Don’t Give Your Dog Supplements That Contain Magnesium Stearate - Its Bad for Your Dog's Health


2.5 min read
In this article:
  1. What is Magnesium Stearate?
  2. How Magnesium Stearate Samages your Dog and Cat's Health

1. What is Magnesium Stearate?

Magnesium Stearate can be found in about many supplements sold in pharmacies, health stores, doctor's offices and veterinarian offices.

Magnesium Stearate is a lubricant that acts as a 'slipping agent'. 

It is created by adding a magnesium ion to stearic acid. 

Magnesium Stearate is added to pills and capsules to:
  1. Keep pills or capsules from sticking together.
  2. Prevents pills and capsules from sticking to machinery during production.
    1. This allows processing and production machinery to run at a higher speed.
    2. Resulting in a substantial increase in production, while requiring less inspection on the production line.
  3. Culminating in higher profit margins for manufacturers and retailers. 
Magnesium stearate is good for the supplement industry's profit margin. 
Magnesium stearate is not good for your dog and cat's health.

2. How Magnesium Stearate Damages Your Dog and Cat's Health

2.1 Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil and Palm Oil

Stearic acid is typically made with hydrogenated cottonseed oil or palm oil. These oils are health damaging.
Of all commercial oils cotton seed has the highest content of herbicide residue, i.e. glyphosate and other herbicides.

Cottonseed oil is used to coat the supplement, which means it is coating the nutrients in the supplement. 
 
As a coating agent the cottonseed oil slows down and delays the absorption of the nutrients in the intestines. 
 
Unless the product you purchase is 100% non-GMO certified, the cotton seed oil is sourced from Genetically Engineered seed crops. GMO seed crops are heavily contaminated with glyphosate. Glyphosate is a known carcinogen.

In large amounts magnesium stearate damages the skin and liver. 
 
Cats and most dogs are smaller than adult humans.  It takes less magnesium stearate to harm a cat or dog.
 
2.2 Is the Delay in the Absorption of Nutrients Bad?
 
If your dog or cat consumes magnesium stearate with a meal, the food may be pushed through the stomach and intestines too quickly.  Nutrients will not be properly absorbed.

Magnesium stearate can also interfere with the body's ability to absorb medicinal compounds in supplements.

This can impact the goal of supporting your dog and cat's health.

2.3 Stearic Acid and Cell Death

Magnesium stearate contains steric acid. Stearic acid suppresses T cells. 
Why does this matter? 
    1. T-cells (T lymphocytes) are part of the lymphocytes group of white blood cells.
      1. Lymphocytes play a key function in cell-mediated immunity. 
    2. T-Cells are killer cells, and are very important to good immune system function. 
      1. Stearic acid causes the collapse of the cell membrane in these very important T -cells. 
      2. Collapse occurs when the T-cells are exposed over time to damaging doses of the acid. 
    Collapse of the cell membrane leads to the destruction of cell function. 
     
    Cell death of formerly healthy cells. Health and healing cannot be sustained when healthy cells are unable to thrive and survive.
     
    Supplements should support health, not interfere with health and healing.

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    Article and graphics by Karen Rosenfeld.

    Comments

    1. I have canine with food allergies and IBD. Can you suggest good hypoallergenic multivitamin?

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Contact http://peterdobias.com/ and see if they have a supplement you can use - the ingredients they use are good quality, organic, holistic.

        Delete
    2. Thank you for your speedy response. I will certainly check out his website.

      ReplyDelete
    3. Is it safe to rub magnesium chloride(liquid) to the outside of a dogs leg that has a muscle injury. I know this speeds up healing and decreases inflammation in humans, but is it safe for a dog.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Yes magnesium chloride liquid, oil or gel is safe to use topically on a dog. It has the same healing properties for dogs as it does for human :>)

        Delete
    4. Dear Karen,
      My 16yr old toy poodle has an enlarged heart and has been falling over when excited with completely outstretched legs, immobile for a little bit, but it does not seem to hurt. I have finally realized that this may be a magnesium deficiency. Is there any form that you would recommend? Chloride oil or a pill with food or in water? She is a small dog, so I'm not sure about the dosage.

      Many thanks!!!

      Marina.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Hi Marina - you can use Magnesium chloride gel or oil - rub a little on to her tummy 2x per day.
        Cheers, Karen

        Delete
    5. Do you think my 10yo beagle would benefit from Magnesium Gel? She has had several small seizures over the years and I was told that magnesium would help her. Thanks in advance. Coralie.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Hi Coralie - studies correlate low magnesium levels with epilepsy. So yes I think it would be well worth your while rubbing some magnesium gel of oil on his tummy daily.
        Cheers, Karen

        Delete
    6. If I opened the capsule and only gave my dog the powder, would that be okay? (Basically, is the magnesium stearate only in the capsule?) Thanks!
      Emily

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Hi Emily, yes the magnesium stearate is an ingredient in the capsule - so if you just open the capsule and use only the powder you can avoid the ms.

        Delete
    7. I finally found one that contains vegetable stearate. Is this safe, or it too poses the same problem? Thanks!
      Emily

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Again same thing - open the capsule and just use the powder - the vegetable stearate accumulates in the body over time and can contribute to toxic load. The source of the vegetable stearate is typically GMO oils - high in herbicide residue.

        Delete
    8. My 10 yr old Boston Terrier has Cushing's Disease and his entire body is now starting to calcify horribly. How much magnesium chloride gel is safe to apply on his skin daily?

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Hi Art,

        1) A dime size amount 2x per day
        2) I recommend that you seriously consider http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.ca/diet-nutrition-wellness-plans/

        Delete
      2. Karen, thank you for your response. I'll be sending you an email regarding a customized diet for my Frodo.

        Delete
    9. My dog has severe anxiety & noise phobias. He is uncontrollable whenever it rains, thunders, is windy or when fireworks go off. He destroys everything in the house, excessively pants & drools, rips up the rugs by digging excessively & just doesn't calm down for hours. I don't want to put him on Prozac, but I have tried almost everything "natural" out there.....thundershirt, DEP, calming collars, melatonin etc. Have you ever heard of a dog acting like this & would you have any recommendations? My vet will only provide me with tranquilizers, but that doesn't even work.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Yes,as I specialize in dealing with dogs with extreme behavioral issues, I have worked with many dogs that exhibit the behaviour your dog is currently doing. Feel free to read the many articles I have written related to this subject or you can engage my phone consultation service. The pet industry loves to market contrivances such as DEP, spray and pheromone collars, thunder shirts etc. which in reality do NOT work other than for the most mild of cases. For dogs with great intelligence and sensitivity such items do not work as they fail to address the root cause. The dog's human must be taught how to better understand their dog, how to communicate effectively, and how to mentor the dog to a healthier psychological state which is NOT something the majority of trainers and behaviourists have the skill set to do. If you decide you would like to work via phone consultation with me you can choose to do so.

        Delete

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    Important Note

    1.0 Use of Foods, Herbs, Alternative Medicines

    Safe use of items and protocols in the article above, is your sole responsibility.

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    Holistic is not defined by use of one or several substances. Holistic is an approach.

    Definition of “holistic” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press

    Adjective

    "relating to the whole of something or to the total system instead of just to its parts"

    "Holistic medicine attempts to treat the whole person, including mind and body, not just the injury or disease."

    Holistic is a way of approaching life, and within that health, and well-being.

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    In most situations, remedying a situation will require a comprehensive approach.

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    Karen Rosenfeld | Holistic Diet Nutrition Wellness Practitioner | Holistic Behaviorist | Ottawa Valley Dog Whisperer

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