Capsule Ingredient FAQs
What are the other ingredients in each product?
- Bio-Avail E+: bovine gelatin, water, glycerine
- Bio-Avail Mag: cellulose, vegetable stearate
- Bio-Avail Myco: cellulose, dicalcium phosphate, microcrystalline cellulose, vegetable stearate, silicon dioxide
- Bio-Avail Organ: gelatin
- Bio-Avail Multi: cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, sunflower lecithin, vegetable stearate, silicon dioxide
Bovine gelatin
Bovine gelatin is a product produced by the hydrolysis of collagen (a protein, in this case from a cow).
Glycerine
Glycerine is an odorless, colorless fluid often used to make gel caps. It is “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) for human consumption by the FDA.
Cellulose / microcrystalline cellulose
Cellulose and microcrystalline cellulose are from plant fiber that comes from the bark of North American pine trees. It is “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) for human consumption by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). The modified cellulose is in the capsule itself and the microcrystalline cellulose is a filler sometimes needed for fill weight.
Vegetable stearate
Vegetable stearate (aka magnesium stearate) is a natural form of magnesium found in plants. It is used as a natural lubricant and flowing agent during the encapsulation process. A small amount is used in three of our products (Bio-Avail Multi, Bio-Avail Mag, and Bio-Avail Myco).
Palm kernel oil is extracted from the palm seed and has a fatty acid composition that is almost identical to coconut oil, high in medium-chain fatty acids (i.e., caprylic, capric, and lauric acids) and with a total saturated fat content of over 80 percent. This makes it an excellent choice for our supplements.
Our vegetable stearate is derived from non-GMO palm and comes from an RSPO (Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil)-certified producer. This means the palm fruit oil we source is not linked to the destruction of old-growth rainforests, the release of greenhouse gases, the displacement of native people, or the extinction of orangutans or Sumatran tigers (which only live in Borneo and Sumatra in Indonesia). Our certifications verify the palm plantations we source from are not developed by removing rain forests, but by converting pre-existing agricultural land to palm oil production.
Vegetable stearate is “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) for human consumption by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). For more information on the safety of vegetable (aka magnesium) stearate, see Chris Kresser’s article “Magnesium Stearate: 6 Supposed Dangers That Need Attention to Determine if It Is Harmful or Harmless.”
Silicon dioxide
Silicon dioxide (SiO2), also known as silica, is a natural compound made of two of the earth’s most abundant materials: silicon (Si) and oxygen (O2). Silicon dioxide serves as an anticaking agent. It is used in our powdered products to prevent clumping and prevent the powdered ingredients from sticking together. It is used in a small amount in two of our products (Bio-Avail Multi and Bio-Avail Myco).
Silicon dioxide (SiO2), also known as silica, is a natural compound made of two of the earth’s most abundant materials: silicon (Si) and oxygen (O2). Silicon dioxide is found naturally in many plants, such as leafy green vegetables, beets, bell peppers, and alfalfa. It’s even found naturally in the tissues of your body, though it’s unclear whether it serves any physiological role. Silicon dioxide is “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) for human consumption by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
Dicalcium phosphate
Dicalcium phosphate is a combination of calcium oxide and phosphoric acid. It is commonly used as a source of both calcium and phosphate in dietary supplements. It is also used as an excipient that helps with the product flow in the machines and helps decrease the moisture of the active ingredients. When dicalcium phosphate is used, it is present at a concentration of less than 1%. It is “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) for human consumption by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
Sunflower lecithin
Lecithin is a phospholipid (i.e. a type of fat) that helps maintain the integrity of cells. Sunflower lecithin is derived from sunflower. In supplements, sunflower lecithin is used to enhance absorption, is “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) for human consumption by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Lecithin has been used safely in doses of up to 30 grams daily (which is far, far larger than the small amount we use in some of our products) for up to 6 weeks.