Is there talcum powder in your supplements?

According to an industry source, to avoid alarming consumers about the use of toxic tableting or encapsulating agents, most manufacturers simply avoid the problem by not listing them on their label.

“Flowing agents such as talcum powder, a suspected carcinogen (cancer-causing agent), are used routinely by most … manufacturers as well as polyvinylpyrrolidone, magnesium stearate (a proven immuno-suppressive agent), waxes and many other known or suspected carcinogens.

“Unbelievably, almost all manufacturers use talcum powder, a suspected human carcinogen, in their high speed encapsulators to produce encapsulated products,” the source said.

After purchasing its first, expensive, high speed encapsulator, the manufacturing reps of one company were quoted as saying, “You can run most products the best by adding 1-2% talcum powder per capsule.”

In fact, for almost all high-speed capsule manufacturers, that is exactly what is done, according to the source.

Talcum powder, or talc, a filler, has similarities to asbestos, a highly fibrous mineral used in building materials and other commercial products, which is a potent carcinogen. Talc particles have been shown to cause tumours in the ovaries and lungs of cancer victims.

From CAP GUIDE: HEALTH SUPPLEMENTS, which are UNSAFE, USELESS or UNNecessary. Available here: