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.
Deborah,
While I agree with your nutritionist about unnecessary additions to supplements, I’m wondering why you did not receive advice as to natural solutions to inflammation… I would strongly recommend you determine WHY you have this condition occurring… and start with white willow bark extract…
Thank you. What do you think of Zyflamend? I have only had one visit with the nutritionist so far for systemic candidiasis and to get some herbal supplements and review diet. I don’t see her again till Aug 1st. Yesterday I went to orthopedic doc for the shoulder and back issue. So the nutritionist was not even aware of this at the time I saw her. The cause of the abnormal shoulder blade position and movement was probably from a fall I had while hiking a year ago – landing on my upper arm and shoulder. My first round of PT and now 14 weeks into chiropractor visits (he sold me a package and said he could help) have not helped at all so I went to the ortho who gave me the diagnosis but says I need to try PT again. He gave this new one a referral with some specific instructions. About 2 months ago my husband got me some IbuActin with white willow, turmeric and bromelain but it has maltodextrin as well as mag stearate and I have instructions to avoid the maltodextrin or any malt product because it feeds the yeast. I took about half the bottle and stopped because I didn’t feel like it was doing anything. I just now went back to try it again since you mentioned white willow and I just discovered the maltodextrin. It’s not just the additives in Aleve that concern me, it’s that it can cause bleeding and other side effects as well.
Hi everyone, I just went to a nutritionist last week and she mentioned that some of the supplements I was taking contained mag stearate and she preferred supplements without that ingredient. When I am finished with what I have I will try to refill with ones without it but was glad to read Chris’s article for a little more perspective. Anyway I just came from the orthopedic doctor who diagnosed me with scapulothoracic dyskinesia which just means I am having a problem with my right shoulder blade and back. He prescribed some physical therapy and since it is really full of inflammation (just sitting on the couch or driving with anything touching it hurts), he recommended I take Aleve BID for 3 weeks. I picked some up on the way home and THEN I read the ingredients. Oy. FD&C blue #2 lake, mag stearate, micro cellulose, talc, and titanium dioxide. I really don’t want to take this NSAID for 3 weeks but don’t know what else to take to help reduce the inflammation. Any suggestions?? Thank you.
I just make my own vitamins & supplements using powdered fruit, powdered vegetables, MSM, powdered herbs, etc. I put them into empty capsules. I have my own little capsule making machine. I don’t have to worry about any additives or toxins. Just make your own. Get the book “How to make your own vitamins & supplements.” http://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Pure-Vitamins-Supplements/dp/1484939743/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1403406142&sr=8-2&keywords=how+to+make+your+own+vitamins
Mr Paleo, your philosophical point is completely irrelevant and doesn’t answer the question, or add to the debate in any way. If you put of something POSSIBLY being true over SCIENCE, then you’re just aren’t bright enough for someone to go into a discussion with you, as I know where it’s going to end, so I’m going to make this shorter than it should be.
Your (and a lot of others’) thought process is precisely the reason why people believe in god and, judging by the word “paleo” in your nickname (giving away the fact that you’re a fan of the approach), I think it’s fair to assume you definitely don’t read medical journals. Paleo is one of the most stupidest GIMMICKS of the recent years because so many people fell (and continue to) for it. Oh, and I come bearing all scientific data to backup this claim, whereas “paleontologists” cannot support most of their claims since they are NOT backed by science but rather speculations and theories.
Yet again, to make sure people aren’t more confused by what Mr Paleo was blaberring there, this is what the situation on Magnesium Stearate is, and that’s a ***FACT***: THERE IS NO SCIENTIFIC DATA PROVING SIDE EFFECTS OF MAGNESIUM STEARATE THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO EVERYDAY LIFE. Period. End of story.
For people following advice in Men’s Fitness and similar magazines, I have nothing else to say than either stop it and start reading PubMed instead, or continue without worry but know that you’re not getting FACTS. Unless, of course, you prefer “possibly this” and “possibly that” over scientific data and facts.
Thank you Robert and all those of you who have put a more realistic perspective on this situation.
Personally, I am not sure what people have against magnesium in any form as it is vital to good health.
Diabetics, we are, are extremely deficient in magnesium and it does take some time to overcome this deficiency. We use ionic magnesium because there are no discernible digestive issues with it. Since we started increasing our intake of magnesium, we have much more energy and I believe much better health. As far as I am aware, the body eliminates just what is not needed and there are no negative side effects.
