Ingredients

Question 1

Herbs

Answer 1

• a simple way to remedy some minor illnesses without the need for a pX
• can have side effects if taken incorrectly or in the wrong amount (just like medications)
• caution must be used in some cases (pregnancy, lactation and many health conditions)
• not normally present in multivitamins at therapeutic levels

Question 2

“Superfoods”

Answer 2

• some multivitamins may contain items like spirulina, yeast or other probiotics
• generally these additions are harmless unless you have a particular allergy to them

Question 3

Bioflavonoids

Answer 3

• found in citrus fruits

- help with the absorption of vitamin C

Question 4

Excipients

Answer 4

• supplements contain both active ingredients (vitamins, minerals, other active agents) and inactive ingredients (those required to build the actual body of the tablet/capsule —->
• the inactive ingredients are excipients (fillers, binders, disintegrated, coatings, sweeteners, other agents)

Question 5

Carotenoids

Answer 5

• compounds found in some vegetables such as tomatoes (my cope eating), carrots (alpha-carotene and zeaxanthin) and beets (cryptoxanthin)

Question 6

Metabolic Helpers

Answer 6

• biotin, choline, inositol and carnitine all play a role in storage, use and breakdown of fats, proteins and carbs
• supplementing these compounds may help with blood sugar levels, weight maintenance and cholesterol

Question 7

Binders

Answer 7

• a non-active ingredient of cohesive material of binding powder particles to form granules that can then be compressed into tablets
• usually required to ensure that a powder will hold together when formed into a tablet
• microcrystalline cellulose: an extremely fine non-fibrous powder that comes from trees

Question 8

Lubricants

Answer 8

• materials that prevent tablets from sticking to the forming machinery
• stearic acid and magnesium stearate

Question 9

Stearic acid

Answer 9

• a lubricant used in tablets

- occurs as a glyceride in tallow and other animal fats or hydrogenated cottonseed oil and other vegetable oils

Question 10

Magnesium stearate

Answer 10

• a lubricant used in tablets

- made by reacting stearic acid (either from an animal or vegetable source) with magnesium carbonate

Question 11

Glidants

Answer 11

• help enhance the flow of a powdered material into the tablet machine when they are not free-flowing
• silica

Question 12

Silica

Answer 12

• a glidant used in tablets

- derived from sand or stones and pulverized to super fine powder

Question 13

Fillers

Answer 13

• used to achieve a desired tablet size and shape
• active ingredients don’t usually take up a tablet- or capsule-sized amount of space
• some common fillers are various starches, calcium phosphate and cellulose

Question 14

Coatings

Answer 14

• materials used to cover the outside of a tablet, sealing the product and protecting it from destruction, air and moisture
• make a tablet slippery and easier to swallow
• most are made from methyl cellulose or ethyl cellulose, which are both prepared from wood pulp

Question 15

“Natural Flavors”

Answer 15

• contains the flavor constituents of food

- significant function: flavoring, not nutritional