To some extent, you know making your own supplements will help you:
Ensure you have the right amount of the key ingredients
Steer clear of health-harming additives and contaminants
Save money in the long run (because, yes, supplement companies are not only lying to you but also overcharging you)
But the moment you start seriously looking into the whole process of it?
Yeah. That’s when most people (understandably) go, “Ah, it’s too complicated. There’s just too much to think about, do, and buy. I’ll just stick with OTC supplements.”
Luckily, you don’t have to be “most people”.
This article breaks the process down step-by-step, guiding you through selecting active ingredients to the specific tools you need and everything in between — making DIY-ing so absurdly straightforward you’ll never want to step foot in a health supplements store again.
Chances are, like most consumers, you shell out money on ride-hailing, on-demand house cleaning, and food delivery services without a second thought.
So, if you don't mind paying more for convenience, why should things be different with OTC health supplements? Sure, you know there's always the risk of inefficacy alongside dangerous additives and contaminants — but just how widespread are these issues?
Or, in other words, how likely are you to be affected? Very. Here’s proof:
A 2012 study published in PLOS ONE found that 5% of121 supplements contained arsenic amounts that surpassed the safe daily consumption limit. Additionally, 2% had excess lead, cadmium, and aluminum; and1% had too much mercury. Heavy metal poisoning can cause irreversible symptoms like brain damage, plus kidney and liver failure.
A 2018 quality improvement study published in JAMA Network Open found that although the FDA had identified 746 supplements adulterated with unapproved, active pharmaceuticals (e.g., sibutramine, which increases the risk of cardiac arrest even in individuals without pre-existing cardiovascular disease) between 2007 and 2016, the majority of them remained available for purchase at the time of the study.
A 2022 study published in JAMA Network Open found that 17 out of 30 immune supplement products sold on Amazon had inaccurate labels. More specifically, 13 of these 17 were missing between one and six active labeled ingredients. And guess what? That’s not even the worst of it.
A 2023 labeling analysis of 199 commercially sold multivitamins on Amazon published in Nutrients found that the majority contained vitaminD3 levels that were either too low or too high, while no supplement contained vitamin D2 (contrary to their claims).
Yes. As we said, it's very bad. Meaning? Even if saving dollars isn’t your priority, you should still make your own supplements — for your health's sake. This brings us to …
There are three main things that everyone needs when it comes to filling capsules at home. You'll need the powdered version of your ingredient (and selecting a high quality one is crucial), a capsule filler and empty capsules. We'll cover each of these in the coming sections, plus a couple optional pieces that will make your life easier.
First, and most obviously, you’ll need your active ingredients (i.e., the ones that trigger the health effect you’re looking for). And here’s how you can select the right active ingredient(s) for yourself:
A simple way of thinking about this is: what would you like your supplement to help you with?
For example, if you seek natural stress relief, active ingredients to consider range from magnesium to ashwagandha to vitamin D.
So, get clear on what you want; it’ll guide you on your choice of active ingredients.
Just because an ingredient is commonly found in a supplement that claims to do ‘X’ doesn’t mean it’s truly effective.
A good example? Just look at branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs).
Given how they're marketed, you'd think they'll 100% elevate your muscle-building efforts in the gym — and give you bigger, stronger muscles.
Well, unfortunately, science says that’s wishful thinking. According to a 2021 review published in the International Journal of Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, BCAA supplementation does not enhance muscle strength or growth when adequate protein requirements are met.
Ultimately, this means that you need to verify the efficacy of your chosen active ingredient(s). Search for credible, high-quality evidence supporting its effects.
To judge a study’s credibility, look at:
#1: Where it sits on the hierarchy of evidence: For the uninitiated, a hierarchy of evidence is a way to judge which studies give us the most reliable and trustworthy information. In general, here's how scientists rank research in order of "strongest" to "weakest" evidence:
Meta-analyses/systematic reviews of all relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
Randomized controlled trials
Well-designed controlled trials without randomization (i.e., quasi-experimental)
Well-designed case controls or cohort studies
Systematic reviews of descriptive and qualitative studies (i.e., meta-synthesis)
Single descriptive or qualitative studies
Opinion of authorities and/or reports of expert committees
#2: Where it’s published: Not all scientific journals are equal. So, is the study published in a well-recognized journal or a predatory one?
#3: Its funding source: Check that there are no financial conflicts; this preserves the integrity and objectivity of the results.
Now that you’ve picked your active ingredient(s) and verified its (their) efficacy, you probably feel informed enough to whip out your credit card at the first supplier you come across on the search rankings.
But you might want to keep that in your wallet for a while longer. At least till you've checked out the quality of their products.
