Magnesium Salt

• Magnesium stearate is a magnesium salt of stearic acid that has two equivalents of stearate, the anion of stearic acid and one magnesium cation. It is also known as magnesium salt and octadecanoic acid.
  
  

Synthesis

• Previously stearic acid was the main source of magnesium stearate. But it is mostly obtained from another plant source, palm oil. Magnesium stearate is also prepared commercially from pork and animal sources.
  
  

Magnesium Content

• Magnesium stearate is basically a magnesium salt of fatty acid, but it does not contain trans fat. It is one of the most important forms of mineral magnesium. In general, it contains not less than 6.8 percent of pure magnesium.
  
  

Palmitic Acid Content

• Magnesium stearate is also a mixture of pure palmitic acid and stearic acid. Stearic acid makes up 40 percent of magnesium stearate.
  
  

Other Ingredients

• The other ingredients magnesium stearate contain in varying amounts are magnesium oleate and magnesium palmitate.