What is that
Magnesium stearate is a salt that originates from the union of two molecules of stearate with a magnesium cation (Mg2 +). Stearate is nothing but the anion of stearic acid, a saturated fat with 18 carbon atoms very common in nature (C 18 H 36 O 2 ), especially in animal fats.
Properties and Uses
At room temperature, magnesium stearate appears as a white, odorless and insoluble in water powder.
Its industrial use is particularly wide, especially with regard to pharmaceutical and food companies; it is in fact used as an anti-caking agent, given its excellent flow properties.
As an anti-caking agent
Its addition to a drug or a supplement in tablets is very useful to improve the workability of the powders, making sure that they do not stick to the compressing machines; furthermore, magnesium stearate reduces friction between the particles and the mold. It must be borne in mind that during the mechanical compression a friction is created that can bring the dust to temperatures close to 70 ° C, and it is therefore important to add excipients capable of reducing friction and the risk of denaturing the active ingredients .
Health aspects
On the label the presence of magnesium stearate can be declared in full or with the abbreviation E470b. Being formed by molecules commonly found in foods, magnesium stearate is considered an absolutely safe additive, at least up to doses of 2.5 g / kg per day. From a health point of view, we recall that stearic acid, despite being a saturated fatty acid, is desaturated in oleic acid in the body and its atherogenic power is therefore particularly low.
The stearic acid used in the production of magnesium stearate can be obtained from animal fats or vegetable oils (by hydrogenation of oleic acid); it is assumed that when the label shows the word natural magnesium stearate, its origin is indeed vegetable.
Magnesium stearate cannot be considered a magnesium supplement, given the low percentage of the mineral and the high percentage of stearic acid.
