to these same substances and noticed no ill effect, despite being much older and more susceptible to negative effects of things like alcohol (which I have learned to live without).
Quackery on the level of Joe Mercola and the HSI has become pervasive as they align themselves as anti-government crusaders and appeal to the baser instincts found in human beings. It’s really a shame, because in my lifetime I have visited 39 different countries and logged 127 different places, and my experience is that people just want to be happy. Those who prey on our fears with falsehoods and half-truths are robbing many of their happiness. Yes, there are apparently small numbers of people who have legitimate difficulties with some substances, but there is no need to drag the rest of us down with their alarmist propaganda.
I really appreciate and value the good work people like Chris do to help us recognize what is really worth being concerned about, and what we can safely ignore. The handful of people who believe Magnesium Stearate is a problem for them should report it, so the rest of us can watch for these sensitivities. The fear mongering that some on this thread, and elsewhere, engage in is destructive and of no positive value to us or our society. Stick to the facts because all of the falsehoods that have been perpetrated by these people, trying to be “right,” does more harm than good. They feel they are strengthening their argument, but anyone of even average intelligence can see through the garbage when presented with solid facts as provided by those who have opposed them here.
For those of you who wish to believe in the negative hype, I suggest checking out a way these folks insist you can use to identify substances that are harmful to you:
http://truthinlabeling.org/KinesiologyPractice.htm.doc
Maybe, while your at their site, you can convince them to take up your cause with regard to Magnesium Stearate. They have a pretty effective site with regard to pointing fingers at all sorts of possible causality.
Peace and happiness to you all.
“respected people and organizations (such as Quackwatch)…”
Hah, that’s a good one! I got a real good chuckle reading that. Quackwatch is mainly a one-man operation by a crank who has been sued multiple times and makes his living (although he’s financially desperate last I heard due to all the court costs) propagandizing for the status quo. If you look over his site, there are articles opposing everything that might compete with the favored perspective of pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies (keeping people sick while expensively treating their symptoms), and no articles criticizing all of the shortcomings of the conventional medical establishment. I have a lot of issues with Mercola: I think his claims lack rigor, he’s over-sensational, and he hypes/sells questionable products. However, he’s 100 times less inaccurate than Stephen Barrett.
http://www.encognitive.com/node/1213
“Stearic acid is an 18-carbon molecule with a specific chemical structure that will be the same whether the stearic acid is from a genetically modified cotton plant, a bar of Hershey’s chocolate, or a grass-fed ribeye steak.”
I really liked this point. A misconception that most in the holistic nutrition industry have is that anything that is not 100% naturally found in nature has a harmful effect to it, and that is simply not true.
Good article!
BB,
While I may agree with your basic premise, you are overlooking one small, but very important point… we do not live in a perfect world…
There is no such thing as 100% purity. Contamination IS a factor in food, health, etc… as for 100% “natural”, that doesn’t really mean much.. You can easily get some “100% natural” arsenic, for instance… Also, one cannot discount INDIVIDUAL susceptibility. SCIENCE often appears “cut & dried”, but rarely is… what is “knowledge” today may become tomorrow’s faulty “information”… dogma, as it were, is a very ornery beast !
You are forgetting that Magnesium Stearate has been safely used in medications, supplements, foods and cosmetics for decades. It is a very specific molecule that study after study has shown not to be a danger and is without contamination. It is used in over 2,500 medications, and is found in almost all of the top 200 prescription medications. The number two most used excipient? Lactose! Now that is a natural chemical that is a known problem for a significant number of people. Of course, as in the example of Magnesium Stearate, it makes up such an insignificant amount of the final product that people sensitive to it do not even know it is in their medications because they have no reaction to it.
Magnesium Stearate is a vegetable source lubricant produced by a precipitation process with tight control over particle physical properties. Certified to meet NF/EP/JP and FDA specifications. It is known for:
High purity
Well-defined crystalline state
Consistent physical properties
Particle size distribution
Surface area
Morphology
Consistent performance
This is easily verifiable and very basic testing can be used to do so.
If there were problems with purity, they would have been when Magnesium Stearate was first brought into use. Decades later, the standard for Magnesium Stearate is a pure substance without any contamination. That said, the possibility always exists that, like the Japanese company that produced a contaminated version of Tryptophan, a batch from a less than stellar company could happen. The FDA overreacted and took a valuable supplement totally off the market as a result. I have dealt with a number of supplement companies who randomly assay their products, and no contamination of magnesium stearate was ever found. Sure contaminated batches are possible, but this scenario could play out in any supplement, not just those with Magnesium Stearate in them. Even then, it would not account for those who claim all contact with Magnesium Stearate gives them problems.