Without magnesium other vital nutrients such as calcium cannot be absorbed by the body.
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
Other factors concerning non absorption are phytic acid and those sensitive to gluten or with celiac disease. Osteoporosis, arthritis and other autoimmune diseases can be the result of one not absorbing the proper nutrition from food.
I believe that sometimes when people are dieting, taking new supplements or detoxing certain physiological issues arise. People are often looking in the wrong place for the reasons for these changes and are quick to assign blame.
TO: Robert, Tom, et al…
“Science” has its limitations… there is more to all of this than meets the eye. You might want to loosen your grip a bit… one cannot see the possibilities if one is closed-minded. Sometimes, things that “don’t make sense” at the moment, will eventually… since none of us is fully cognizant… rigidity in thinking only lends itself to self-imposed boundaries.
Robert, great comment – came here to say the same thing. People need to learn how to read studies. There’s way too many cases where correlation does not imply causation, and people completely ignore this fact.
For others reading these comments on the effects of Magnesium Stearate – all claimed side effects HAVE NOT BEEN PROVEN IN A CONTROLLED STUDY. All the claims are purely speculations.
Many postings commented on the problem of too much magnesium (Mg) in magnesium stearate (MgS). The calculations to verify such a claim in light of what the body requires are simple. First determine the % Mg in MgS and then in a typical pill. The molecular weight on MgS is 591.3; for Mg, 24.3. This means that there is about 4% Mg in MgS.
I looked at a few vitamin pills and they had around 1% MgS. Assuming a rough calculation for a 500mg tablet, then there would _about_ 5mg of MgS of which 0.2mg would be Mg. (This is about the same amount of Mg, depending upon the source, in the water used to swallow your pill.)
The RDA for Mg is 400mg/day for an adult. We have about 25,000mg (25gms) of Mg in our bodies. We excrete 100-200mg of Mg/day, hence the need for exogenous Mg to replace what we’ve lost. Further, Mg is a cofactor in over 300 enzymes in our body and I’ve seen values as high as 18,000 chemical reactions in our body depends upon Mg: without Mg you die.
So, even if 10% of a pill were MgS, we’d be ingesting 2mg of Mg/pill and need to take 200 such pills to meet our RDA recommended levels. (If any of you are taking this many pills per day, you have more problems than Mg or MgS.)
As for stearate itself, 19% of beef fat is stearic acid (the anion, the negative part, is same as MgS just different cations, the plus parts). There is about 16gms of fat in 4oz of beef (85% lean), or about 3,000mg of MgS. So anyone having hamburger or any other beef product is going to get a heavier load of MgS than in any vitamin or other pill. Also, the Mg content of this 4oz beef is about 30mg of Mg (or about 25mg of Mg for 4oz of turkey meat, depending on how cooked, and significant amounts of Mg in nuts and green vegetables).
Our average diet contains lots if Mg and MgS, overwhelming the contribution of pills.
And so, since there are so many other variables affecting our health that anecdotal conclusions (based on an N-value of 1: a single person commenting about themselves), that “I’ve had such and such a problem from MgS”, are absurd. Unless someone (and you need many people in such a study to be certain random chance was not distorting the findings) took only pure MgS, and controlled _all_ other variables in their lives for the duration of the study, no one can definitively state that MgS in vitamin pills or Xanax or anything else is contributory to their poor health.
Wow! I_Fortuna beat me to the punch and said what I have been saying all along.
Yes, this forum is here for people to discuss their issues and if everyone stuck to that formula, there would be little debate. The problem is that there are people here who could not just tell us about their problems. They had to create an agenda designed to discredit Magnesium Stearate for everyone.
Totalfreedom13 just committed one of the most heinous sins possible in a forum like this one. This person indicated that an article stated that: “it seems most of the world’s magnesium stearate and stearic acid come from animal cadavers, especially in the USA and China.” As it turns out, the gut rending article never mentions Magnesium, Stearate or any combination of the two anywhere. There are plenty of appropriate forums where that information can and should be posted, this is not one of them.
Dear Chris,
Yours truly posted a favorable review on 5 May 2014 of your Harmful or Harmless: Magnesium Stearate article.
