How To Fill Gel Caps To Make Your Own Supplements
I have never been a fan of taking excessive supplements, but I do use a lot of different types of teas, seeds, grains, etc. some of which can be used as supplements. Many supplements do have powerful medicinal compounds, and therefore should be treated, and taken with care.
Too much of a certain compound, or vitamin, can cause cardiac arrhythmias, excessive bleeding, liver toxicity, etc. So many people seem to think if something is natural, it can’t hurt you. But anything to excess can wreak havoc in our system.
There is much to be learned about supplements, to include spices, teas, seeds, and what we grow in the garden. Spices are great because when used to flavour food, they are diluted, and are seldom used to the extent they can cause harm.
When we start to bottle the supplements, or put them in gel caps, it is a good idea to know what we are putting in the caps, and roughly what the dosages are. We should know exactly what we are taking. Don’t just swallow a handful of supplements because they have glowing claims.
The primary reason I decided to make up some gel caps for a few things, is because some things taste and/or smell awful, so I do not want to use them for cooking, teas, smoothies etc.
The other reason is to carefully measure, and limit the amount to mcg. such as it is with kelp, in order not to get too much iodine. It is also important to be aware that supplements are poorly regulated, and in some cases, it is difficult to know exactly what is in those capsules.
Ajwain seeds have multiple anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties, but in my opinion they taste awful. Even though some people soak them to make Ajwain infused water, I think I would rather put it in a gel cap.
A few of the worst tasting things can be choked down with a bit of honey, followed by water. But of all things, kelp is the worst tasting, and the most likely to stick in your throat, or leave a lingering gross taste. I tried mixing a bit of it with Matcha tea, but it was overpowering.
The thing about kelp, is that the level of iodine is unknown. It depends on where it is collected from, and varies from place to place, as well as the time of year it was collected.
The kelp I bought has the botanical name Ascophyllum nodosum, and is gathered from Atlantic Canada. Kelp is most known for its thyroid boosting compounds.
The iodine content in the Atlantic Canada kelp ranges from 480-700 mcg./gm. Our daily iodine requirement is only around 150 mcg. to 300 mcg. for breast feeding moms.
Therefore, although kelp is a very good source of iodine, potassium, and calcium, it should be used sparingly. Given the raunchy taste and smell, and need for small amounts, it is a good candidate for putting into gel caps, which is something I have never tried before.
I can share the learning experiment thus far. I bought a kit off Amazon and 100 size 0 capsules. At first I was just going to buy three or four of the small instruments with a spoon, and a tamper, but the kit was only a few dollars more.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DGJVCBG7?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1
After filling a dozen or so capsules, the kit is a pretty good idea because it would be very difficult to fill them without the funnel, and the stand. The stand has holes for the various size capsules you can buy, so you can only put three at a time in the stand.
You place the longer part of the gel cap in the stand, and put the funnel on top of it. If you over fill the funnel, it clogs up. You also need the tamper tool to tamp the powder through the funnel into the gel cap. You have to be sure the cap is standing upright and the funnel is in straight.
A size 0 gel cap holds .4-.8 grams of powder, therefore you can be reasonably sure you will not be taking dangerously high levels of iodine.
Considering that when you buy powdered kelp, you get a fair bit of it in a package, which for some people makes it tempting to add to smoothies and even cookies, and muffins, but it is not to be used liberally.
As per a random Google check on kelp supplements, it gives the following information:
In addition to the expense of supplements, it is very difficult to know how they are regulated, and what is actually in them.
The kelp I bought for my experiment, and test of patience since it is rather fiddly to fill them, does not give any dosages, which is fair since no one seems to know because the amount of iodine varies so much in all kelp. I bought the following from OM Organic foods:
https://omfoods.com/products/mushrooms-seaweeds-organic-kelp-powder?_pos=1&_sid=55ac03de0&_ss=r
A quarter pound of kelp would fill hundreds of gel caps, and would take at least a full day to fill them all. Thankfully kelp is also very good for plants, so some of it can be used as plant food. A pound of kelp would fill thousands of gel caps.
I realize taste is highly subjective, and some people might like the taste of it, to add to smoothies, or salad dressings. But from my own perspective, I think it would ruin the taste of anything you added it to.
For certain beneficial compounds that cannot easily be used as a spice in food, or need to be carefully regulated like kelp, I think a DIY project is not a bad idea. You only need to take one cap a day, and could easily make up a months supply in a half hour or so. Like most things, once you do it for awhile, you get more efficient, and at least you know what is in them.
When I have more time, I will likely try powdered ajwain seeds, astragalus, and turmeric mixed with black pepper. The ajwain and astragalus both taste awful too, although few things are worse than kelp.
I like various types of seaweed in sushi, and dried snacks, but I think it must be a different brand, or have a lot of sodium mixed in, because the powdered kelp does not taste like those types of seaweed at all.
It is like trying to choke down stinky foul tasting beach dust with remnants of a dead star fish.
There is no way I could see myself filling hundreds of supplement capsules a day. But spending a bit of time to do thirty to fifty a week would be plenty. Most things can be steeped in a tea, including turmeric, because it comes in a root as well as a powder, which is fine in tea.