The detractors in this thread have tried to label Magnesium Stearate as a “heavy metal,” a trans fat and/or a hydrogenated fat, and the product of a GMO (thus inferring danger). Each of these misconceptions were clearly and definitively refuted.
I usually find myself on the other side of these discussions, and find it interesting that I am actually defending two industries I have major problems with (prescription medications and the supplement industry). I guess it comes down to my extreme dislike of those self serving individuals who take a stand that is as indefensible as the one some on this thread have taken.
I do not discount the possibility that the few people on this thread who are braying the loudest may actually have some reaction to Magnesium Stearate. I have no objection to those who wish to bring it to the public’s attention that they have experienced difficulties. If there is a problem for them, it is quite possible there are others. When they decide to attack someone who is doing great work clearing up misconceptions, and do it with one falsehood after another, well that I have a problem with.
Shawn,
I am not arguing the “science”, I think Chris is doing a great job, and, if you have been following this post from the beginning, I clearly have stated that I have not encountered this particular problem, either personally or professionally, however, since “science” is a “work in progress”, and factors such as repeat exposure can have long-term effects that may not make themselves evident for years, I have to at least take note that there MAY be a potential problem… as I have said, repeatedly, I think it is wiser to err on the side of caution… but this is just my opinion.
And Mr. Paleo, Good! that’s what this is all about, having an opinion based on your thoughts and experiences. I must say you are very professional too about taking things into account as we go along here. In fact, Chris started this whole thread by giving his opinion and then asking for opinions from us. This is supposed to be a healthy discussion with diverse opinions and experiences. My opinion and experience is that mag stearate does not work for me, Of course, there are a number of so called allergens that do not work for a number of people. When I gave some examples such as no one would agree that peanuts or Penicillin should be in everything because some people are known to react to them, and then to have someone go WAY off topic about how peanuts have not been outlawed, so why am I saying mag stearate should be outlawed, this is NOT a discussion. It is off topic to say the least and twisting my statement to say that I want mag stearate outlawed is just wrong. I should be able to say that the doctor who ‘snuck’ mag stearate into my compounded med that caused me to have labored breathing and fast pulse had no right to do that to me. I stated that I would never take mag stearate and I won’t but that should not be twisted into my declaring it should be outlawed. It is like those of us that have had very adverse experiences are not allowed to say it because ‘someone’ here does not want to hear anything but what he believes. AND to say that mag stearate has been used for years with no problem, well maybe he has not had a problem or he chooses to be oblivious to any problems it may cause, that does not mean it has not been a problem for some people. When we see how “FDA Approved Prescription Drugs Kill Hundreds of Thousands of People Annually”, I can safely say that something is NOT working well with drugs/supplements. I mean, those are “JUST A FEW” people who would not agree that all has been well through the years with drugs/supplements. This statistic does not include all the people who had negative reactions to drugs/supplements. Just maybe drugs/supplements should be looked into a little closer for impurities/allergens and the so called inert ingredients instead of doggedly insisting no changes have to be made, nothing needs looking into, all is well because that’s the way it has always been done AND it makes good money for those not so few people in that business.
http://www.undergroundhealth.com/fda-approved-prescription-drugs-kill-hundreds-of-thousands-of-people-annually/
i take amphetamine salts for ADD. i began taking them 6 years ago.
now, 6 years later, i’ve been diagnosed with ALS.
i was also diagnosed with celiac disease 3 years ago so i need to be gluten free. was checking the ingredients and a questionable one is magnesium stearate.
any thoughts, please?
Suzanne,
Without more information (your age, medical history, test results, etc.) it is difficult to ascertain the cause of your problems, but all three of your “conditions” have a dietary component… you appear to have a “biological cascade” in effect… that is, in plain English, it would appear your body is breaking down, probably due to gastrointestinal concerns, and possibly to other factors as well… and Mag stearate would probably be the least of your problems… paleo works to improve some of these conditions, but you may need both genetic and methylation pathway testing, as well as B-vitamin analysis, and possibly a few other tests to ascertain what exactly is occurring, and to determine the correct treatment. I can recommend several qualified physicians, if you like…
Hedles:
I appreciate your point, and have repeatedly said that if those few people experiencing problems want to avoid any substance, then they should. My problem is with people who come onto an informational blog like this one and try over and over again to convince the general public that their problems mean that no one should take anything containing something. Peanuts are deadly to some people, you don’t hear any outcry that peanuts should be banned and people are not whining that because they have a problem with them then everyone should avoid them.