This article, however, is extremely disturbing:
http://www.preciouspets.org/rendering-plants-dark-side/
Please comment ASAP because it seems most of the world’s magnesium stearate and stearic acid come from animal cadavers, especially in the USA and China.
Thank you so much!
I just read the article from precious pets. I read the entire article and did not see anything relevant to this discussion or magnesium stearate or stearic acid. Please point out where in the article that these products are mentioned. I think you have another agenda totalfreedom13.
I think what you are doing is underhanded and using this forum to further your own political views.
You are assuming that most of us are unaware of certain issues. I can only speak for myself that your presumptuous attitude and effort at sensationalism isn’t productive or appreciated by me. In fact, I find that these flaws will cause me to disbelieve you and whatever you post.
If you have actual relevant information on magnesium stearate and stearic acid from reputable studies, scientific papers or university studies please cite your specific sources and refrain from your sensational political, irrelevant links with one-sided and unsupported views with an agenda.
no matter what you think and say nothing will ever change unless you realize you are not so different from everyone else. in the past man had none of these pills we now have. in the past man had pure water and pure food. in the past man could bathe in frozen water and run down antelope. a strong, healthy man has a strong, healthy environment and worships, practices, and lives in complete freedom. i dread the future because the present has lost its memory of the past and cares just enough to treat chronic dis-ease for just one day at a time. how about them oceans? f$@k magnesium stearate! hang those who feed it to you. . . your own hand? can you think for yourself? turn this machine off and go outside.
WOW!!! What a fascinating thread! While I have seen worse, I think the following comment is relevant here:
By now, a significant portion of U.S. consumers are aware of “so called experts” blatant attempts at driving attention to their products through eye-opening messages. These people quote studies and data that under scrutiny fail to show any valid connection to their claims. Still, they continue to do it because it works on the majority who never do the research to verify or dismiss their claims.
Once these people become converts they adamantly insist that whatever the substance du jour is, is causing them to experience health problems. They often (as in this thread) try to attack the substance with the already discredited few studies that originally convinced them in the first place.Soon they feel that since they can’t win over people on the logical side of issues, they must resort to moving them through emotional and poignant portrayals of how the substance has negatively affected their health. In this thread there is not a single example of anyone who made a logical link to MS as the root of their health issues.
There are some impressive entries here from people like: Shawn, Hedles, Mr Paleo, Pamela (not me), and Mike Mutzel. Then there is one particular person who egregiously abuses the frameworks of polite discussion to make her point, and has done so quite adequately.
It’s nice that Mr. Kresser created this opportunity but, as one author pointed out, this thread has run it’s course. There is nothing positive that can be accomplished because the posts are running over the same ground, over and over. Both sides have made their points, and anyone reading it will benefit from reading both sides.
I was prescribed vitamin supplements by my doctor. All of them were by a brand called xymogen. Lately,, since the beginning of the year, I have been feeling my pharynx tissue swollen and down to my esophagus. I have been prescribed cortizone and antibiotics, with no success. Tomorrow, I will again be seeing my doctor (ENT not primary) to see what to do. Next he said I will need blood tests to determine if the cause is autoimmune or collagen. No idea, what he is talking about. Thanks to internet I began to research and found about magnesium stearate which is an ingredient in all xymogen supplements. I haven’t taken them since monday. Today is wednesday. I still feel more or less the same. I hope this can be resolved, but I am concerned about the mg stearate and hope that if I completely stop taking the supplements, I get finally better. It is frustrating that the supplements which are supposed to be best quality may be causing the problem.
Pam, I thought it was against federal law now to not list all ingredients in all supplements.
Mr. Chris Kresser (MD, PHD, OBGYN??)
———–>By Dr. MercolaByron J. Richards,
Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist <+++++++++
10% – 12% of cocoa is fatty acids of stearic acid, one of the richest sources of stearic acid in the food supply. It is easy to get 5 grams of stearic acid (5,000 mg) by eating a bar of chocolate. By comparison, a dietary supplement capsule product typically contains between 1% – 2% stearic acid or 10 mg – 20 mg of stearic acid per capsule, or 1000 mg to 2000 mg per bottle (20% – 40% of a chocolate bar for the entire bottle). ***BARS OF CHOCOLATE ARE NOT HEALTHY4U**
My point is that the amount of stearic acid ingested in a vitamin product is a small percent of a fatty acid that you consume every day as part of your diet, a type of fatty acid that is not problematic in the first place.
