While we are getting better at reading food and product labels, the ingredients list can still be tricky to understand.
There can be many unnecessary ingredients in products, which is why it’s important to familiarize yourself with certain ingredients you may find on the list. This could be the difference between you choosing a better quality product over a poorer one.
Here, we will go through the most popular additives and fillers shown on many supplement ingredient lists. We will discuss whether they are harmful and if they should be avoided!
Additives You May Find in Supplements
Fillers
The main purpose of fillers is to help all the ingredients bind together.
They are used as flow agents, which allow products to run through manufacturing machines without jamming and gumming up the equipment. They also make the supplements look and taste more appealing to consumers.
Some examples of fillers include vegetable gum, propylene glyol, simethicone, and starch.
These additives offer no nutritional value.
Hydrogenated oils
These are oils commonly found in highly processed foods and bakery products. They are used to increase the shelf life and are found in supplements for the same reason.
These hydrogenated oils contain trans fats, which can increase our bad cholesterol (LDL) and decrease our good cholesterol (HDL).
These kinds of fats should be avoided as they may also contribute to increased risk of heart disease, as well as possibly affecting our nervous system function.
Artificial colors
Some artificial colors can be very harmful to our bodies. They are usually used to color in products to make them look more appealing.
Look out for natural coloring instead, as this is much healthier and less harmful.
Magnesium stearate
Magnesium stearate is used as a flow agent for the same purpose as fillers. This is a synthetic ingredient that can maintain the efficiency of the manufacturing and production of a product.
This ingredient is thought to possibly hinder the absorption of vitamins and minerals, so ideally should be avoided.
Titanium dioxide
This ingredient is used as a pigment in vitamins - similar reasons to why artificial colors are used.
Though titanium dioxide is thought to be harmful to our immunity, so is another one we want to avoid.
What Does “No Additives” Mean?
This essentially means that a product is not using any ingredients that are not necessary, only using what your body needs.
Ideally, when looking for a supplement, whether it be a multivitamin or otherwise, you should avoid any of these unnecessary ingredients and look out for “no additives”.
Performance Lab products only contain the essential ingredients our body can use. This is because of the clean formula design, which is free of GMOs, gluten, soy, colorants, preservatives, and other additives.
The Take-Home Message
It can be difficult to read a food or product label and fully understand all the ingredients inside. This is particularly true for supplements.
Many supplements you find may have fillers, artificial colors, and other synthetic ingredients that do not offer the body any additional benefits but do sadly offer some potential health risks.
The key thing to look out for when choosing a clean, safe supplement is that there is a “no additives” claim. This ensures that all ingredients inside are beneficial for the body and are actually used.
This includes being free of GMOs, soy, colorants, preservatives, and any other unnecessary additives, much like Performance Lab products!
