Inactive Ingredients in Pills Are Starting to Bug Me

By SUZY COHEN

Q: I take lots of medications and supplements. They all list inactive ingredients on the label, but if they’re “inactive,” why are they in there? I heard bug parts are allowed too, is that true? — L.K. Lodi, California.

A: You may feel like an unwilling participant on Survivor, but bugs do go into the making of many products. Inactive ingredients are used to dissolve, color, flavor, stabilize or control the release of our medicines and supplements. Some people are sensitive to the fillers or products derived from corn, soy, wheat, dairy, and yeast.

Coloring: It’s shocking, but FDA-approved colorants include ground-up powdered red beetles. Companies camouflage it as carmine or cochineal extract, C.I. 75470, crimson lake, Natural Red 4, E120, or “natural color.” These dyes impart the pretty pinkish, red color to almost all lipsticks (Yes, even natural ones. Aren’t insects natural?) and red-colored drinks, ice cream, popsicles, candy and yogurt. The artificial colors, designated as “FD&C” or “Lake,” are hair-raising too. The FDA banned some of these. FD&C Yellow No. 5 (also called tartrazine) and FD&C Blue No. 1 and No. 2 are problematic and may trigger asthma attacks, hives, or deadly allergic reactions. Natural plant-derived colors do exist: chlorophyll, beta-carotene, grape skin or annato.

Binders: A binder makes everything stick together, for example dextrose (a sugar) or polyethylene glycol. Throw out anything that has “diethylene glycol” or DEG in it. The FDA recalled cough syrups and toothpaste because of this poison, which is used in antifreeze. A list of products with DEG is posted at www.tulsaworld.com/fda.gov.

This information is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Suzy Cohen is the author of “The 24-Hour Pharmacist.” For more information, visit www.DearPharmacist.com.

Originally published by SUZY COHEN Dear Pharmacist.

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