Magnesium Stearate in Vitamins
Magnesium stearate has natural lubricant properties, something very important to the quality in how vitamins are produced. This is especially true for complex formulas with multiple ingredients which have inherently different chemistry properties (meaning that ingredients could stick together or clump in different ways based on their properties).
Once the raw materials of a vitamin product formulation have been mixed up it is very important to maintain the mix consistency, otherwise the nutrients going into the capsule will not be able to meet the label claims of what is in the capsule. By adding a small amount of magnesium stearate the nutrients don’t stick together, thereby allowing a consistently maintained mixture.
Magnesium stearate also prevents ingredients from sticking to the encapsulation machine. This is also important, as certain active ingredients may otherwise adhere to machine parts and not get into your capsules in the desired amounts or at the stated dosage.
Great point. I’ve been working on the manufacturing side for 9 years, so will shed some insight as to why manufactures use lubricants, including stearic acid.
Lets take a multivitamin for example, with a ’00’ cap (larger capsule). Each capsule will hold about 1,000 mg of material; of that 1,000 mg about 10-15 mg of stearic acid powder, 5-10 mg of magnesium stearate and 5-10 mg of perkasil (silica). It’s important to recognize that the amount of lubricant used is contingent on the physical properties of the nutrients being manufactured. Take betaine, Ginko or micronized flavonoids, materials that are notoriously hard to blend, may require more lubricants.
Magnesium stearate is a great lubricant in the same way butter prevents cookies from sticking on pans. However it’s not the ONLY lubricant. Any fat will do, palmitic acid, lauric acid etc…the 15-20 mg of the amino acid leucine works well too. So you may see USP Ascorbyl Palmitate, MCT oil or calcium citrate laurate in place of stearic acid.
If a manufacture does use stearic acid and/or magnesium stearate, they are not evil, cheap or intentionally trying to hurt you. Even blending is a critical early part to the manufacturing process. If you have ingredients sticking to the sides of the blending tote, dosing will be inconsistent. New cGMP guidelines mandates nutrient levels must be within 5% of label claim.
Additionally lubricants must be used to form a slug. If you can’t form a slog, capsules won’t stay together. Have you ever tried to make cookies or pancakes with no butter or eggs? They don’t hold form.
Lastly, and arguably most important, lubricants reduce heat and sheer.
In conclusion, I’m neither for nor against magnesium stearate. I’m simply supplying you all with insider information that is often ‘spun’ by a few select manufactures to increase market share. The few negative studies on stearic acid that have been published up to now have been conducted exclusively in animals. One important, and often neglected, finding in these studies was that OTHER lipids, not just stearic acid, caused immune suppression too. It’s not natural for rats or any animal for that matter to consume 30 percent of daily calories from a single chain-length lipid.
A single walnut, a few sesame seeds or a sip of breast milk will have more stearic acid than most large supplement capsules.
Hope that helps,
Mike
Mike, isn’t there a difference between Mag stearate and steatic acid?
Hi Sam,
Great question. Yes, two different molecules. Magnesium stearate is the salt form of stearic acid.
Stearic acid, is 18 carbons, is used to make the slug or tablet in the manufacturing process. (Remember you need fat to hold stuff together).
In contrast, magnesium stearate provides excellent lubrication. The differences here are due to the chemical properties of this salt form–which, when bound to magnesium forms a very long hydrocarbon chain (36 carbons in total), which will prevent polar substances (such as polyphenols, water-bearing herbs etc…) from sticking to equipment.
Please refer to PubChem for additional details and differences between the two compounds.
Stearic acid => http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=5281&loc=ec_rcs
Magnesium stearate => http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=11177&loc=ec_rcs
Hope that helps,
Mike
Mike,
Thanks for those links to PubChem. Do you know the reason why the database seems to refer to (all?) salts by the name of the acid from which they are derived and only to provide the name of the salt in the “Also known as” section of the data sheet? For example, even though they have totally distinct CID numbers, each of Stearic Acid (CID 5281), Magnesum Stearate (CID 11177), Calcium Stearate (CID 15324), Aluminium Stearate (CID 12496) etc. are all given the ‘head’ name “Stearic Acid”.
Agreed they are all related chemicals, but they are definitely not the same compound.
