What Is Microcrystalline Cellulose?
Have you ever heard of guinea corn? Well, it’s an annual plant (also known as Sorghum caudatum) and a member of the family of grasses: Gramineae. Microcrystalline cellulose is cultivated from the stem of the Sorghum caudatum plant and is most often used in various human foods. 1
Sorghum caudatum is a rainy-season crop, though it comes from dryer regions in the African and Asian savanna. The plant is especially dense in areas of West Africa and parts of India. In those regions, sorghum is a staple food crop. As such, it usually gets priority over other crops when it comes to finding suitable land and providing labor to harvest it.
Furthermore, sorghum is often used in farming communities to craft beer. The plant’s strong stalk is often utilized for fencing and sometimes for construction. 2
Microcrystalline cellulose is also used in gastrointestinal supplements. 3
History Of Microcrystalline Cellulose
Though it may not be a household name, cellulose has been utilized for thousands of years. Sometimes it’s put to work as a useful material in clothing. Microcrystalline Cellulose was officially “discovered” in 1955 and was commercialized as a way to add fiber to food. 4
Then, in 1964, the FMC corporation introduced its own microcrystalline cellulose product to the pharmaceutical industry to help create direct compression tablets. More than 50 years later, microcrystalline cellulose is still being manufactured all over the world by more than 10 different suppliers. 5
Microcrystalline cellulose is the most common cellulose used in pharmaceutical supplements. Moreover, microcrystalline cellulose can function as an enhancer, a thickener, or as free-flowing agents in solid dosage products. 6
Microcrystalline Cellulose: Top Potential Health Benefits For A Healthy Lifestyle
When it comes to microcrystalline cellulose, the most significant function is the compound’s ability to act as a dry binder and direct compression diluent within different health supplements. A diluent acts as a filler in dietary supplements, increasing the supplement’s weight to ensure content consistency.7†
Microcrystalline cellulose is also what’s known as a carbohydrate polymer. It’s widely used in nutraceutical food products. Supplement makers rely on MCC for its health benefits, such as the potential to help support:
- Gastrointestinal function†
- Healthy cholesterol levels already within a normal range†
- Lipid metabolism health8,9,10†
Which Gundry MD Supplements Include Microcrystalline Cellulose?
Now, not only will you find microcrystalline cellulose put to work in Gundry MD Bio-Complete 3, but there are other Gundry supplements that utilize microcrystalline cellulose. For instance, Citrus Polyphenols and Total Restore also use the ingredient microcrystalline cellulose.
If you want to know where to buy these supplements and read reviews, just click the links above. They will take you to pages with more information about each one of the aforementioned supplements and extensive write-ups on their ingredients. Just make sure to get your doctor’s approval before beginning any new supplement routine.
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Sources
- 1-2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3003160/
- 3 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28606522/
- 4-6 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328313650_Comprehensive_review_on _cellulose_and_microcrystalline_cellulose_from_agro-industrial_wastes
- 7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3003160/
- 8 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28606522/
- 9 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328313650_Comprehensive_review_on _cellulose_and_microcrystalline_cellulose_from_agro-industrial_wastes
- 10 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2977047/
