Fit4LifeDoc, I'm glad you found the list useful! I really need to print it out and stick it in my wallet!!

I was so proud of myself for finding a (human grade)Magnesium Taurate supplement for my dog with no Magnesium Stearate in it the other day.

Well...I just looked over the label again, and I traded off Mag Stearate for two others, Cellulose and Silicon Dioxide Guess if I had the list with me, I would've come home empty handed

It's hard for an untrained person like myself to understand all the technical information behind all of these toxins, etc. and will be quite the challenge to provide myself, my husband and my pets with good healthy nutritional supplements that won't kill us, LOL


I appreciate this forum, all the helpful and knowledgeable members here, and all the good information for me to browse!

I do a ton of research on harmful chemicals, toxins, food additives, etc...and sometimes I just want to move away to some deserted island and grow my own food!

But, since I'm stuck here in this toxic land, the only thing I can do to protect myself and my family is to stay current with the latest health news and research.

For example, I recently read a few articles about the powerful weight loss, antioxidant, and anti-cancer benefits of white tea. Here's a link to one article: White Tea May Promote Weight Loss, Reduces Fat Cells

This kind of info helps me sleep at night because at least I know that there are still ways to counter the devastating effects of our toxic, chemically-altered environment.

Hi Everyone-

I am new to the forum and just thought I'd add my 2 cents to the mix if that's ok :-)

I think supplements overall are still good for you. The body can not manufacture certain essential minerals and we don't consume enough of them in our daily diets so that's where supplements come into play. I currently take Young Livings Core Supplements which consists of Omega Blue (essential omega fatty acids), Longevity (antioxidants), True Source (vitamins/minerals) and Life 5 (probiotic). The overall health results are great with these products. No magnesium stearate but a little stearic acid in the Omega blue. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to take the good with the bad. For example, the air we breathe is also toxic so what we do? Stop breathing?

After reading this thread I've decided to take my pills minus the outer capsule.

sounds like a good idea to me jw8725. Unfortunately, we live in an imperfect world. All we can do is the best that we can to eat healthy and consume products as close to nature as possible......too bad that doesn't include cookies

From "AllStar Health"

Tablets are the most cost-effective supplements in general because they are less-expensive to manufacture than other formats. Tablets allow the manufacturer to pack the most material into a given space. From the manufacturing standpoint, tablets are the most shelf-stable choice and retain their potency over a longer time than liquids, powders and most capsules. Tablets can be offered in the widest range of sizes and shapes. And as long as you stick with a name-brand product and take it as directed, you needn�t worry about absorption issues with tablets. Drawbacks to tablets? Large tablets can be hard for some people to swallow. Tablets don�t offer the flexibility of dosing that liquids and powders do.
Caplets are simply tablets that have a smaller size and smoother-coating, making them as easy to swallow as capsules without giving up the other advantages of tablets. There are far fewer products offered in caplet form than tablets, however. In every other respect, caplets are similar to tablets.
Capsules refer to the familiar two-piece gelatin capsules that are widely used in supplements and some medications. Their main advantages are their easy-to-swallow characteristics and their ability to break down quickly in the stomach, although, again, not to the point that there�s any nutritional advantage. Vegetarian capsules, of which VegiCaps are the best-known brand, are a gelatin-free alternative rapidly gaining popularity as customers become more hesitant to consume meat by-products like gelatin. Some people like the fact that they can open up capsules and, using all or part of its powdered contents, mix the nutrients into applesauce or a protein shake, for example. That can be a great aid to children or others who have difficulty swallowing pills. The drawbacks of capsules? They cost considerably more than tablets. They have significant space and potency limitations since their powdered contents cannot be compressed to a significant degree. Since capsules are not air-tight, their shelf-life is shorter than tablets. They are not suited to liquid or oil-based nutrients either unless special, expensive encapsulation techniques and products are used.
Softgels are one-piece gelatin capsules almost exclusively used for liquid or oil-based formulas. Although vegetarian softgels have been introduced to the market, adoption has been slow and as of this writing, gelatin softgels are still virtually the only type you�re likely to come across when supplement shopping. Because of their smooth contour and shape, softgels are very easy-to-swallow regardless of size. They also offer superior shelf-life profiles to capsules, liquids and powders since they are completely sealed and air-tight. But like tablets, you don�t have any flexibility with the dose of softgels since they can�t be neatly broken or opened up. You can use more softgels or fewer softgels, but that�s it. Softgel manufacture is specialized and considerably more expensive than tablets or capsules, and softgel product pricing tends to reflect that.
Chewables need no explanation. But they always cost more on a dollars-per-milligram basis and tend to be lower potency when compared to comparable products in tablet and capsule form. They also usually have some sugar and flavorings added, which many health-conscious people strenuously try to avoid. So chewables are best-reserved for children or those people who really can�t swallow tablets or capsules.
Powders can be very cost-effective on a dollars-per-nutrient basis, but are also the least convenient to use, since they must be mixed into a liquid, shake or a food. Powders do offer great flexibility with dosing - you can make much finer adjustments to the dose than with tablets and capsules. For supplements taken in gram quantities such as creatine, protein and glutamine, powders are much, much more practical. For example, a typical 5-gram serving of creatine is easy to take; a small scoop of tasteless powder mixed in with water or juice. But to get that same dose with capsules, you�d need 10 x 500 mg capsules or 5 x extra-large 1g capsules.
Liquid supplements. Customers often seek out liquid supplements based on their belief that liquid supplements absorb faster and are therefore better than other forms. They might, but, again, this difference is not great enough to amount to a noticeable or significant nutritional difference, so that�s not really a great reason to go liquid. And as we�ve said, when it comes to essential nutrients, slower absorption may be better. Liquids do offer a lot of flexibility with dosing and are very easy for most people to take. Drawbacks? They are always more expensive on a dollars-per-nutrient basis and their shelf life is shorter than with other formats. They are heavier to transport. They�re not portable like capsules and tablets. They often require refrigeration. Depending on the how it�s made, a liquid supplements often have problems with ingredients settling to the bottom between uses. Even when the bottle is shaken before each use, dispersion of ingredients is imprecise and less consistent than with capsule and tablet products.
So as you can see, there is no one perfect format. It really depends on the supplement and the person taking it. But by knowing the pros and cons of each, it�s easy to zero in on which is best.

