I have some herbal powders I want to put into capsules, but there is too much powder that will fit into a capsule so I want to cut it with 2 parts filler per 1 part herb. What exactly am I supposed to use to cut it? Cornstarch, sugar, or what? can I use pretty much anything?
Wesley, Wesley, Wesley… I have been enjoying your posts as of late…You remind me of one of my students who asks all the questions everyone else doesn’t want to. 
Let’s see are you using gelatin caps? I would not use sugar unless you want to be bouncing off the walls after 20 minutes…Why not use Spirulina …that site is a bit tongue and cheek but you’ll see the benefit. I take algae on a daily basis and I can attest that it does help level my moods. Check it out…it may not be a good filler, but it would certainly beat using sugar or corn starch.
Well, technically you can cut it with anything, though of course you want to watch out for herb-herb and herb-substance interactions. Spirulina’s a good choice. Sugar - why do that to your body? It’s not like it needs more sugar, right? Corn starch is ok, unless there’s a corn allergy, of course. I’ve used flour, powdered marshmallow root (not a good choice if your herb needs to be absorbed via the stomach lining, the mucilagenous properties of the marshmallow can interfere - by the time it gets to the small intestine, you’re ok), powdered nettles (cause everyone can take nettles) and powdered garlic (cause it’s good for ya!).
The most important thing is that the filler you choose be something that is easy to mix with the hebal blend, so you can make sure you’re getting equal dosing in each capsule. The easiest way to do this is to find a filler that most closely resembles the herb mix in texture and particle size. That way, the smaller particles won’t constantly fall to the bottom of your mixing bowl.
The other option is to get smaller capsules, of course.
I do what I can. I’ve never heard of Spirulina but it sounds interesting, i’m looking into it.
I was thinking corn starch. As far as sugar, these are O size capsules, which means they only hold about 1/8 tsp worth of anything. So sugar won’t make a big deal since i’d only be taking 2 capsules a day. These are gelatin capsules, yes.
Smaller capsules would require me to buy another capping machine and another batch of 1000 capsules, and that is too much work when I can just cut my Rhidiola with sugar and put it in O capsules.