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I would prefer to have never written this letter but the level of misinformation regarding the manufacture of quality dietary supplements has never been greater.
It seems that a very small minority of nutritional supplement marketers and manufacturers including a brand in the professional supplement realm have decided it is in their best interest to disparage the vast majority of nutritional supplement companies. They are doing so by reporting false claims regarding a formulation ingredient that supplement manufacturers use to assure homogenous multi-ingredient nutritional supplement blends. Without optimal blending of therapeutic agents one cannot consistently produce products with maximum health benefits and which meet label claims.
The ingredient in question is stearic acid also commonly referenced as vegetable stearate and/or magnesium stearate. I fear the net effect of these negative marketing efforts is to scare the general consumer away from the use of any nutritional supplements.
An Example of Hypocrisy
I feel compelled to mention that the manufacturer most responsible for this misleading information about dietary supplements and stearic acid actually has a number of products in its line that contain stearic acid! Why would a supplement company that has stearic acid in its products claim the ingredient is harmful? Why would they want to undermine the confidence in the very industry in which they work?
This type of misinformation is bad on multiple fronts - for the dietary supplement industry for natural health practitioners and for patients who depend on this industry to care for their health. That's why I felt compelled to write this letter.
If you are interested in obtaining a balanced view of this topic I encourage you to review the following:
I hope you find this information helpful and objective. If you have any related questions or concerns you are welcome to contact me directly at jonathan@designsforhealth.com.
In Health
Jonathan Lizotte Founder and Co-Chairman
Designs for Health Inc.
Designs for Health has been dedicated to being the most trusted source for superior quality, science-based nutritional products for nearly three decades. We’re committed to maximizing successful health outcomes by providing healthcare practitioners with comprehensive support through our extensive product line, ongoing clinical education, and practice development programs. The blogs we publish here cover a range of topics, including new and original approaches to diet and healthcare, analyses of the latest cutting-edge research, deep-dives into specific nutrients, botanicals, nutraceuticals and more, all fully referenced for those who want to dig deeper into the primary literature.
