Is magnesium stearate safe or toxic?

Magnesium stearate is a common flow agent. A flow agent allows powder to flow through manufacturing machines as they make certain supplements. A flow agent also allows pills to move through the GI system a little bit better and increases the absorption of the ingredients in the body a little bit better.

Magnesium stearate is classified as GRAS (generally recognized as safe). In a report from the National Center for Biotechnology, they stated that taking up to 2,500mg of magnesium stearate per kg of body weight was considered safe. This means that a person who weighs about 150 pounds could consume 170,000mg of magnesium stearate a day and still be within the safe zone.

But, on average, the amount of magnesium stearate that would be in one capsule is only 4-8mg. When you take magnesium stearate, it breaks up into magnesium and stearic acid.

Stearic acid is common in a person’s diet. It’s a regular fatty acid that can be metabolized for energy or turned into cellular membranes. The average female consumes about 5700mg of stearic acid every day, while the average male consumes about 8200mg of stearic acid a day. The magnesium stearate you get from supplements is 800x less than what you’re already getting from your diet.

Stearic acid is found in:

• Animal fats

• Butter

• Lard

• Vegetable oils

• Cocoa butter