Benefits of Magnesium Stearate
I've said it before and I'll say it again: One of my favorite things about our amazing is how curious you are about very high-level topics. As a practitioner, I've been impressed by the number of tough, educated questions we receive, and I would never take for granted how exciting it is to be asked to delve into advanced topics. So thank you for nurturing my need for nerds! Now, let's get into today's topic.
Is magnesium stearate safe for those trying to conceive, becoming pregnant and breastfeeding?
The short answer from me and other fertility experts is a resounding "yes."
But I know you're not comfortable with short answers, so let's take a closer look. This question sometimes arises when customers glance at our little list of "other ingredients".
What is Magnesium Stearate?
Magnesium stearate is a simple salt that combines the mineral magnesium and stearic acid, a common saturated fat found widely in foods.
To break it down further, let's take it apart first. Magnesium (often referred to as the "natural muscle relaxant") is an essential mineral needed to regulate body temperature, nucleic acid and protein synthesis, and maintain the electrical potential of nerve and muscle cells (1). During pregnancy, magnesium supplementation can support normal fetal growth and healthy blood pressure during pregnancy. (1).
(To be clear, FullWell Prenatal contains 300 mg of Magnesium Glycinate as the active form of magnesium, and Vitality and Virility Fertility Support Formula contains 100 mg. This specific form of the nutrient is not what this article is about. I know, it can be depressing people confused!)
On the other hand, stearate or stearic acid (also known as octadecanoic acid) is one of the most common long-chain fatty acids found in natural animal and vegetable fats, for example, the stearate content of coconut oil very high. When combined with magnesium, the compound does not appear as part of the supplement itself, but acts as a carrier for the nutrients in our capsules, which also helps ensure consistency in overall dosage.
Together, they help the whole vitamin nourish you.
Because it is a supplement, magnesium stearate is included in many products as an excipient, or as an inactive substance that serves as a carrier for the supplement's nutritional ingredients (1). During the mixing of various ingredients, it helps to ensure that the equipment runs smoothly and ensures that each ingredient is mixed together in the correct proportion. That said, magnesium stearate is an important component to improve the consistency and quality control of any capsule (2). Essentially, it ensures that each pill contains consistent amounts of each ingredient mixed during production. Supplements that don't use it often have an egregious margin of error, and can't guarantee their consistency and quality in any meaningful way, since alternatives to magnesium stearate, such as l-leucine, are less effective than Much worse. Magnesium stearate also doubles as a timing expert, delaying the breakdown and absorption of capsules until they land in the correct area of the gut and can be optimally absorbed.