Here are a few questions to keep in mind when screening a brand’s offerings:
If your choice of active ingredient is a plant extract, is it USDA-certified organic? This ensures that what you get is free of GMOs, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides.
Traceability. Ideally, you should be able to get information on where their products come from — including how they're extracted, harvested, or otherwise produced. If a company appears all hush-hush about its product origins, it's a red flag.
Third Party Testing. "Raw”, active ingredients can suffer from the same pitfalls as complete, full-fledged health supplements, like contamination, mislabeling, and inefficacy. This, in turn, highlights the importance of picking a company that voluntarily sends its products to third-party labs for purity, safety, and efficacy tests. Of course, the resulting lab reports should also be made available to you (so it's easy for you to verify their claims).
Alright. You have your active ingredient(s) in front of you. Do you just pop it all in your mouth …and swallow? You could, but we wouldn't necessarily encourage that behavior because it's:
Not pleasant (and potentially dangerous). Chances are that your active ingredient(s) is (are) in powder form. And… yeah, we’d like to think we’ve all learned our lesson from the infamous “cinnamon challenge" from 2012. Asphyxiation risks aside, there's also the matter of taste. Trust us, most active ingredients taste downright nasty on their own.
A hassle: Especially if you’ve got more than three ingredients. Imagine having to retrieve them from the depths of your kitchen cabinets, laying them all out, then finally mixing them before they’re ready for consumption — day after day. Exhausting.
Why subject yourself to all that when there's a better way available?
The name of this section is a dead giveaway, but yes, we're talking about the manual capsule filling machine.
We know what you're thinking: "Why a manual capsule filling machine? What about the tablet pressing machine?”
There are two reasons.
First up: cost. Do a quick search on Google, and you’ll quickly realize that tablet pressing machines don’t come cheap. Even the lower-end models sporting nine measly holes will set you back hundreds of dollars.
Yes, you read that right. A grand total of nine holes. So, imagine how long it'll take to make a one-month supply's worth of tablets.
On the other hand, manual capsule filling machines are way friendlier on the wallet. They're also time-effective. Even those that allow you to make 50+ capsules (more than a month's worth of supply) at a go will come in at less than $100.
We know what you're thinking: "Why a manual capsule filling machine? What about the tablet pressing machine?”
There are two reasons.
First up: cost. Do a quick search on Google, and you’ll quickly realize that tablet pressing machines don’t come cheap. Even the lower-end models sporting nine measly holes will set you back hundreds of dollars.
Yes, you read that right. A grand total of nine holes. So, imagine how long it'll take to make a one-month supply's worth of tablets.
On the other hand, manual capsule filling machines are way friendlier on the wallet. They're also time-effective. Even those that allow you to make 50+ capsules (more than a month's worth of supply) at a go will come in at less than $100.
In fact, CAPSULE-IT Capsule Filler allows you to bang out 100 capsules in an instant — and only retails at $49.95. Talk about value for money.
And second: taste. As mentioned, most active ingredients aren't exactly pleasing to the tastebuds.
You wouldn’t have noticed this with OTC tablets because manufacturers apply a layer of coating material (fun fact: there are three types of tablet coating — sugar coating, film coating, and enteric coating) to their surfaces.
Safe to say, when you use at-home tablet pressing machines, you wouldn’t have the luxury of coating your tablets with anything.
Translation: you’ll taste every bit of your active ingredient(s). Yuck.
Convinced that manual capsule filling machines are the way to go? Good.
But how do you know if that specific capsule filling machine you're looking at is suitable for you? Answer: ask yourself the following questions:
What materials is it made of? Generally, the best manual capsule filling machines will be constructed from sturdy plastics like ABS plastic or acrylic. This way, you won’t have to worry about your machine cracking or shattering to pieces when you get a little too enthusiastic during the packing process or accidentally drop it.
Is it easy to assemble, dismantle, and clean? Your manual capsule filling machine is supposed to save you time. So, you don't want machines with complex assembling or disassembling processes. It should also be easy for you to clean the capsule filling machine.
How many capsules would you like to make at a time? 30? 50? 100? This comes down to your personal preferences.
What capsule sizes would you be using? Empty capsules come in standard sizes named by numerical values: ‘000’, ‘00’, ‘0’, ‘1’, ‘2’, ‘3’, ‘4’, and ‘5’. ‘000’ is the largest capsule. Unfortunately, most manual capsule filling machines are only compatible with one fixed capsule size (i.e., they're not universal). This means you'll need to know the specific capsule size you need before purchasing the machine. Psst: need help with that? Don't worry — we will dive deeper into capsule sizing in the next section.