I currently use a combination of tablets and powder. My son has a thyroid issue going on (He also has cerebral palsy) and that affected his calcium. I started using Young Living's Therapeutic Grade Calcium in powder form and after two weeks his calcium is back to normal. Praise God. Michelle

Would you mind putting the recipe in the recipe category under nutrition? I'd be interested to see.

__________________
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ehuD65vJZUSongbird
This is not medical advice. Just opinion. Whatever you decide to do your your health is strictly your business and your choice.
Visit www.HealthSalon.org

I�ve suspected that my years of supplement taking was really not doing much for me so I decided to switch to combo supplements and thought all those added ingredients may be other supplements included (as I never heard of those big ingredient names before). So, for my own sake I began to research those said names that were found in many over the counter supplements and came across most that there were nothing more then harmful and toxic dyes and fillers such as starch and sugars - some used to completely fill a general size capsule as it is easier then fitting the total ingredients into a direct sized capsule.

I set off on a long (and very expensive) search for supplements that were �proven to myself� to be working. This was not an easy process. I realized those supplements were making my health worse then better. The clincher was when I was told I was now a diabetic and the doctor immediately called in a prescription of insulin for me to start taking. I instead went home and re-vamped my supplements as I found many of those words were sugars and or corn that turns into a sugar that in fact heighten my sensitive to becoming a diabetic. That was years ago and after switching to full form pure supplements I now have daily normal sugar levels � and I never did pick up that doctors prescription.

We are fully in charge of our own health - it�s up to us and only us to know we are using the best quality of substances we put into our bodies - medically supervised medicines can be just as dangerous as over the counter supplements.

Education is always key either way.

JW8725 commented �take my pills minus the outer capsule� - that is not always safe as the purpose of a capsule is to move it through your system in a time released matter. There are even some supplements that can burn your internal organs if not capsuled. There are companies that use a more pure form of capsulation.
　

Magnesium Stearate is used to keep the caplet machines lubed, so there are no breakdowns.

The problem is it also lubes the intestines, and if you keep using supplements that contain it, it will coat the intestines to the point that you won't be able to absorb nutrients.

Best to avoid mag stearate.

__________________
Let Food Be Your Medicine And Medicine Be Your Food.(Hippocrates)

A month ago, planning a pregnancy, I added a prenatal vitamin to my usual multivitamin to make sure I had enough of the necessary vitamins before becoming pregnant. During my preconception consultation, my doctor explained that I had been taking toxic levels of vitamin A (10,000 iu's), and told me about birth defects this could cause. He suggested discontinuing one of the vitamins, and waiting another month to try and conceive. I recently heard that patients who have been using retinol are advised to wait 3 months. Should I wait 3 months instead of 1 to be on the safe side? How long does it take for extra vitamin A to get out of my system (if ht/wt matters, I'm 115lbs, 5'2") Thanks!

Don't let him freak you out. 10,000 IU is not toxic. only according to the government RDA
I think...and we here don't think they know too much. If you are worried about it find a vitamin with reduced dosage. Cut back to 5,000 IU a day for a week or two. No real studies have been done on pregnant women.

If you really want to do a good thing for your pregnancy forget the vitamin and take two glasses of something like this every day.
https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_4assuk4yok_b

Just make sure you are taking enough calcium and folic acid, 800 to 1000mcg is sufficient and eat a balanced diet with lots of veggies. If you get anemic look for Nature Sunshine product called IX formula. Its one of the best blood builders.

__________________
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ehuD65vJZUSongbird
This is not medical advice. Just opinion. Whatever you decide to do your your health is strictly your business and your choice.
Visit www.HealthSalon.org

@ Emmanuel

Breastfeeding Medicine Does Vitamin D Make the World Go ‘Round’?

Pregnancy and Gestational Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin A Toxicity