Uses of Magnesium Stearate

In today's world of modern medicine and technology, it is near impossible to avoid coming in contact with magnesium stearate. Every time you bathe you are likely coming in contact with it (look at the rings around your tub---they are partly made up of magnesium stearate). In fact, current estimates claim most people consume as much as 6 ounces of magnesium stearate as an inactive additive in their food or drugs per year. This has created a debate about potential health risks associated with this extremely common, naturally forming additive.

Identification

• Magnesium stearate belongs to a group of naturally occurring fatty acids termed stearic acid (also called octadecanoic acid). It is made up of two stearic acid molecules joined by an ionic bond to a magnesium atom. In natural form, magnesium stearate is a white, combustible powder, and is not soluble in water.

Uses

• The primary use of magnesium stearate is as a pharmaceutical excipient, which means it is among the medicine additives that are inactive. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists 40 official categories of excipients and approved materials to be used as excipients in food and medicine. The FDA classifies magnesium stearate as a glidant, or granulating agent. Magnesium stearate functions in medicine by preventing the different molecules used to make up the medicine from clumping together, thus ensuring that the correct dose is achieved in every pill made.

Debate on Safety

• In the past few years, a debate has grown around the use of magnesium stearate in the vitamins and medicines that we take. Some companies that produce vitamins and prescriptive medicines have made claims about the negative long-term side effects of using magnesium stearate as a glidant. Citing a few specific studies, these companies claim that magnesium stearate hinders the absorption of other nutrients. Both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration classify magnesium stearate as a hazardous material, and magnesium stearate has been demonstrated to be an immunosuppressant.

Facts

• The FDA has approved magnesium stearate as an excipient for pharmacological uses. Companies that use the additive adhere to strict protocol in the amount that may be used in their pills to ensure that acceptable, healthy levels of magnesium stearate are maintained.

  A study titled Molecular Basis for the Immunosuppressive Action of Stearic Acid on T Cells---quoted by companies decrying the harm of magnesium stearate---did not involve the study of magnesium stearate as an additive, but the effects of magnesium stearate as part of a larger compound that together harmed the immune system. The article is highly misrepresented if used to claim harm to the immune system just from using magnesium stearate as an excipient.

  While magnesium stearate is a fatty acid, the FDA lists it among the healthy types of saturated fats that not only does not harm our bodies, but in reality is necessary for certain processes within the body.

Conclusion

• While there are some questions that may still need to be answered concerning the health risks associated with the use of magnesium stearate in vitamins and medicines, the current scientific evidence overwhelmingly suggests that fears (mostly propagated by companies that would stand to profit from the fear) about its safety are unfounded.