Vegetable Mg Stearate and Stearates: Important Differences
• Stearate structure
Natural stearate is a normal fatty acid that is found in all animal and vegetable foods.
Synthetic stearate is produced by the chemical addition of hydrogen to unsaturated fats to make them saturated and free of double bonds. Synthetic stearate has all the risks associated with trans-fatty acids, which do not occur in native (plant or animal) stearates.
• Differences between vegetable, animal, and synthetic stearates
Natural vegetable stearates are different. They are present in small quantities and help keep plants intact. Natural vegetable stearates are never hydrogenated. (There is no need to hydrogenate an already saturated fatty acid). The tiny amounts in Aceva products (ess than 1/1000th of a teaspoonful in the average tablet or capsule) are useful and used to enhance uptake and to benefit full functionality just as they do in plants. We use only the highest quality ultra-pure USP grade magnesium stearate, and it is distilled from non-hydrogenated, non-GMO vegetable oils with no solvent extraction.
Animal stearates concentrate pesticides and other biocides. High intake of stearates is associated with increased health risk including immune dysfunction and cancer.
Synthetic stearates are hydrogenated. This chemical process makes them suitable for paints. They are not healthy choices for ingestion.
- Dr. Joe Esposito