Do You Know What’s Inside Your Health Supplement Capsules?

Products that are classified as dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA, which means that manufacturers can take far greater liberties when it comes to the ingredients used and the marketing claims that are made.

From flavorings and sweeteners to bulking agents and preservatives, inactive ingredients are added to supplements and medications for a wide variety of purposes, and the majority of them are perfectly harmless and benign. But others, well not so much…

Let’s begin by first looking at some of the least offensive inactive ingredients that are added to supplements.

Common Inactive Supplement Ingredients

Gelatin

Gelatin is most commonly used as a constituent in the shells which make up the capsules we pop into our mouths every day. This ingredient is perfectly harmless; however, the vegetarians amongst you will want to watch out for this as it is sourced from animal fat.

Instead you may wish to look out for ingredients which contain alternative vegetarian ingredients such as hypromellose[2] also known as HPMC.

HPMC

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) / hypromellose is used as a vegetarian friendly alternative to Gelatin capsules. HPMC capsules is perfectly harmless, and has superior dissolution over hard gelatin capsules.

Binding Agents

Plant cellulose, calcium stearate, and microcrystalline cellulose[3] are among a certain class of ingredients used for binding, thickening, or otherwise augmenting the consistency and integrity of supplements. These are generally considered safe for daily use.

But beware of  flowing agents such as hydrogenated vegetable oil[4] have, at best, questionable effects on the human body.

Sweeteners

Sweetening agents including saccharides such as maltodextrin and sucrose (table sugar), and sugar alcohols such as sorbitol are sometimes added to otherwise bitter or astringent supplements to mask offensive tastes.

The amount of sugars used in these products is typically negligible, and there have been no negative side effects associated with their consumption in this context.

It should be noted that sugar alcohols consumed in excess can cause diarrhea and gastrointestinal distress in more sensitive individuals; the amount found in supplements is typically not enough elicit such a response but it would be wise to exercise caution.

Furthermore, diabetic individuals will definitely want to speak to their doctor or physician before using a supplement containing sugar and derivatives.

Potentially Harmful Inactive Ingredients

Artificial Colorants & dyes

Artificial food colors are chemical dyes used to color the capsules of certain health supplements.

Artificial food colour is suspected of causing increased hyperactivity in children. Also, the dye Yellow No. 5 has been thought to worsen asthma symptoms. (In the 1970s, the FDA famously banned Red Dye No. 2 after some studies found that large doses could cause cancer in rats.)

Other food dyes have been approved by the FDA, but you should still consider whether having a more interesting looking capsule is worth ingesting another chemical in your system.

You can identify food dyes by looking at the following:

FD&C Blue No. 1 (brilliant blue FCF)
FD&C Blue No. 2 (indigotine)
FD&C Green No. 3 (fast green FCF)
FD&C Red No. 40 (allura red AC)
FD&C Red No. 3 (erythrosine)
FD&C Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine)
FD&C Yellow No. 6 (sunset yellow)

Aspartame

Aside from the demonizing of this artificial sweetener in mainstream media and alternative health publications, there are individuals who suffer from a condition known as phenylketonuria.

Phenylketonuria is used to describe a condition wherein subjects are deficient in a phenylalanine hydroxylase enzyme. They are therefore unable to metabolize phenylalanine, one of the amino acids used in the production of aspartame.

Excessive consumption of phenylalanine can thus cause toxicity within the body, so be sure to watch out for this very common sweetening agent.

Tartrazine

Also referred to as dye No. 5, this food coloring bears little in common with its designer perfume counterpart, and is instead linked to severe allergies in roughly 1 in 10,000 people.

Lactose

Another potential allergen for a lot of people is lactose, which is typically added to medications and supplements as a bulking agent.

Those of your familiar with lactose intolerance will be aware that it is used to describe a deficiency in the enzyme lactase which is required to digest the sugar milk lactose. This can result in severe diarrhea, constipation, stomach cramps, and other unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms.

Individuals of African descent will want to pay particular attention to lactose content in supplements as they appear to exhibit symptoms lactose intolerance more commonly[5].

Alcohol

Believe it or not, alcohol and ethanol are commonly used in tinctures and other liquid formulas, so those of you who are recovering from alcoholism or are taking antibiotics, antidepressants, and so on will want to remain mindful of this.

Starch

Corn, wheat, and potato starch are used as bulking and binding agents in supplements, so those of you who suffer from associated allergies and conditions such as celiac disease will almost certainly want to steer clear.

This particular point is especially relevant in light of an increasing volume of research pointing to widespread gluten intolerance and sensitivity in the general population, so it generally advisable to opt for supplements that do not use plant starches such as those mentioned above.

Sulphites

Another class of food additives that has fallen into disrepute in recent years are sulphites and sulphates, which you are probably more familiar with as ingredients in wines and other alcoholic beverages.

Typically used as preservatives and antioxidants in medications and supplements, sulphites can provoke symptoms in asthmatics and anyone who is sensitive to sulfur. Furthermore, sulphites have been linked to other unpleasant symptoms including headaches.

Ingredients to watch out for include sodium sulphite and bisulphite, sulfur dioxide, and potassium bisulphite.

Conclusion

As a general rule of thumb, it is best to stick to supplement brands which use nothing but natural ingredients which have been proven to be safe for the general population.

There are always going to be unfortunate individuals who suffer from allergies and intolerances; however, with a keen and vigilant eye you should be able to easily avoid potentially harmful inactive ingredients in your own supplements.

You will be glad to know that Better Nutrition Labs thrives on providing premium health supplements featuring safe and natural active and inactive ingredients.

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