What’s your budget? While you won't want something that breaks the bank, you shouldn't necessarily go for the cheapest options, either. As with most products, the price can be a pretty good indicator of quality.
You’ve got your eye on a few manual capsule filling machines — and there’s just one unknown standing in your way of choosing ‘The One’ who’ll make all your DIY-your-own-supplements dream come true: your needed capsule size.
So, without further ado, let’s get right to that (bonus: we’ll also cover a few other things you should consider when purchasing capsules).
At the core of it, this comes down to what you plan to put inside them. Or, in other words, your choice of active ingredient(s) and how much of it (them) you need.
While actual fill weights (in mg) will vary depending on powder characteristics (e.g., density),in general, here are the typical fill weights for each of the capsule sizes based on an “average” or “typical” powder density of 0.70:
000: 960 mg
00: 665mg
0: 475 mg
1: 350 mg
2: 260 mg
3: 210 mg
4: 145 mg
5: 90 mg
And, in general, here’s how many teaspoons you could fit into each of the capsule sizes (once again, this depends on your powder’s characteristics):
000: 0.28 tsp
00: 0.18 tsp
0: 0.14 tsp
1: 0.10 tsp
2: 0.07 tsp
3: 0.05 tsp
4: 0.04 tsp
5: 0.03 tsp
Uh-oh. What if the smallest capsule size is still too large for your needs? Or, what if you’re stuck in the awkward middle — in between two capsule sizes?
Well, that’s where your good ol’ fillers come in.
If you balked at the term “fillers”, it’s understandable. Your OTC supplements are jam-packed with health-harming fillers, like potentially-kidney-stones-giving calcium carbonate, heart-hurting hydrogenated oils, and medication-hindering magnesium silicate.
But don’t worry.
Rest assured that we’re not asking you to add any of those into your supplements (because this would defeat the point of making your own supplements in the first place!)
Instead, it’s probably something you eat very often: rice.
Just make sure it's cooked, dehydrated, and ground into a fine powder before using it as a bulking agent in your supplements!
Note: many DIY supplement guides recommend using cornstarch or flour as your filler ingredient. But be warned: this is not safe. Raw corn starch and flour, just like other raw ingredients, may contain harmful bacteria that could do serious harm.
Okay, that's your capsule size done and dusted. Now, what else should you be mindful of when buying capsules? Three things:
What it’s made of. There are two types of capsules on the market now: gelatin capsules and vegetarian capsules. As their name suggests, gelatin capsules are made from gelatin, a translucent, colorless, flavorless food ingredient commonly derived from bovine or porcine collagen. Vegetarian capsules, on the other hand, are made from cellulose, a structural component in plants. Ultimately, which you choose should come down to your dietary preferences. Note: as of now, there's no evidence suggesting one is better than the other in bioavailability.
Quality of the capsules: You’ll be popping these capsules. Likely daily. So, ensure you screen them with the same rigorousness you did when sourcing for your actives. Screen for traceability and third-party testing. And, if it’s vegetarian capsules, whether they’re certified organic.
Color of capsules: This matters …how? Well, imagine if you’re making multiple supplements, all with varying active ingredients. Just looking at the color of a capsule will tell you what’s what.
For those with sharp eyes, you'd have noticed something. We said you only needed three things to make your own supplements. I.e., 1) high-quality active ingredient(s), 2) a manual capsule filling machine, and 3) empty capsules.
So, what's this section doing here? Ah, well, these are the non-essentials — but they could make your life a whole lot easier during the DIY process.
Digital kitchen scale. So you can easily weigh out the exact amounts of active ingredients you need, as well as weigh out your filled capsules to know how much is in them.
Dropper. This is crucial if you use liquid active ingredients, like omega-3 fatty acids or MCT oil.
Blender. Helps you grind ingredients into powder form or evenly mix a blend of active ingredients.
There you go. Suddenly, the prospect of making your own supplements doesn't seem that daunting or complicated, right?
· Step 1: secure active ingredients.
· Step 2: get a capsule filling machine.
· Step 3: buy your capsules.
· Boom. Enjoy your new safe, effective supplements.
Sounds good. But what if you want to go beyond the basics and recreate the exact formulas of the health supplements you’re already taking — but without all the harmful stuff?
That's a whole bunch of active ingredients you need to account for. And worse, everything will have different densities. So how will you calculate each ingredient's weight, and more importantly, how will you fit them all within a single capsule?
Bad news? You won't find that information in this article. Good news? We cover it in detail in our Do-It-Yourself-Supplement Guide for Beginners. So, grab a copy and dig in; you can officially say goodbye to paying for OTC health supplements. Forever.
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