The other factor to keep in mind, is the ease of swallowing. If you get the smallest size capsules, they are the most finicky to fill. The largest size is 000 and the smallest is a 5. The size 0 cap is right in the middle of the scale. It is not too difficult to swallow, and large enough to fill without too much difficulty.
The whole gel cap kit of instruments comes in a plastic container, so it is easy to keep it all together, wash everything up, and put it away until the next batch. I suppose it might be tempting to grind and mix a few spices to create some tailor made supplements for flu season, or post dental treatments.
If you have a pantry full of herbs and spices, the possibilities are endless. If you have a dehydrator, it also enables you to dry and powder a variety of mushrooms and herbs.
There might be other uses for some of the instruments, especially for those who do micro-dosing of yeast when baking. Or they could be used for making natural skin care products, to add minute amounts of organic powders. Of the many little tools, and spoons in the kit, I only used a few of them to fill the size 0 capsules.
This article will probably get an update in a couple of months, when I have more experience. Stay tuned, and stay well during this busy time of year!
January Update – Now that I have filled more capsules, I find it easier and quicker to use the small spoon that came with the package of gel caps. The problem with using the stand and funnel, is the clogging of the funnel, and the fact you can only do three at a time.
If you hold the gel cap over the small bowl of what you are filling it with, you can fill the spoon, and fit it into the gel cap. Whether you use this method or the stand, you can only fill the gel cap about three quarters full, because once you put on the top of the capsule, there is still a bit of room.
If you use the spoon only, you have fewer steps, and can fill the cap easily because you can see when it is full. When using the funnel and stand, you have to remove the funnel to see if the capsule is full. When you are tamping the powder through the funnel, not only does it frequently clog, but it also tips the capsule, so it is not upright.
As a complete novice, no doubt there will be more to learn with experimentation. So far I made up the kelp, and ground Ajwain seeds, which are commonly used in East Indian foods. You can buy a large bag full of Ajwain seeds for less than $4.00. These seeds have many health benefits, even according to WebMD.
Ajwain seeds are very bitter tasting. They contain thymol and carvacrol as some of the potent active ingredients. In addition to being anti fungal, anti bacterial, and known for treating toothaches, they have a list of other potential benefits. They have liver protecting properties, as most bitter spices and foods do.
They are known for helping digestion, and relief of peptic ulcers, lowering blood pressure, and reducing inflammation. You can buy the seeds and grind them yourself, or you can buy ground Ajwain seeds in a powder form.
When used in food preparation, most recipes call for a small amount, typically just a pinch, or if it is a large dish, a teaspoon or so. For those of us who are not familiar with preparing East Indian food, or wish to take a small amount for medicinal purposes, putting the seeds in a gel cap makes sense. That way you do not have to deal with the pungent taste at all. I think it is reasonable to add a gram or so, in one capsule as a daily supplement.
I also made up some turmeric capsules mixed with ginger powder, along with a small amount of black pepper, and added some cayenne pepper for good measure. Turmeric requires the black pepper for bioavailability.
It is very important to be aware that turmeric should be avoided if you are taking certain medications. There is a fairly long list, so before taking turmeric supplements, look it up. It cannot be taken in conjunction with antacids, aspirin, insulin, BP medications, chemotherapy, and several other drugs.
If you do not take any of the listed medications, turmeric can be beneficial for arthritis, as an antimicrobial, and offers some cell damage protection.
The combination of turmeric, ginger, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, are spices commonly used in food preparation. When prepared in a supplement, the potential benefits are pain relief, blood pressure control, boosting immune function, and digestion, among other things.
As it is with all supplements, it is best to take them in small amounts, because many spices have fairly potent phytonutrients, and are not meant to be taken in large doses. The ginger, turmeric capsules have less than a half gram of each ingredient, with a pinch of the two peppers. I have been taking one capsule twice daily.
The other supplement I made up is a green powder mixture containing nettle, alfalfa, dulce, moringa, chlorella, spirulina, and beet root. This powder is sold as something to use in smoothies, but I find the taste to be too overpowering, and unpleasant to mix with anything.
The health benefits contained in minute amounts of the list of ingredients are impressive. Nettle is something you can use for tea. It does not have an offensive taste by itself. It has anti inflammatory properties, as well as improving urinary and prostrate issues.
Alfalfa has immune boosting properties, aids blood clotting, contains vitamins A, C & K as well as several other benefits. It is not commonly seen on store shelves, but you can order it by itself online.
Moringa is referred to in the Book of Exodus 15:20-25
25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
It does not specifically say it is a Moringa tree they used to purify the water to make it drinkable. The reason it is believed to be Moringa in the Book of Exodus, is because the wood from the tree has been scientifically proven to remove impurities from water. It acts as a natural anti coagulant clumping impurities together, to make water drinkable. The location referred to in the bible, is also where this type of tree grows.
The health benefits of Moringa are significant to include heart, blood pressure, anti inflammatory, improved digestion, bone health, and protective properties against cancer, and cell damage.
