Excipients: Natural vs. Chemical Excipients (Silicon Dioxide, Magnesium Stearate, HPMC)

hello .

In this session, we will introduce basic information about excipients , natural excipients , and chemical excipients .

• Excipients

Excipients are substances added to a drug to give it a suitable form or increase its amount for convenient use .

• Natural excipients

Natural excipients are natural ingredients such as rice bran extract, dried yeast, and chicory fiber that function as excipients through minimal processing .

• chemical excipients

Chemical excipients are chemical additives that coat the surface of powdered raw materials to prevent them from hardening or breaking due to moisture or external impact . Representative examples of chemical excipients include silicon dioxide , magnesium stearin , and HPMC ( hydroxypropyl methylcellulose ) .

Chemical excipient (1) Silicon dioxide

Silicon dioxide is a chemical excipient commonly used in everyday food as a desiccant ( e.g. , seasoned seaweed ), but is also used as a food additive .

Silicon dioxide is an FDA- approved food additive, provided that it is not added to foods in amounts exceeding 2% in the “ amorphous silica formulation ” when used as a plant additive .

When used as crystalline silicon dioxide rather than amorphous silica formulation , it is used in dust form in cement , anti-condensation agents, etc. , and there are research results on the possibility of carcinogenicity when inhaled through the nose in this form .

However, there are limitations in linking the results of studies on carcinogenic potential between amorphous silica formulations and crystalline silicon dioxide because they have different structures and are not in dust form .

Chemical excipient (2) Magnesium stearin

Magnesium stearate is a chemical excipient that has received GRAS status, which is one of the raw materials certified as safe to use by the US FDA .

Stearin magnesium is approved by FDA standards at less than 2.5g per kg , and has been certified as a raw material by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in Korea so that it can be used as a raw material for magnesium products .

Chemical excipient (3) HPMC ( hydroxypropyl methylcellulose )

HPMC is a type of dietary fiber and a chemical excipient used to compose and coat capsules .

When HPMC is taken in excessive amounts, such as more than one can at a time , side effects such as abdominal bloating , diarrhea , and constipation are observed . This is also related to the side effects that frequently occur when excessive dietary fiber intake is consumed . HPMC is also one of the functional ingredients recognized as a health functional food ingredient .

However, since chemical excipients are ultimately chemical ingredients, they must go through a detoxification process in the liver and can be a burden on the liver .

Additionally, research on long-term use of chemical excipients is still insufficient, and since each individual may react differently, we recommend that you decide whether or not to use chemical excipients based on your own choices and standards.

thank you !

ROKIT America NMN is a high-purity 99.92% NMN that uses natural excipients from rice bran extract instead of chemical excipients .

About ROKIT America NMN

Additional information can be found by clicking on the photos below .

We will come back with more useful health information next time .

thank you !

[References ]

[1] DATANET, “Milk thistle supplements for liver health : check for chemical additives ,” http://www.datanet.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=160457

[2] YouTube Little Pharmacist , Magnesium, which was considered a harmful additive , is now recognized as a nutritional supplement by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety | Magnesium stearate , silicon dioxide , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXY0g0iUrrM

[3] Sisa Focus , Ministry of Food and Drug Safety , Permits Manufacturing of Fructose and Starch as ‘ Raw Material Products ’ for Individually Approved Raw Materials , http://www.sisafocus.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=251807