The Magnesium Stearate Debate

Here at DCS/PureNSM, we consider the debate on magnesium stearate to have been closed long ago. However, it is still promoted as safe by some due to large incentives by the supplement industry given the high cost savings it presents. You may find these promotional articles online, usually sprasely detailed, about how magneisum stearate can be naturally processed and is no cause for concern. However, stearic acid and magnesium stearate are not neutral, harmless additives, but synthetic and not naturally utilized by the body, which actually treats them as foreign substances. Since every additive we consume must be metabolized, there really is no such thing as an incidental or nonactive ingredient, which can impair the body's detoxification pathways and reduce the benefits of any supplements to which they're added.

Magnesium stearate also isn't essential for maintaining product integrity during manufacturing and given the research we will mention below, the most ethical approach is to exclude it entirely. Although some companies will include it without declaring it on the label, as they are legally allowed to do, all products under the DCS, PureNSM or VeriGMP label will never contain it. Ample research supports Dr. Clark’s claims that magnesium stearate and similar additives are harmful, and have been found to hinder supplement absorption, and negatively impact immune function.

Evidence of Harms from Magnesium Stearate

While some studies show no harm, other, more properly done and focused studies, show a range of negative effects, particularly on both immune function and on the bioavailability of the active ingredients with which magnesium stearate is combined.

Studies done in the past have found immune supression, and more recently, one in vivo study on rats found that magnesium stearate had a negative impact on total lymphocyte and leukocyte counts (1). The authors note that their research seems to show that magnesium stearate depletes T-cells, but not B-cell populations, and this is expected because it has been previously shown that magnesium stearate breaks down into stearic acid, which is selectively cytotoxic to T-cells (Buttke 1984). What happens is that in the presence of desaturated steric acid, the T-cells incorporated it in place of the phosphatidylcholine they typically incorporate into their cell membrane.

The authors note that, “undesirable effects of MS include the alkalinization and rapid hydrolysis of drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen, magnesium mediated degradation of drug ions, and oxidative damage of drugs” (2)

Using Naicin to Test Effects of Magnesium Stearate

One simple test you can do at home to show that magnesium stearate effects the absorption of supplements: If you have taken the Vitamin B3 as niacin, or in nicotinic acid form, you will be familiar with the harmless redness and skin flushing that results from moderate-to-high doses. 

Take: 200-500mgs of niacin in a capsule or tablet containing magnesium stearate and wait for the niacin flush. The more magnesium stearate in the tablet, the more blotchy, and less uniform will be the redness of the skin flushing.

Then: Take a high dose of niacin, in a pure form, without fillers, and see if the flush is not far more uniform throughout the skin, and that your skin isn't better as a result.

The reason for this noticable difference is that the magnesium stearate combines with niacin, and given how reactive niacin is, and how many pathways it becomes rapidly involved in, the magnesium stearate becomes incorporated into areas of the body it would otherwise not reach, leading to poorer outcomes in skin health. Taking any nutrient with multiple other toxic ingredients is likely to be counterproductive, similar to taking synthetic versions of any vitamin. It is for this reason that all products made by PureNSM, including Dr. Clark's products, are manufactured without any magnesium stearate or other harmful additives. 

While some natural health experts, like Dr. Axe say that magensium stearate isn't so bad, he does rightly point out that manufacturing contamination has been found in batches of magnesium stearate, containig chemcials like BPA, alluminum, and dibenzoylmethane. It is doubtful that most manufacturers thoroughly test their magnesium stearate for the wide variety of contaminants that can make their way into it. 

According to research compiled by SciSPace:

"Stearic acid (C18:0) exhibits notable toxicity across various cell types, particularly under conditions of metabolic stress. Research indicates that elevated levels of stearic acid can lead to significant lipotoxic effects, particularly in pancreatic beta cells and cardiomyocytes, contributing to cell death and dysfunction.

Lipotoxicity in Pancreatic Beta Cells

• Stearic acid induces lipotoxicity in pancreatic beta cells, primarily through a miR-34a-5p-mediated pathway, leading to apoptosis and reduced insulin secretion(Lu et al., 2016).
• The study demonstrated that stearic acid's effects were more pronounced than those of other fatty acids, highlighting its unique toxicity profile in the context of hyperlipidaemia and type 2 diabetes(Lu et al., 2016).

Cardiac Cell Death

• In cardiomyocytes, stearic acid significantly increased cell death in a concentration-dependent manner, with an effective dose (ED50) of 71 µM(Rabkin & Lodha, 2009).
• Interestingly, the presence of oleic acid mitigated this toxicity, suggesting potential protective strategies against stearic acid-induced cardiac damage(Rabkin & Lodha, 2009).

Immune Cell Impact

• Stearic acid also inhibits T cell proliferation, particularly in activated lymphocytes, indicating its immunosuppressive potential(Buttke & Cuchens, 1984).
• The toxicity was linked to alterations in lipid metabolism during T cell activation, underscoring the fatty acid's role in immune modulation(Buttke & Cuchens, 1984).

While stearic acid is often viewed as a neutral fatty acid, its toxic effects in specific cellular contexts raise concerns about its role in metabolic diseases and immune responses. Further research is needed to fully elucidate its mechanisms and potential therapeutic interventions."

Sources

1. Okolo, C. C., Nweze, N. E., Okonkwo, I. A., Omeje, O. V., & Eke, I. G. (2019). The pharmaceutical excipient, magnesium stearate, depresses lymphocyte counts in vivo but does not lower humoral immune response in sprague-dawley rats. EAS J Agric Life Sci, 2, 317-322.
2. Good, D., & Wu, Y. (2017). Excipient characterization. In O.M.Y. Koo (Ed.), Pharmaceutical excipients (pp. 20-51). New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons Inc.