Are you a chemist? If so, can you shed any more light on the chemistry of Mg stearate?
For example, (1) how tightly does the Magnesium ion bind to the stearate? I mean (2) are there chemical pathways available within the body that might reduce the salt back to the acid? (3) Any that would produce the salt from the acid? (4) How likely are they to occur?
(5) In solution/suspension/emulsion, how similar might the chemical behaviours of the acid and the magnesium salt be?
(6) Will the salt be frequently found as a pair of dissociated ions? (7) Will the acid? (8) So might it be the stearate radical that determines the majority of the chemical properties of either the salt or the acid?
(9) Or will they react quite differently?
(10) Given the natural ubiquity of stearic acid, in many foods, does magnesium stearate occur naturally within the body even if you don’t consume any? (11) Does magnesium stearate feature in any of the body’s normal chemical pathways? (12) If so, would these be limited to specific organs?
It seems to me that if for example we could definitely answer questions (2), (3), (6), (7), (8), (10) and (11) in the positive, (12) in the negative and (5) as “very likely”, then people experiencing negative symptoms that they have associated with with the consumption of Mg stearate, would find it more valuable to look elsewhere for the cause, i.e. at possible contamination of the flow additive/fill rather than the chemical itself.
Contrariwise, if these answers were reversed, there would be good reason to examine why some specific people might react negatively to magnesium stearate itself.
Thus the answers to these questions could be crucial to directing any effort to identify causes of these negative health outcomes.
After reading pretty much all the comments here, I found this one to be particularly interesting myself.
I believe a comprehensive response however, will be quite difficult. Both in terms of the specialized knowledge needed) and the time to reply.
Thus it may be less likely to appear than comments taking a more impassioned and interpersonal approach (on both sides of the issue).
en una viamina de Biotin 5000mcg. donde se lee INGRADIENTES DICE : tiene vegetal magnesio esterate—– que tan dañino puede ser…. causar alergia?…. algun daño de valor?
Celia,
Si, evite estearato de magnesio en sus suplementos, si puedes …
Dear Glad…
AGREED ! Well said, thank you. There is no place for rigid dogma in REAL healing… we need to stay open to possibilities, whether they make “scientific” sense, or not…
I have read these posts and find them both intriguing and disturbing. While I understand that from a scientific perspective magnesium stearate may not be particularly harmful, the caveat seems to be, not harmful to “most people”. As an example of how that works, my two uncles were severe asthmatics. One had to sleep with a heart monitor and his nurse wife often had to revive him with CPR and adrenalin. On the other hand, both my mother and her sister (these people are all related) had horrible allergic reactions and when given adrenalin went in to shock!! From the adrenalin!! Almost died!! My son had an asthma attack at the age of six (his first). I nursed him through the night but as morning came he got worse so I called his pediatrician and found that he was already at his clinic at 7am. He said to come right over. By the time we got there my son’s lips were blue and doc immediately wanted to give him adrenalin. I left my son with the nurse in the exam room and asked the doctor to step in to the hall. I told him about my mother and my aunt. He said that was impossible, that adrenalin was produced by the body. I replied that I knew my son needed immediate treatment but I insisted he give him a teensy test dose first just to be sure. He reluctantly agreed. My son could not have heard any of this conversation. We went back in to the room. The doctor injected my son with a teensy dose of adrenalin. The reaction was phenomenal. He jumped off the exam table, threw up, his hands went up as his body slumped to the floor. His heart had stopped. The doctor did CPR while the nurse ran to get a “crash cart”. Fortunately, my son revived from CPR alone and did not need anything else. When it was all over, the doctor said he would never doubt what a parent told him again and said he was quite certain if a regular dose of the drug had been given to my son, he would not have been “revivable.” My point is this, those who say they are fine with magnesium stearate are no doubt fine with it. Those who say they are not, need to be believed as well. One could argue the adrenalin mix had something in it other than adrenalin that caused these reactions. One could argue that the magnesium stearate had something extra as well that caused reactions. Does it really matter to the people involved? I’m old enough to remember when Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, lupus, colitis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and asthma were all psychiatric disorders. Nobody had ever heard of Asperger’s Syndrome but we all knew quite a few “eccentric”, basically non-social types of people. Celiac disease only occurred in people of Scottish or Irish descent and was extremely rare…pretty much unheard of in the U.S. The human body is a mysterious thing. Doctors and scientists don’t know everything. You are the only one who can determine how you feel. If you know something makes you ill, then avoid it!! If you are one of the lucky few who have absolutely no health problems, then more power to you, but unless you can claim perfection, don’t criticize or lecture to others.