As I have pointed out, Magnesium Stearate has been used for decades, in many thousands of medications, foods, cosmetics and supplements. If there was a serious problem, then I am quite certain it would have come to light.
Lactose is the second most common excipient, and there are a lot of people who cannot process it, but those people are free to check the label and avoid it. The rest of the population should be free to use it if they want.
Yes, I can be blunt when addressing those who make clearly wrong statements in an attempt to convince the rest of the world that their difficulty constitutes one for everyone. It is absurd and they should just give it up.
Chris wrote a very good, fact based, blog and the fake claims have been clearly debunked, so these people need to find something else to do.
Depends on if they changed what mag stearate is made of. What is its base?
There are things that used to be harmless that are now harmful because the something in the ingredients changed.
I have a family member who is a Nutritionist and continually giving us feed back on the safety implications of certain things. Magnesium Stearate being the most recent. She likens it to degreasers because it is in solvents? So I investigate her comments and more often end up debunking them. With all of the misinformation going around the internet, how do we know we are reading a trusted article?
Terri,
Mg stearate is used as a “flow control agent” (lubricant) in supplement production… it also has other uses in other industries… I am now recommending my clients avoid it, if at all possible, simply because it MAY be problematic…
MR PALEO
LOL! So they finally wore you down. It’s exactly the kind of crap that causes some supplement companies to give in. A few loud voices keep making unprovable claims over and over again. Meanwhile the millions who are unaffected don’t even know the prices of their supplements are about to get more expensive solely because a small percentage of the population claims they have problems with “certain” ingredients.
@Shawn, et al…
As a caregiver, I have a responsibility to my clients to err on the side of caution… if YOU have read the entire thread, then you would know I am still questioning people with respect to their assumptions and/or conclusions…. and I would advise you to be careful about being so arrogant about your assumed knowledge as to slander people, e.g., Dr Mercola… whatever you may think about him, personally or professionally, and while I do not recommend his supplements, his website has made a positive impact on advancing nutritional awareness in the “general” population, and much of what he reports nowadays is accurate… especially since coming around to the “PALEO/PRIMAL” approach… just my “opinion”…
Well said, Mr. Paleo.
We need to exercise caution in assessing the complex truth and not jump to conclusions where more understanding is required to explain and deal with symptoms that some – but clearly a significant few – are experiencing.
Individuals who are not professional scientists can only experiment on themselves and generate their own theories based upon their own (and possibly others’) anecdotal evidence together with whatever scientific data *can* tell us already.
If a significant number are experiencing negative health effects and their self-experimentation leads them to associate those symptoms with certain products or ingredients, it calls for further scientifically-based studies NOT mere assertion of what is and what is not.
IMHO, the jury is still out on this one, until a cause has been found for the negative symptoms that are being experienced – even if only by a few – and an effective remedy that demonstrates its accuracy.
As a reading Disabilities teacher, I worked with students in 7th through 10 grades (many old for their grade due to being “flunked”). I actually worked with students at this age level who didn’t know anything about reading, (had no knowledge of what sounds letters stood for or even knew the alphabet). One particular 7th grade guy, I’ll call John Doe, had a genius IQ level but was a struggling reader. When my program took this John Doe out of the Basal Reader, one “Shawn” teacher was horrified, saying how could you dump the Basal reader when it has come through years and years of structured reading for students. My reply, it didn’t work for my John Doe or the numbers of other John & Jane Does I have worked with through the years. AND I WILL say my system WORKED as I turned non-readers and very poor readers into readers and good readers. (the result/end experience didn’t lie) This is life. We are not the same in many, many ways and to stick to close-minded ways that one calls science because they work for the majority leaves a significant number behind. Everybody is not histamine intolerant or gluten intolerant or has asthma or can eat peanuts and on and on. So it makes sense that not everyone can tolerate mag stearate. Just as some people do not tolerate aspirin or penicillin or peanuts/nuts and so on. Where is the science behind such things? Medical forms acknowledge such intolerances in individual medical records. Generally the so called science behind it is that the patient reacted to the substance so it is not prescribed for that person again and again only to experience the negative reactions over and over or to end in death. There are insane/wrong ‘scientific’ studies that show that heart disease is caused by Cholesterol and many people live by that standard but in actuality, die early by adhering to the science behind that standard. What about the thousands of people who die each year from prescription drugs or food allergies or the thousands who have bad reactions to a drug or substance such as MAG STEARATE. Why is mag stearate in such a different category as penicillin and all the rest of those “common” substances that cause Many people to have bad reactions or death??? Where has Common Sense gone? I can guarantee you that my Common Sense works where science has it all wrong. To cry like a baby because you don’t get YOUR way says one is functioning somewhere at the 2 year old level. That’s those who name call/say they know it all and Mercola does not know…that’s supposed to be a science minded person??? Well, I will rely on my Common Sense instead. Maybe the philosophy of “I think, therefore I am” comes into play here!
