Your Cart is Empty
Reading the ingredient list is the ultimate staple of nutrition. Whether you’re shopping for a supplement or processed foods, it is of utmost importance to carefully read the label - every single bit of it, even the small print. While certain nutritionists and experts will encourage you to stay away from any kind of additives in your products, we’ll have to play the devil’s advocate in case of harmless, efficient elements such asexcipients. Instead of categorically rejecting additives altogether, we advise you to invest some time in educating yourself on the topic.
In case you’ve already tried to do your research, you’ve probably come across a bunch of conflicting information and confusing science. Today, it is our mission to remove the veil once and for all, and demystifyexcipients in layman’s terms.
Bydefinition, anexcipient is an inactive substance that has the role of a medium foractive substances. Basically, they help active ingredients in supplements & medications do their job properly. While there are certain supplements, such as collagen powder and whey powder, that don’t require these kinds of mediums,excipients are necessary for other products. Why is that? Well, even though they add no therapeutic value to these products,excipients have been found to promote conservation, efficiency, and quality. What’s more,excipients appear to act as protective and bulking agents, improving the overall bioavailability of certain drugs.
The termexcipient is used for any substance other thanactive drug or theactive pharmaceutical ingredient that is contained in a certain product. Therefore,excipients are perceived as indispensable components of medical products, forming the bulk of the formulation, areview article onpharmaceutical excipients states. However, not allexcipients can be used in themanufacturing process of all products, as it has to meet specific requirements. Nevertheless, there are “common”quality standards for allexcipients, as all of them should be non-reactive, chemically stable, non-toxic, economical, low-equipment and process-sensitive, inert to the human body, efficient in regards to the intended use, and in accordance with organoleptic characteristics.
Even though the significance ofexcipients is not the most popular discussion, it is important to state that these elementsgreatly contributeto the overall product performance and thedrug delivery within the body. When talking about product structure, you’ll rarely encounter an active ingredient administered alone, asexcipients are necessary to enhance, mask, suspend, or dissolve it for improved quality. Therefore,excipients may be seen as vehicles transforming the desired active ingredient into a more efficient, bioavailable form.Excipients are also addedwith the intent of preventing microbial contamination and degradation of a certain product.
It would be wrong to think ofexcipients strictly as inactive support, as they’re much more than that. Some of themost pronouncedexcipient roles include increasing drug solubility, formulation and drug shelf life, absorption as well as the stability of thedosage form; formulating and providing identity for thedosage form, decreasing therapy cost, enhancing drug targeting, etc. Therefore, the activity of these elements is multilayered, and it encompasses stabilizing, protecting, increasing, enhancing the overall product formulation and quality.
Download this infographic here
As we already mentioned, there are certain quality characteristics that allexcipients should possess. However, not all of them are suitable for all products, and compatibility is one of the most important factors for optimal product stability. Therefore, we’ll briefly touch upondifferentexcipient categories and their specific uses.
As the name itself implies, the sole purpose of fillers (ordiluents) is to increase the bulk volume of a product, as well as the hardness of certain tablets, hence the term “bulking agents”. Fillers act as carriers, making sure that the desired size and form of a capsule or tablet is achieved.Excipients known as fillers come in various forms, including oils and rice flour, as well as more controversial agents such asmagnesium stearate. Without fillers, some products could not be manufactured as capsules due to their miniature size and the inability to fill up a certain capsule.
Binders justify their name just like fillers. Theseexcipients bind all the ingredients in a tablet together, providing the necessary cohesiveness. Binders provide cohesiveness by holding the product particles intact and strengthening the finaldosage form. Without binders, products would easily crumble and break apart, which would jeopardize their efficiency. This group ofexcipients includes Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone-K, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Hydroxy PropylMethyl Cellulose, and starch paste.
Flow agents are added in small quantities, and their purpose is to prevent clumping, as well as sticking of drugs against machines. They allow for the capsule processing to run smoothly, without any sticking on the way. While these excipients are not as necessary as fillers and binders, their role in quality product manufacturing should not be overlooked, as they keep the production cost low. The most commonly used lubricants include talc, vegetable stearin, magnesium stearate, magnesium carbonate, and colloidal silicon dioxide.
In order for a product to be advertised as “fast-acting”, it should containdisintegrants. Theseexcipients allow for a tablet to easily break apart in the digestive system and release the active ingredients, providing them for the body to absorb. A product containing adisintegrant will quickly dissolve in the presence of liquids.
Withoutpreservatives, the shelf life of a product would be quite limited, as they prevent microbial growth in the formulation. Therefore, theseexcipients are added in order to protect the product against decomposition and avoid any harmful chemical change that would compromise the formulation. Vitamin C, A, and E, as well as specific amino acids cysteine and methionine, are naturalpreservatives commonly found in supplementation. As far as artificialpreservatives are concerned, this category encompasses parabens, benzoates, sorbates, sulfites - all of which should generally be avoided in a healthy, balanced diet.
According to theFDA,magnesium stearate is generally recognized as a safe substance, which leaves little room for concern. Thisexcipient is mostly utilized as a lubricant, acting similarly to the aforementioned flow agents. There are, however, certain speculations surrounding this particularexcipient, such as the ones that it inhibits harmful T-cells and that it could jeopardize nutrient absorption. Nevertheless, with the small amount ofmagnesium stearate found in products, it could hardly have any impact on bioavailability.
Coloring and flavoring is something you’ll mostly find in a cheap product, as quality manufacturers aren’t known to take that direction in their production. Quality supplementation will mostly incorporate natural flavors, such as fruit extracts, to get the desired taste and color. Also, certain sweeteners are considered a safe alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners such as saccharin and corn syrup.
