What Are Clean Supplements? (Plus a Few Qualifiers)

Broadly speaking, clean supplements are supplements that are made with natural ingredients, minimally processed, and with no additives, fillers, or harmful ingredients.

Many clean supplements also pride themselves on simple labels that are easy to understand, and which have no confusing or long-winded ingredients. The simpler, the better.

In addition to using high-quality ingredients, many such supplement producers also limit the use of preservatives and submit their formulations to third-party testing companies for certification.

This illustration, of course, paints with broad strokes. Here are a few other ways to qualify clean supplements, and standards to which Raw Revelations is proud to stringently adhere.

No Additives

Many supplement manufacturers throw additives into their formulations, mainly as a way to bind, fill empty space, or adjust the properties or characteristics of a supplement.

For instance, some additives are added to a formula to change its consistency or its propensity to dissolve in water, just as an example. Some additives are also used as coatings, for coloring, or to prevent substances from clumping or sticking together, to improve flow.

Many different substances are commonly used as additives, such as magnesium stearate and titanium dioxide, both of which should be avoided. In fact, the latter is a known carcinogen.

Since additives are not included in supplements as active ingredients, they should be avoided altogether.

No Fillers

Fillers are added to supplements for two main reasons - to help with binding (or, in some cases, to prevent it) and (more commonly) to pad the formula.

That’s right, fillers are added to supplements simply because there isn’t enough volume of the “real stuff” in there. Fillers are at best wasted space. 

Common fillers include maltodextrin, soybean oil, and microcrystalline cellulose, which serves as both a binder and filler. 

Some fillers are not known directly to be harmful, but at the same time, they offer no nutritional value or health benefits (at best, some can be potentially harmful). Moreover, you often pay for supplements by weight - so why would you pay for padding?

No Gluten

Gluten is a protein found in grains, like wheat, and it is not inherently harmful. In fact, it is this protein that enables baked goods to form and retain their structure (known as crumb), such as in the instance of cake and bread.

But there are many people with gluten sensitivities or intolerance, such as those with Celiac disease. Many others suffer from gluten allergies, which are different from Celiac disease, but which still cause gluten intolerance.

When those who are not able to properly digest gluten eat it, it can damage the lining of the intestines, causing Leaky Gut Syndrome (or issues similar to it) that result in additional, farther reaching complications.

So while gluten is not patently harmful, we’re practicing more inclusive, accommodating measures by ensuring that our clean supplements (where noted) are made without it.

No Soy

This is another situation in which soy is not inherently harmful, but where there is still an elevated risk.

he problem here arises with the fact that most soy in the United States is genetically modified. Because of the GMO content of most soy, there is a potentially elevated risk of thyroid disruption and harm to digestive health.

To play it on the safe side, many of our clean supplements (again where indicated) are made without soy.

No Refined Sugar

We also pride ourselves on developing formulas that are made without refined sugar. In this instance, there is a wealth of information regarding the potentially adverse effects of excessive sugar consumption.

For instance, excess sugar consumption is linked to weight gain and diabetes in both adults and children, and obesity is a serious comorbidity and comes with its own litany of health problems.

This, of course, only scratches the surface. The list goes on and on. Eating too much sugar elevates the risk of developing type II diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, heart disease and even immune system damage.

Non-GMO Ingredients

Since GMO foods and ingredients are relatively new, research is still ongoing into the health effects. With that said, there are concerns that GMO ingredients might be implicated in potential toxic damage to the body’s systems, to bacterial resistance, and for their potential carcinogenicity. GMO ingredients may also cause allergic reactions in some individuals. To be safe, we produce our formulas with non-GMO ingredients.

Vegan-Friendly, Organic Ingredients

Additionally, to be more inclusive and accommodating to the widest range of diets and habits, and to uphold a high level of quality, we make a habit of using vegan-friendly and organic ingredients in our clean supplements.

 

You’re in the Right Place to Explore Clean Supplements

Want to learn more about the proprietary formulations behind our clean supplements? You can learn more on our website and if you have specific questions about any of our products, get in touch with us at Hello@RawRevelations.com.