NATURAL MEDICINE JOURNAL RESEARCH GUIDE SPONSORED BY ALBION MINERALS CHELATED MINERALS Addressing Key Challenges in Mineral Supplementation Author: Sarah Cook, ND © 2018 IMPACT Health Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or distributed in any form without written permission from IMPACT Health Media, Inc. Minerals affect nearly all physiologic functions in the human body. Minerals are necessary cofactors for hun- Industrial agricultural practices, food dreds of biochemical reactions as well as essential for nerve conduction, muscle contraction, bone strength, processing, chronic stress, over-exercise, immune function, energy production, and oxygen trans- and poor dietary choices increase the risk of port to name a few. Mineral status influences metabolic mineral deficiencies health, cardiovascular health, prostate health, reproduc- tive health, cognition, and more. Although the human body tightly regulates the avail- ability of minerals and has mechanisms to store them for later use, minerals cannot be endogenously produced. To fulfill the ongoing requirements of the body, people must regularly consume the essential minerals (table 1) from exogenous sources. Table 1. Essential Minerals* Macro- Trace Ultratrace minerals Minerals Minerals Calcium Copper Chromium of people worldwide have inadequate zinc intake. Insuf- Chloride Iron Molybdenum ficiencies in these minerals can contribute to anemia, Magnesium Zinc Vanadium mood disorders, infertility, and more. Potassium Fluoride Iodine Sodium Manganese Selenium Supplementation is sometimes the best or only way Phosphorus Boron to correct mineral deficiencies and to achieve optimal physiologic levels. Choosing the best supplement, * Macrominerals are present in large amounts in the however, can be complicated. This research guide raises body, trace minerals are present in small amounts, and 3 key challenges posed by mineral supplementation and ultratrace minerals are consumed in less than 1 mg/day. discusses how chelated minerals offer promise in over- All are equally essential to physiologic function. coming these challenges. We also highlight 4 chelated minerals and their roles in health and disease. People have long relied on water and foods to fulfill their physiologic need for minerals, but modern agri- cultural practices and food processing compromise 3 Key Challenges with the mineral content of the food supply. As industrial Mineral Supplementation farming techniques have shifted toward a reliance on monoculture, pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fer- The only mineral forms available for dietary supple- tilizers, the nutrient density of our soil and foods has ments until recent times were mineral salts, such as declined. The refining of grains diminishes the mineral mineral sulfides, carbonates, and oxides. Minerals are density of foods even more. The milling of whole wheat now available as salts, ionic minerals, colloidal minerals, flour into white flour, for example, leads to a 90% food-based minerals, and chelated minerals. They are loss of manganese, an 85% loss of zinc, and an 80% delivered as liquids, capsules, tablets, powders, and func- loss of magnesium. tional foods. They are formulated alone, in combination, or with synergistic compounds purported to improve Minerals become depleted further in the body by chronic their deliverability. stress, over-exercise, and excessive consumption of sugar, caffeine, and alcohol. Iron is the most common There is a good reason for so many new forms and mineral deficiency worldwide and even in the US, it formulations of minerals on the market. Manufactur- affects approximately 12% of women of childbearing ers are trying to overcome 3 key challenges posed by age. Half of all Americans (and 2/3 of adolescents) have traditional mineral supplementation—poor tolerability, inadequate magnesium intake, and approximately 17% poor bioavailability, and chemical reactivity. NATURAL MEDICINE JOURNAL 2 Chelated Minerals ©2018 RESEARCH GUIDE Mineral bioavailability is complicated even more by age, 1. Tolerability sex, nutrient status, gastrointestinal health, and overall Tolerability refers to the ability of the body to handle a health. The absorption rate of iron, for example, ranges therapeutic dosage of a drug or supplement without side from less than 1% to more than 20% in different indi- effects. Iron sulfate, prescribed to treat iron-deficiency viduals and is higher in women than in men because of a anemia, provides a classic example of the poor tolerabil- greater physiologic demand. Mineral absorption is also ity of mineral salt supplements. Side effects at effective influenced by the presence of interacting compounds in dosages include constipation, diarrhea, stomach cramps, foods or supplements—compounds that act as inhibitors, and other digestive discomforts. A recent meta-analysis competitors, or enhancers of bioavailability (table 2). found that oral iron sulfate is more than twice as likely than placebo pills to cause side effects. 