I am finally beginning to see what is happening here. I do not disagree with a single word you have said. I never have. The difference here is that I read these posts where people attack Magnesium Stearate and make comments like “this garbage shouldn’t be in our supplements” and object to the fact people are trying to convince everyone that it should be avoided at all costs. Everyone is not in danger here. There could very well be some people who have reactions to it… I agree that they should avoid it. I also had no problem with these people stating their case for their sensitivities. There is nothing wrong with letting people know that a small population of people have problems with it. I am glad they posted. I do not however believe that overarching and irrefutable evidence for the overall safety (for the majority of people) and harmlessness of a substance should be totally ignored for the sake of a few. My comments have been intended as a balance against the overreaching attacks, not as any judgment upon those who believe they have a sensitivity to said substance.
Read my posts again if you truly believed that I was being dismissive, because that was not my intent at all. The irony is that in every other discussion I have ever had about supplements, or medications have fallen on the side of warning people of the dangers involved. My reaction here has been atypical (for me), but I believe, just as strongly as those who would have attacked Chris and Magnesium Stearate, that there needs to be a balance to reckless abandon here. I want nothing but the best for those people who have sensitivities and have never intended my comments to be construed as attacks. They were all in defense from my perspective.
Peace,
Shawn
Shawn, My comments were not directed at you, but rather at the disconcerting tone the entire blog was taking. Thank you for your response.
Cool article, Chris Kresser!
Three Anecdotal Cases
First case. Ray Kurzweil, futurist, scientist. According to Forbes,
http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/26/ray-kurzweil-immortality-live-forever-opinions-book-review-transcend.html
Ray takes between 180 and 250 pills a day, all having magnesium stearate (MS); moreover, he sells and takes his own supplements:
http://www.rayandterry.com/products/
Second case. Ray Sahelian, MD. He has been taking supplements with MS for over 30 years. He talks about a 75-year-old grandma who takes 30 to 60 caps a day with MS:
http://www.raysahelian.com/magnesiumstearate.html
Third case. Yours truly. He has been taking supplements having MS for 35 years, never gets sick (not even colds), has never had a flu shot, has never been hospitalized, and his only checkup was in 1959, when he was 14 years old, entering high school. Last month a woman told me, “if you told Dr Oz that your last checkup was 55 years ago he would either have a heart attack on the spot or kill you right there.” LOL!
The two logical explanations for these three cases are (1) genes and (2) lifestyle.
“The addition of palmitate or stearate to cultured cells led to activation of a death program with a morphology resembling that of apoptosis. Palmitates and stearates caused cardiac and other types of cells to undergo programmed cell death.”
Sparagna, GC, Hickson-Bick, DL, Department of Pathology and Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston. American Journal of Medical Science, Jul 1999; pg. 15-21.
This is from a 1999 study, also the MSDS Sheet on Magnesium Stearate states: Toxicity by ingestion – Give several glasses of water to drink to dilute, get medical advice. Skin Contact – Wash exposed area with soap and water, get medical advice.”
Do you really want to put that in your body???
Sigh… If you had read the previous posts here you would have known that your first study has been debunked as it only refers to cultured cells in a laboratory environment or In Vitro. The study in no way indicates how these substances react in the body, or In Vivo. These In Vitro studies are often used to justify further testing including In Vivo studies. On their own, they mean nothing relevant to how the substance reacts in our bodies.
MSDS are intended for the transport of large quantities of substances. You can find the same toxicity warnings for many substances that are used in foods, drugs and medications. Inhaled, or ingested in it’s pure form, as shipped in bulk, warnings can be found for many substances that are completely harmless, in fact very helpful when taken as a part of a compound.
The tiny amount of Magnesium Stearate found in a supplement for instance would be totally harmless even if ingested or inhaled. You cannot compare the two as if they are the same. If you truly didn’t know better, now you do. If you did know better, then shame on you for using this information to mislead people.
I would note for the record that Thorne, one of the best, most reputable supplement companies, does not use magnesiuim stearate in any of its products.