Excipients are present in themanufacturing process of numerous pharma companies due to their efficiency-boosting activity. When talking aboutexcipients in drugs, there are 3 predominant roles: increasing production and manufacturing efficiency through optimal lubrication (which allows the production machines to run smoothly and limits product damage), preservation, and filling. For instance,Magnesium Stearate can be found in numerous drugs acting as a lubricant which allows for capsules to close properly.
Preservatives, as we’ve already discussed, prolong the shelf life of products byacting as drying mediums to avoid clumping. A smoother, more coherent structure of adrug product grants a more pleasant experience for the user. On the other hand, fillersare necessary for a substance to meet a certain weight or shape, hence the addition ofexcipients such as rice powder.
Excipients utilized in the production of nutritional supplements have the role of providing the needed weight, volume, and consistency for the product, astudy on the use ofexcipients in dietary supplements suggests. Furthermore,excipients are necessary in order to achieve the desired tolerability, bioavailability, and efficiency of a supplement.
Simply put, without them, the targeted nutrient would not be able to reach your bloodstream in an absorbable form. Thecommonly encounteredexcipients in the supplement industry belong to the following categories: plant-sourced (cellulose, sugars, starches, arginates), animal-sourced (gelatin, lactose,stearic acid), mineral (silica,calcium phosphate), and synthetic (povidone, polysorbates, and PEGs).
Without excipients, the majority of supplements (excluding the free-flowing powders such as collagen powder and whey) would lack the consistency of dose and would not have the desirable form. Furthermore, the taste and flow of certain dietary supplements rely solely on excipients. In addition, specific ingredients found in supplementation require excipients in order to blend seamlessly without clumping.
In a perfect world, we’d be able to obtain the desired nutrient in its pure form, without having to think about any additional ingredients. However, it is clear that certain products require these additions to reach their full potential. As you could already see in this article, not allexcipients can be labeled as “bad”, and some of them offer nothing but beneficial effects. While it is always our recommendation to consult with your nutritionist or health care provider before starting any kind of supplementation, the majority ofexcipients in the supplement world are considered generally safe.
To quote theFDA, the majority ofexcipients designated by them are Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS). When used in correct practices,excipients are considered to beabsolutely harmless. However, anoverview ofpharmaceutical excipients suggests that product formulas should be simplified as much as possible and that only the necessaryexcipients should be added. Theexcipients considered necessary are the ones providing volume, uniformity, and the required dose.
On the other hand,excipients have been found to contribute to the overall safety of the supplement, ensuring their stability not only in themanufacturing process but once the product reaches the customer, as well. What’s more,excipients grant accuracy and precision when it comes to the administered dose, which is one of the most important factors when it comes to both drugs and supplements. Finally,it is safe to say thatexcipients are responsible for product safety and efficacy in both the formulation stage and the storage period, as well as during its administration.
Once again, you should always keep in mind that there are different categories ofexcipients, each of which come from different sources and provide different effects. Therefore, not allexcipients should be regarded as an entity and valued equally.
NU-Flow is anexcipient you may have noticed on the ingredient list of numerous all-natural supplements, including our ownBoswellia Serrata Extract. You may wonder how can a product be advertised as “all-natural” if it contains additives? As we’ve explained earlier, not allexcipients are necessarily artificial, and Nu-Flow certainly belongs to the group of natural, harmlessexcipients.
NU-Flow (preferably NU-Flow® by RIBUS, Inc, of St. Louis, Mo. - theexcipient we’ve chosen for our Boswellia extract) is essentially a rice concentrate. It offers a powerful anti-caking activity, as it is a natural desiccate and silicate. Rice concentrate is a commonly used ingredient of natural origin,aiding in supplement production, storage, and packaging. It is important to mention that NU-Flow isrecognized as a completely harmless supplement ingredient, being that it meets all the organic labeling guidelines.
What’s more, rice concentrate represents anideal natural substitute for artificial and syntheticexcipients, such as SiO2 andtalc, which makes it far more suitable for quality natural products. Ithas been shown to aid the overall product flow while preventing caking and clumping in the supplement structure.
When it comes to the very structure of NU-Flow,it is manufactured from sterilized rice hulls in the form of fine powder. What makes rice concentrate an ideal naturalexcipient is the fact it contains natural silica from the soil, being an equally effective (but much healthier) alternative to silicon dioxide and similar flow agents.
Marketing can be deceiving, so we highly encourage you to read the label, ask all the necessary questions, and always do your research. Nutrition is, without a doubt, the foundation of health, so you should cherry-pick the supplements and ingredients to include in your diet. For our selection of non-GMO supplementation, head over to ouronline store.
"Mom, Dad, I got my acceptance letter! I'm going to Collagen College, home of the fighting Polypeptides!"
In recent years, the benefits of collagen have begun to be recognized among those who are serious about their health and perhaps are wanting to explore an "alternative" diet like keto or paleo. If you already follow a paleo or keto diet, you might be interested to know how collagen and collagen peptides can ensure that you've got your amino-acid bases covered.
You might also be wondering if intermittent fasting is a passing fad, like television or the internet. Maybe you've got no one to discuss your autophagy with or whether your ketosis will prevent you from passing the MCTs. Relax, pour yourself a cup of bulletproof coffee, and let's take a little collagen break together. Your Collagen College orientation is about to begin!
Liquid collagen is a buzzy new take on the cult classic dietary supplement, collagen. Collagen supplements are used by skincare enthusiasts, new mothers,ultra-runners, recovering athletes, and bodybuilders alike. Liquid collagen was originally intended to be taken orally. Now, rather than just adding a bit of collagen to a moisturizer or eye cream, many people are wondering if you can get the same benefits by applying it directly to the skin. Though it's a fairly new product, here's what we know!