Spirulina and chlorella are types of algae, but with different nutrient profiles. Both are rich in various vitamins and minerals, and are considered super foods. I think the reason the green powder mixture has a strong taste, is because of the algae.
Beet root is another powerhouse nutrient, which can be bought in powdered form by itself if you want to. The health benefits include reducing blood pressure, anti inflammatory, antioxidants, heart, brain and liver health, and multiple vitamins and minerals.
The OM Greens Powder Blend seems like it would make a good supplement, especially since several of the ingredients are so high in nutrients. Even if you take a few capsules a day, you would not likely be getting too much of any single ingredient. Of course if you have an adverse reaction, it makes it more difficult to isolate the cause. Otherwise, it seems to be a good mix for a general boost to health.
The next thing I might try, is a natural vitamin C compound using rose hips, elderberries, and perhaps a citrus powder.
There are so many excellent natural ingredients to help us be more proactive when it comes to managing our own health. As we age, we often get plagued with aches and pains, and chronic problems. Most prescription drugs have side effects, whereas if we are judicious in our use of natural ingredients, we can avoid those prescription drug side effects.
So far OM foods have been very good when it comes to packaging, and delivery. Their prices are reasonable, and they give good descriptions of each of the items listed. In many cases, we can simply use the spices we already have in the cupboard for cooking.
Supplements to a certain extent involve trial and error, so we can try them and see if we notice a difference. We can make up certain blends for flus and colds, or when we have dental procedures etc. If we don’t think there is a benefit, we can easily stop making them. We can start with small batches, to see if they seem beneficial, and to test for adverse reactions.
I don’t usually buy organic food, because it is so much more expensive, and not necessary. You can wash and peel vegetables. But when it comes to making up supplements, I think it is a good idea to use organic ingredients. Each type of powder you order will make hundreds of gel caps, or in some cases thousands. Depending on the taste, many of the powders can be used in food or tea as well.
Otherwise, if we tried to purchase a range of supplements, it would cost a fair bit, without knowing for sure what is in them, or how we will react to them.
I know some supplements are certified organic, and generally reliable, but they are also expensive, and cannot be purchased in small amounts to test for reactions, and benefits.
Another very important thing to pay attention to when embarking on this project, is to be sure you are not inadvertently buying plastic gelcaps. One would assume that most of them are made of gelatin. But sure enough, some of them are made of plastic, which is the last thing anyone wants to consume. You have to check what they are made of, and buy from a reputable source.
The first order had just 100 gelatin capsules purchased from Amazon. Then by mistake I bought some from a different source that turned out to be plastic (read the fine print). Thankfully I realized it very quickly because the capsules looked and felt like plastic. When I double checked, sure enough, they were plastic. Thankfully I did not ingest any of them, and only filled a few before it dawned on me.
So I have decided to try the OM Foods capsules, which are made of plant based cellulose and water. The size of them is 00, which is larger than the size 0 from Amazon, so I am not too sure if they will be on the large side when it comes to swallowing them.
Most of the gel caps on Amazon are made of bovine gelatin. Unless you are a vegetarian, or have specific allergies, these capsules are also safe to ingest. However, as with all things, there is a limit. It might be better to use some bovine gelatin, and some cellulose plant derived capsules, limiting the intake to 6-10 capsules a day at most.
Like all things we embark on for the first time, it does involve trial and error. Hopefully the next batch of gelcaps will be okay. I ground up some fennel seeds, oregano leaf, thyme and a few bay leaves, to make an antimicrobial winter supplement, but will have to wait for the new gelcaps.
When doing this, you have to double check, and be aware of things you cannot, or should not put into your supplement capsules. As I mentioned earlier, some things, like turmeric, cannot be taken if you are on certain medications.
There are also certain things you should not take if you are prone to kidney stones. Anything high in oxalates, which includes beet root powder, and powdered leafy greens. Apparently Moringa contains insoluble oxalates, which the body excretes without absorbing.
Never take comfrey root orally, and carefully check all natural ingredients to make sure they are compatible if you are mixing them. You also have to make sure an ingredient is not toxic in larger doses. Things like cloves, licorice root, nutmeg, cinnamon, brazil nuts, and several other natural foods or spices, must be used sparingly, and probably should not be put into supplement capsules at all.
There are several online sellers of supplements. YouTube has some well known people who call themselves doctors, and will sell supplements geared to various health concerns. If you read some of the testimonials, you will find out that some people became very ill from taking certain high priced concoctions.
In most cases, and for most of us, we know things like rosemary, oregano, thyme, and garlic are fine for cooking and supplements. We just have to keep in mind that all spices have phytonutrients, and often some very powerful compounds.
These plant based compounds are what gives the flavour, the aroma, and the health benefits. Many of them contain antimicrobial benefits that cannot be found in traditional antibiotics.
In addition, we all have different sensitivities, and can potentially react to something. So we have to be cautious, do our research, and monitor our reactions carefully.
It is a proactive approach to wellness, but we must keep in mind, this is a self researched, and self monitored aspect to taking care of our health. We should use caution. For those who buy supplements, the same thing applies.
Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2026). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.