In recent years, there has been substantial growth in the supplement market. Research into the undisclosed “other ingredients” found throughout the supplement industry, also known as excipients, inactive ingredients or fillers, is often limited, contradictory or controversial.
At Vitl, we are committed to ensuring our ingredients are as pure and absorbable as possible. This means avoiding unnecessary fillers, binders or bulking agents that do not provide any nutritional value and may reduce the overall quality of a product.
Why are they used?
To reduce manufacturing costs
Many “other ingredients” are used to make manufacturing and production processes more seamless, often resulting in a more affordable end product.
With hundreds of supplement companies marketing their products, you may have noticed a huge difference in pricing. Although price alone does not determine the quality of a supplement, cheaper formulations may sometimes rely more heavily on bulking agents or lower-cost ingredients.
Stabilisation
Excipients can be used to achieve a desired consistency or texture, either to improve the durability and appearance of the capsule itself or the ingredients inside it.
They can also reduce the likelihood of ingredients splitting, separating, cracking or clumping. In some cases, a combination of stabilisers may be more effective than using one on its own.
Bulking
The active ingredients in a supplement often account for only a small proportion of the finished product. This is because sufficient amounts of some vitamins and minerals are visibly very small and may be measured in micrograms, with one microgram being one-millionth of a gram.
Many supplements therefore contain bulking agents to add substance and ensure the capsule or tablet is a manageable size.
A quick-stop tour of fillers
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Magnesium stearate
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Titanium dioxide
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Starch
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Stearic acid
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Simethicone
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Vegetable gum
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Talc
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Propylene glycol
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Hydrogenated oils
More specifically...
Magnesium stearate: lubricant and stabiliser
Magnesium stearate is a white powder often used during the manufacturing process to prevent ingredients from sticking to equipment and machinery. It also helps powders flow more smoothly, supporting a faster and more consistent production process.
As you can see, its purpose does not have much to do with nutrition. However, magnesium stearate is permitted for use in food and supplement manufacturing in the European Union and a number of other countries.
Titanium dioxide
Titanium dioxide has previously been used as a colourant to give supplements a bright white appearance.
In 2021, the European Food Safety Authority concluded that titanium dioxide could no longer be considered safe as a food additive because concerns about its potential to damage DNA could not be ruled out. Its use as a food additive was subsequently banned in the European Union in 2022.
However, it currently remains authorised for use as a food additive in Great Britain following a separate safety assessment.
Partially hydrogenated oils: lubricant, stabiliser, binder and bulking agent
Partially hydrogenated oils were historically used in supplements to improve shelf life and stability. They are also a source of industrially produced trans fats.
Research has strongly linked high trans fat consumption to an increased risk of coronary heart disease. The World Health Organization has called for the global elimination of industrially produced trans fats, while the US Food and Drug Administration determined that partially hydrogenated oils could no longer be considered generally recognised as safe for use in food.
Partially hydrogenated oils have now largely been removed from mainstream food products. Checking ingredient labels for terms such as “partially hydrogenated oil” can help you identify products that contain them.
How Vitl does it differently
Our brand differs from many others through our commitment to avoiding unnecessary fillers in our formulations.
We use high-quality ingredients in our products and avoid including ingredients that are not needed. We also keep informed about the latest nutritional science and use it to carefully select the forms of vitamins and minerals used in our formulations.
The huge amount of nutritional information available online can be overwhelming, with advice that is often as anecdotal as it is based on scientific evidence. Ultimately, we all have to make informed decisions about what we choose to consume or avoid.
We hope Vitl’s commitment to evidence-based research can reassure you that you know exactly what you are getting when you choose our products.
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