Why are fillers and additives used in the manufacturing of our supplements?
When you purchase a supplement your goal is to provide yourself a pure and concentrated form of nutrients to improve your health. Unfortunately 90% of supplements contain manufacturing fillers! These fillers and additives are used to cut costs, enhance taste, add color, bind and bulk up ingredients, none of which add nutritional value. Some of these nonessential ingredients can actually harm your health. Counter productive as to why we buy supplements in the first place, right? To make matters worse, some manufacturers use sneaky marketing tactics to convince us that their products are healthy and are of high quality.
So how can you possibly find supplements with bioavailable nutrients that improve your health?
The key is knowing what to look for on the labels before you buy. Look for labels that say, “filler-free” or “additive-free”, Non-GMO, USP certification, 3rd party tested, GMP stamp, and avoid proprietary blends (which is a filler warning). Pay attention to the “Other Ingredients” listed on the back of the label. Ideally the only thing that should be listed there is the capsule ingredient and nothing else. Look for words like, “inactive ingredient”, “excipients”, words ending in -acid, -ide, -ate, or words with “dl” at the beginning. This is an indication that these ingredients are synthetic and not as bioavailable, meaning not well absorbed. Some synthetic vitamins get stored up in the liver and can become toxic, such as, fat-soluble vitamins like A and E. As for me, this is not worth the risk.
Below is a list of some of the worst fillers and additives hiding in supplements. If you find these ingredients listed on supplement labels, put it back on the shelf and opt for a cleaner brand.
*Artificial Colors
Artificial colors are used to enhance the look of the vitamins and make them more marketable. The FDA has reported the connection between artificial food dyes and children’s behavior. They are also considered carcinogenic, meaning cancer!
Artificial colors serve no other purpose than to make food and supplements look pretty so you will buy them. They also cover up the fact that the active ingredients have been degraded.
Below is a list of artificial colorings to look for on the labels of products:
- FD&C Blue No.1
- FD&C Blue No. 2
- FD&C Green No. 3
- FD&C Red No. 3
- FD&C Red No. 40
- FD&C Yellow No. 5
- FD&C Yellow No. 6
* Hydrogenated Oils
Hydrogenated Oil is usually genetically modified soybean oil which contributes to one of the major fillers in vitamins. The FDA knows these oils are bad for your health and have stated a warning that they contribute to heart disease, inflammation, and impaired blood sugar control. Since supplements aren’t being regulated, cheap fillers like these are being used mainly to increase shelf life, making them more profitable for the company manufacturing them. It doesn’t make sense to purchase supplements that cause what you are trying to prevent!
* Lead, Mercury, & PCB’s
Lead, Mercury, and PCB’s are usually found in omega 3 supplements, like fish oil. Some supplements have NOT been properly sourced and 3rd party tested for these toxic ingredients. It has been reported that one-third of fish oils contain these toxic ingredients. To err on the side of caution, do NOT buy cheap China-sourced fish oils. The best choice is molecular distilled and 3rd party tested supplements. You could also opt for food options which include, wild-caught fish, pasture-raised eggs, greens (kale, spinach, watercress), or seeds/nuts.
* Talc or Magnesium Silicate
Talc or magnesium silicate are used as an anti-caking agent. Magnesium silicate is similar to asbestos! (what?!)😯 This can cause lung problems when ingested, It is NOT considered food grade by the FDA. Buyer Beware!
* Titanium Dioxide
Titanium dioxide is another toxic coloring agent with many health concerns, with the most serious being cancer! It is a known carcinogen. It can cause lung inflammation, weaken the immune system, DNA damage, and kidney damage. Someone who suffers from digestive ailments such as Crohn’s or gluten sensitivity should never ingest this ingredient. All this so vitamins can have a pretty color! Be aware that titanium dioxide is also lurking in many toothpaste brands, cosmetics, and sunscreens.
* Magnesium Stearate
Magnesium stearate is a flow agent used to optimize movement through production machinery. Magnesium stearate compromises the body’s ability to absorb nutrients. Stearates usually come from hydrogenated cottonseed, canola, or palm oils, risking heart disease, by raising cholesterol levels, surpassing the immune system, and can sometimes cause allergic reactions. These oils can also contain pesticides and be genetically modified. Researchers in Japan found it to be a formaldehyde-causing agent. (Seriously now, these manufacturers know this isn’t safe!) 😵 What is going on? This is just to save money, really?
* Sodium Benzoate
Sodium benzoate acts as a preservative to extend product shelf life and stability. It prevents the growth of bacteria and other microbes. It also makes tablets easier to break down once swallowed. At what cost to your health? When sodium benzoate reacts with vitamin C it converts to benzene, a known carcinogen. It can cause DNA damage, stomach irritation, tiredness, dizziness, vomiting, and convulsions. It may create a longer shelf life, but the risk to our health should be enough concern to leave it out of our vitamins. Panera Bread and Whole Foods think so! They have banned the ingredient from their food.
* Silicon Dioxide
Silicon dioxide is added to foods and products for anti-caking purposes. It is sand! Research is still pending on this one, but until the verdict is in, I am going to avoid it when I can.
Other additives to consider researching are:
- lactose
- dicalcium phosphate
- potassium sorbate
- sodium ascorbate
- palmitate
- cornstarch
- sulfites
- citric acid
- carrageenan
- GMO soybean
- maltodextrin
- cellulose
- lecithin
I’m really not making this stuff up. It was hard for me to believe it when I first heard about it. Below are some references to read further on the subject:
- https://www.nowfoods.com/healthy-living/articles/how-read-supplement-labels
- https://www.nowfoods.com/healthy-living/articles/nutrition-and-supplement-facts-label-changes-whats-new
- https://biobalanceinstitute.com/health-news/6-toxic-ingredients-probably-didnt-know-vitamin/
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/your-supplements-toxic-dr-stan-headley
- https://373lab.com/blogs/news/potentially-harmful-fillers-in-supplements-to-look-out-for
- https://naturallysavvy.com/eat/5-gnarly-food-preservatives-to-avoid/
Supplements can provide concentrated nutrients when manufactured without fillers and additives. Vitamins should supplement a well-balanced diet to avoid nutritional gaps and boost our immune system. It is advised to look for “standardized” products, meaning the amount of a specified nutrient is on the label. The active compound is present in the amount stated.
With all that said, I have unknowingly purchased supplements with additives and filers. Now that I am learning, I think sharing this information with you will help us make better purchases for our health.
Below are photographs of supplements I have purchased in the past, some with fillers and some without. I have circled in red the fillers I found in some of my previous purchases. Hopefully this will help you know where to locate nonessential ingredients when scanning the labels.
Until next time…