3. Chemical Reactivity Chemical reactivity refers to the likelihood that an Other minerals also cause gastrointestinal distress. element or molecule will react with other elements or Mineral salts dissociate in the acidic contents of the molecules. Mineral salts readily dissociate into charged stomach, and the mineral ions can irritate the gastro- particles, which can react with other compounds. In a intestinal lining. Calcium carbonate is known to cause multivitamin and mineral supplement or fortified food, constipation, magnesium oxide can cause diarrhea, and mineral salts can ionize and react with vitamins— zinc citrate can cause nausea when taken without food. rendering the vitamins degraded and useless. In the Most minerals taste bad, and some leave a metallic gastrointestinal tract, mineral salts can ionize and taste in the mouth. become bound by food compounds—leaving a lesser quantity of mineral available for absorption. 2. Bioavailability Bioavailability refers to the amount of the nutrient that A study published in 2000 in the Journal of Food Com- is absorbed and available for physiologic function. Part position and Analysis evaluated vitamin degradation over of what determines bioavailability is the absorption time in a multivitamin and mineral supplement. In the rate, and the mechanisms of mineral absorption are formula that included mineral salts (as mineral sulfates), complex. Not only are different minerals absorbed via the percentage of vitamin C lost over 6 months was different transport mechanisms, but the same mineral 40% (when stored at 20 degrees C). In the formula that can be absorbed via different mechanisms under differ- included mineral amino acid chelates, the percentage of ent circumstances. In some instances, minerals compete vitamin C lost over the same time period was less than for the same transport mechanism and can inhibit the 10%. Studies like this demonstrate that some mineral absorption of each other. complexes are more or less reactive than others. Table 2. Factors that Influence Mineral Bioavailability Category Examples Effect Inhibitors Phytic Acid (in beans, legumes, grains, and nuts) Phytic acid, polyphenols, oxalates, and Polyphenols (in tea, coffee, and wine) fiber bind with charged mineral ions in the intestinal tract to reduce absorption. Oxalates (in spinach and rhubarb) Fiber (in plant foods) Competitors Calcium and Iron Several minerals compete with each Calcium and Zinc other for absorption and transport across intestinal cells. A supplement containing a Zinc and Copper high quantity of calcium, for example, could compete with the absorption of iron. Enhancers Vitamin C and Iron The presence of vitamin C enhances intestinal Vitamin D and Calcium absorption of iron, and the presence of vitamin D improves absorption of calcium. NATURAL MEDICINE JOURNAL RESEARCH GUIDE ©2018 Chelated Minerals 3 Spotlight on 4 Chelated Minerals Calcium Bisglycinate Chelate Calcium is one of the most popular mineral supplements on the market—and for a good reason. Calcium is the primary mineral in the crystalline complex of bone, helping to provide mechanical strength to the bones as measured by bone density. Calcium is required for heart muscle contraction, nerve signal transmission, blood clot- ting, and more. Calcium is a macromineral and needed in large amounts for physiologic function. The recom- mended intake is 1,000 mg per day for adults and children over the age of 4, with higher intakes advised for adoles- cents, women after menopause, and older adults. Fiber, phytates, and oxalates in plant foods Calcium carbonate is the most common form of calcium can diminish mineral bioavailability in supplements, but this mineral salt is poorly absorbed. in the gastrointestinal tract. A bioavailability study, published in 1990 in Calcified Tissue International, compared the bioavailability of 7 different calcium complexes. Results showed that (when taken without a meal) only 17% of calcium hydroxy- Chelated Minerals apatite was absorbed, 24% of calcium carbonate was absorbed, 24% of calcium citrate was absorbed, and 44% The 3 key challenges posed by mineral supplementation of calcium bisglycinate chelate was absorbed. A subse- are known to be problematic for mineral salts—the only quent study, published in 2006 in the FASEB Journal, form of minerals available in the past. But advances in confirmed that calcium chelate preparations had better technology are beginning to overcome these challenges. bioavailability than calcium carbonate.