LOL! I cannot believe you went there. You really have become desperate because you can’t be right. I will take my education, intelligence and science above your “common” sense any time. You have tried one failed theory after another, trying to prove a scientific link and had them all debunked. Now all it takes is “common” sense?
Your incessant whining has been a childish cry because you can’t be right. You have been wrong, over and over again. Get over it and get a life.
Hey Shawn,
You are really letting yourself down by being so dismissive and acidic to people.
If people are experiencing negative symptoms that they find seem to be associated with preparations including Mg stearate but don’t occur when they substitute other preparations without Mg stearate, how is it you know that it isn’t anything to do with the Mg stearate without a proper study to find out what actually is causing those symptoms?
At least a handful of people have found their way here who are apparently experiencing this.
That would imply that “out there” there are more than a handful of people who are also experiencing such.
Without a study of some of those particular people and their symptoms, you simply cannot say that it has nothing to do with Mg stearate in their tablets or, to be more accurate, the specific Mg stearate product used in their manufacture – its possible contaminants, its provenance or its mode of manufacture, etc.
There are just dozens of variables that cannot be known without investigation.
Shawn,
Please take a look at the information on the Seeking Health website (Dr. Ben Lynch’s site) and post your thoughts over there.
I’d be curious to hear what Lynch has to say to your arguments.
http://www.seekinghealth.com/blog/what-is-magnesium-stearate/
I have been suffering miserably with acid reflux for the past several months and know it’s not being caused by food intake. Lying in bed last night I was making a mental inventory of what I do consume and it hit me that many of the supplements I take contain magnesium stearate. Is anyone else having a similar problem that can be related to this?
Gracie,
How are you “certain” that it is not something you eat ? Do you eat within four hours of going to bed at night ? Have you kept a food diary ? Do you eat tomatoes, tomato sauce, orange juice, pineapple, chocolate, etc. ?
http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/guide/common-heartburn-triggers-exercise-medications-and-large-meals
Hey, sorry about the reflux, I have it too, but greatly abated. Please try PepZin GI, a zinc molecule made with carnosine. Please also read a book by Martie Whittikin about reflux. I loath mag stearate, but your reflux don’t come from it, I’m very sure. But it’s a question of paring away the no-go junk that has no benefit and requires our life energy to “process”. Best of health to you.
Very surprised Chris K is defending, no–apologizing for this crud. Some of it comes from cottonseed oil, and that’s OK with Chris–who hasn’t seen any info that the highly refined product retains residues of the inevitable pesticides in cotton and it’s products. Very hypocritical. Take a stand, Chris, get on the good foot, the stuff is junk and requires bodily resources to process in exchange for yet more entropy. No good comes from it.
You should really read a thread before commenting in it. Your cottonseed oil/pesticides angle has already been thoroughly debunked.
I read the thread. Yer off the truth if yer defending this chemical only a step or two above hydrogenated fat. Matter of fact, it’s a substitute for hydrogenated fat. Find and use whatever supps you can without this junk Shawn. It’s not always possible, but it’s the way to go Best of health to you.
If you read the thread, then still believe this, your reading comprehension is lacking.
Dr. Mercola says magnesium stearate should be avoided as it is a source of aluminum. Do you agree? Also, if the magnesium stearate is “derived from vegetables” does that make it any less harmful?
Dr Mercola is a well known quack who says whatever it takes to sell overpriced supplements.
Maria, magnesium stearate is not a source of aluminum. It is only magnesium and stearic acid, which are two natural nutrients found in food. The only exception might be very cheap, low quality supplements that may be contaminated with aluminum, but this would not be due to the mag stearate. It’s a good idea to stick with pharmaceutical grade supplements, since they use very pure ingredients. Also, no it does not matter what the source of the mag stearate is, because it’s the same molecule either way.
I have been taking vitamins and supplements for years without any problems, until recently. It now seems that whenever I take any supplement or even an OTC medication that contains magnesium stearate, I get serious stomach problems.
My stomach gets a bloated feeling, gassy feeling and just sick feeling. After switching between different supplements, I am now certain it is the magnesium stearate that is causing the stomach problems.
Any idea why?