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Their supplements aren’t just pure, distilled versions of whatever nutrient you’re trying to get.
The nutrients are combined with fillers, thickeners, stabilizers and other additives to make them shelf-stable, robust or more colorful, one expert warned.
According to pharmacist Dr Pupinder S Ghatora, some of these additives are linked to health risks and have even been banned in other countries.
Pharmacist Dr Pupinder S Ghatora has urged consumers to be curious about the additives in their supplements.
Dr. Ghatora, who has worked in the vitamin industry for almost two decades, told the Daily Mail that, at best, some of these additives reduce the effectiveness of the supplement.
At worst, they could increase the risk of cancer.
Read below to discover the five additives you should look out for on your nutrition label.
Magnesium stearate
This additive is added to vitamin powders to make them flow more easily to other containers and prevent them from sticking to equipment or bottles. It is also found in cosmetics.
But magnesium stearate could cause the supplements to flow through you so quickly that you don’t even get their benefits, Dr. Ghatora said.
‘It has no health benefits and will simply cause the supplement to pass through you without being absorbed. Brands often use it to bulk up supplements so they can reduce the amount of the more expensive active compound,” said Dr. Ghatora.
Other investigations, such as a 2017 study from Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories in Japan, found that taking too much of this additive could have a laxative effect.
That’s less than 2,500 milligrams per kilogram per day, about 170,000 mg for a 150-pound adult. according to PubChema public information database managed by the NIH that publishes information on chemicals.
carrageenan
Carrageenan is a natural protein that is derived from sea moss. However, it can mean problems for digestion.
“At first glance, one might think that carrageenan, also known as Sea Moss, is beneficial to health as it is derived from seaweed,” said Dr. Ghatora.
However, he said, “research indicates that it can have adverse effects on digestion, causing inflammation, ulceration and raising blood sugar levels, while exacerbating glucose intolerance.”
Skepticism about this additive has existed at least since the 1960s.
A 2021 review by TK of the University of Milan found that carrageenan has been linked to chronic inflammation in multiple rodent studies. They cautioned that this effect has not been tested in humans, but tests on human cells in a petri dish have suggested a similar response.
Inflammation is your body’s natural response to foreign invaders. But prolonged inflammation is linked to faster aging and cancer.
Carrageenan is found in a wide range of vegan product supplements. But it is also taken only in the form of sea moss gels, a favorite of celebrities like model Bella Hadid.
Titanium dioxide
Titanium dioxide, often listed as E171 on nutritional labels, was banned by the European Commission in 2021.
The EC based its decision on a review published by the European Food Safety Authority in May of that year it said that titanium dioxide can accumulate in greater quantities in the body over time, and can increase the chance of developing cancer.
“It is concerning that research has suggested that the ingredient may have a carcinogenic effect,” Dr. Ghatora said.
But countries like the United States and the United Kingdom did not follow the EC’s lead in banning E171. It is still used in small quantities in both countries to make pills whiter, according to Consumption laboratory.
Since it is used to make pills whiter, it is common in supplements such as multivitamins. For example, it is found in Centrum Adult Multivitamins.
talcum powder
Talc used to be found in baby powder, but most companies now add cornstarch, due to negative public opinion about the additive.
Talc is used in supplements to make it whiter and help products keep from sticking to themselves. By itself, it has not been linked to any health conditions, according to the fda.
But it is particularly good at absorbing other chemicals it comes into contact with, meaning it could absorb chemicals and contaminants during the manufacturing process, Dr. Ghatora said.
“Talc has gained attention recently due to concerns about contamination from industrial-grade talc, which can include impurities and even asbestos,” he said.
Exposure to asbestos irritates the lungs, causing scarring and, in some cases, lung cancer. according to the mayo clinic.
Talc also used to be widespread in beauty products and was linked to a rise in ovarian cancer cases in the 1960s, which the FDA attributes to asbestos contamination.
FDA still tests talc products for asbestos and releases them annual reports about cosmetics that contain it.
Talc, like titanium dioxide, is often used in white tablets to keep the color bright. Many multivitamins, such as One a day for women completelist the ingredient as a component of your product.
Sweeteners and sugars
Many different diet products have the same artificial sweeteners added in some supplements.
There are a wide range of chemicals that can be added to sweeten a supplement, but Dr. Ghatora said the majority are highly processed, synthetic molecules.
These include sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol and sucralose. Previous research, such as study 2023 from SUNY Upstate Medical Center, has linked these alcohol-based sugars to an increase in liver cancer.
“We should avoid using sugar alcohols, such as erythritol and sorbitol, as sweeteners,” said study author Dr. Andras Perl. When he fed these synthetic sugars to cancer cells, it caused them to multiply rapidly, he said.
Dr. Ghatora also highlighted aspartame, the synthetic sweetener popularly linked to gum and diet soda.
‘New studies are emerging that show that [aspartame] “It can have a negative impact on our body’s oxidant/antioxidant balance, which has a negative effect on many of the body’s functions,” he said.
Sweeteners can be added to any supplement, but they are especially common in gummy formulas and those that are recommended to be eaten, not swallowed. Nature Made Sugar Free Multi GummiesFor example, they include maltitol on their product label.
