Supplement Binders & Fillers That Cause Constipation (dicalcium Phosphate?)

beanie

Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2016
Messages
22
Hi,

I take a number of supplements and I think my zinc supplement is causing me terrible constipation. I am a long distance runner and eat plenty of veggies & fruits and drink plenty of water. So it is very rare for me to get so constipated that I can't sleep.

I think it is the zinc, but can't be certain since I took a few other things at the same time. I also think it's the zinc because sometimes I take everything else and skip the zinc, and then I don't seem to have a problem. I've listed the details on my zinc supplement below. (I know this isn't an ideal brand. I just picked it up at Safeway for occasional use.) I will probably replace it with something better, but I want to know what to avoid in future supplements so I really want to figure it out. I have a strong suspicion it's the dicalcium phosphate, also known as Dibasic calcium phosphate, Calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate, and calcium monohydrogen phosphate.

Has anyone else had constipation in reaction to dicalcium phosphate or other binders and fillers in supplements? I usually check the ingredients and these seemed okay at first glance, but now it's got me wondering. It gets so hard because even the expensive supplements at Whole Foods sometimes list ingredients that are questionable. You end up picking the one with the lesser of evils. I don't think I could take my supplements in powder form because I would probably gag, and the thought of it is not appealing to me. I probably would rather just stop supplementing rather than going that route.

Also, I realized later that this brand of zinc is not good because you are not supposed to take zinc with calcium because it interferes with absorption. So I am going to stop taking it anyway. But again, I want to know what to avoid in future purchases of supplements.

50 mg Zinc by Safeway Care:
Zinc Gluconate, Cellulose (Plant Origin), Dicalcium phosphate, Croscarmellose Sodium, Contains Less than 2% of: Magnesium Stearate, Silica, Stearic Acid.

Thanks,

Beanie
 

tommyg130

Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2021
Messages
664
Location
new york
Hi,

I take a number of supplements and I think my zinc supplement is causing me terrible constipation. I am a long distance runner and eat plenty of veggies & fruits and drink plenty of water. So it is very rare for me to get so constipated that I can't sleep.

I think it is the zinc, but can't be certain since I took a few other things at the same time. I also think it's the zinc because sometimes I take everything else and skip the zinc, and then I don't seem to have a problem. I've listed the details on my zinc supplement below. (I know this isn't an ideal brand. I just picked it up at Safeway for occasional use.) I will probably replace it with something better, but I want to know what to avoid in future supplements so I really want to figure it out. I have a strong suspicion it's the dicalcium phosphate, also known as Dibasic calcium phosphate, Calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate, and calcium monohydrogen phosphate.

Has anyone else had constipation in reaction to dicalcium phosphate or other binders and fillers in supplements? I usually check the ingredients and these seemed okay at first glance, but now it's got me wondering. It gets so hard because even the expensive supplements at Whole Foods sometimes list ingredients that are questionable. You end up picking the one with the lesser of evils. I don't think I could take my supplements in powder form because I would probably gag, and the thought of it is not appealing to me. I probably would rather just stop supplementing rather than going that route.

Also, I realized later that this brand of zinc is not good because you are not supposed to take zinc with calcium because it interferes with absorption. So I am going to stop taking it anyway. But again, I want to know what to avoid in future purchases of supplements.

50 mg Zinc by Safeway Care:
Zinc Gluconate, Cellulose (Plant Origin), Dicalcium phosphate, Croscarmellose Sodium, Contains Less than 2% of: Magnesium Stearate, Silica, Stearic Acid.

Thanks,

Beanie
It’s the zinc itself.. not any fillers
 

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