Silicon Dioxide and Dietary Supplements with Mastic: Why Do We Use It?

Silicon dioxide is an excipient. In addition to the pharmacologically active ingredients, drugs also contain numerous excipients, which are important for production, stability, taste, appearance and bioavailability. Excipients have traditionally been considered inert.

What is silicon dioxide?

Silicon dioxide is the oxide of silicium. It is a natural substance that occurs crystalline in quartz, granite and sand, for example, and is used in the manufacture of glass. In pharmacy, various grades of silicon dioxide find very wide application as excipients. Among other uses, silica is used as a flow regulator, viscosity control, adsorbent, gel former, disintegrant, antistatic agent, and stabilizer. When working with powdered silica, respiratory protection should be worn to avoid inhalation.

Effects in dietary supplements

Silicon dioxide has a wide variety of uses in pharmaceuticals, including as a flow regulator, carrier, viscosity control, adsorbent, gelling agent (oleogels), disintegrant, antistatic agent, thixotropic agent, anti-clumping agent, and stabilizer.

Fields of application

As a pharmaceutical excipient, for example for solid, semisolid and liquid dosage forms. It is contained, for example, in very many tablets, but also in capsules, gels, ointments and suppositories.

As a food additive (E 551), in cosmetics and personal care products.

Unwanted effects

When working powdered silica, respiratory protection should be worn to prevent inhalation, which can lead to pneumonia and lung diseases, among other things.

Silicon dioxide in Masticlife

Masticlife is a European company that adheres to EU standards for dietary supplements. Silicon dioxide is a natural substance commonly found in fruits and vegetables and other foods. Because silicon dioxide acts as a natural anticaking agent, we use it to prevent mastic and inulin from clumping together. What mastic supplements contain this oxide?

• Mastic+ Prebiotic (160 capsules) Masticlife
• Mastic+ Vitamin D3 (160 capsules) Masticlife