THE TRUTH ABOUT THE ABSORPTION RATES OF CHELATED, RAW, IONIC AND COLLOIDAL TRACE MINERALS
R'nai Diane
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE ABSORPTION RATES OF CHELATED, RAW, IONIC AND
COLLOIDAL TRACE MINERALS
by Dr. Gregory C.D. Young, Ph.D. (Oxon.)
Much has recently been said about mineral absorption in the body, and
there
are recent pontifications that the best way to supplement minerals is to
take
"Colloidal" mineral complexes, while still others professing that "Ionic" is
the way to go, and that "Chelated" has never lived up to its promises of
bioavailability.
Everything you hear has some ring of truth to it; each side has a point to
make. But unfortunately, neither side has ever told you the whole story
about mineral uptake and balance in the body, and the limits of all the
above
methods of mineral supplementation. this has led to considerable
confusion,
misinformation and to the drawing of many inaccurate conclusions.
Now, those who argue about the inefficiencies of Chelated mineral
supplements
correctly point out that generally only half of the Chelated mineral dose is
ever truly absorbed by the body. --->But what they fail to mention is that
this low rate of absorption has nothing to do with the chemical mechanism
of
"Chelation," and how wonderfully efficient minerals are absorbed by the
body
once they have been truly Chelated. Rather, the poor rate of absorption
actually reflects how many molecules of the minerals actually get
"Chelated"
through the industrial chemical processing of Chelation itself.<---
The industrial manufacturing process of Chelation if very inefficient,
expensive and painstakingly laborious. Generally only half of the minerals
by weight which are put through the process ever really get Chelated
properly. The other half of minerals remain unChelated in their raw state,
but remain mixed together with that fraction which has successfully
achieved
Chelation, their mixture being sold as "Chelated minerals."
Therefore, it's generally true that only half of any chelated mineral
package
claim on the market is actually Chelated. The assertion, then, made by
some
that only *half* of "Chelated minerals" ever get absorbed stems from the
reason that only half of these prepared minerals were ever really Chelated
in
the first place. It has nothing to do with the bioavailability of Chelation.
The unChelated half are generally not absorbed quickly nor completely
(unless
other steps are taken to further improve these efficiencies which we will
address in a minute).
Thus, the criticisms leveled against Chelated complexes are based on a
misstatement of the facts, inappropriately leading one to think Chelated
minerals are inefficient, faulty and not bioavailable, which just isn't
true. **Quite to the contrary, 100% of minerals which are actually
chelated
are indeed completely absorbed and bioavailable.** Minerals which are
properly Chelated are exceptionally bioavailable to the body, and indeed
are
more so than either Colloidal or Ionic mineral complexes by themselves,
giving them, as we shall soon see, the "fast track" to absorption.
While there are certainly well argued advantages of bioavailability and
efficiency in using either Colloidal and/or Ionic mineral complexes (as
Vaxa
uses) as compared to straight raw supplementation of trace mineral salts
and
alkaloids, there are simply no minerals which are more bioavailable and
efficient than those which have been NATURALLY CHELATED by the body
itself
with the aid of Free Form Amino Acids. Indeed, the truth be known, it is
through the natural process of Chelation that the majority of *all*
Colloidal
and Ionic complexes are *quickly* absorbed into the body, otherwise these
must wait for the tidal infusions of the body to allow absorption to occur,
a
passive process which is prone to many difficulties.
It's well documented that nature has evolved its own exceptionally
efficient
process of absorption of free inorganic minerals into living organic
organisms...And it's called *natural Chelation.* Chelation is simply the
process whereby an organic Free Form Amino Acid picks up a molecule of a
mineral, wraps it within its structure, actually enveloping it, making it
easier for organic organisms then to absorb it.
The process of Chelation is first found within the chemistry of the earth,
of
the soil itself, where most minerals (through special microbial action) are
dissolved from rock, sand and other inorganic materials. These dissolved
minerals are then joined (through rain, compaction, etc.) with organic
decaying matter rich in Amino Acids. The organic matter within the soil
provides a medium for chelating (and holding in available form) dissolved
inorganic soil nutrients needed by plants. Many minerals are then
absorbed
by plants in Chelated form. And soon after, plant metabolism then
provides
us with minerals in Chelated form almost entirely, including all of the
trace
elements.
This is nature's way, a way proven to be most efficient and effective. And
Chelation is not only the preferred means of minerals absorption and
transport in plants, but also within mammals. Although mammals and
other
animals are a little more flexible than plants, and can absorb
non-Chelated
minerals, they do so at a *much slower rate* and depend upon many other
factors, which in turn, can affect "what" and "how many" minerals may
finally
be assimilated by the body. This is a basic biological fact well studies and
documented.
The process of Chelation also occurs naturally in the gastrointestinal tract
with the help of Free Form Amino Acids. Again, this is a very simple yet
extremely effective process wherein a molecule of a mineral is physically
encased and surrounded by a molecule of a Free Form Amino Acid. This is
the
natural process whereby the majority of all minerals, be they free,
colloidal
and/or ionic, can be quickly absorbed into organic mechanisms.
As minerals are consumed and extracted from the foods we ingest (or the
supplements we take), they pass from the stomach into the duodenum
mostly in
their free ionic state. Here, within this chemical-rich environment,
minerals may become naturally Chelated by Free Form Amino Acids and free
peptides. One Chelated, they are then immediately prepared to proceed
through the epithelial sells of the muscosal lining of the duodenum into
the
blood stream. The critical point where this process can break down is
whether or not there are sufficient numbers of Free Form Amino Acids
within
the duodenum for Chelation to take place. If minerals are not naturally
Chelated, they must remain within this environment awaiting the passive
tidal
flux of ionic transport before they can be transported into the blood
stream.
More specifically, the body has a slight problem when attempting to
*quickly
absorb* Raw Mineral Complexes of salts and alkaloids (e.g., MgSO4), Free
Ionic Minerals (Cu2+, Fe2+/3+, etc.), and/or Colloidal Complexes. (Colloidal
minerals are simply mixtures of raw mineral salts, alkaloids, and ionic
minerals in a liquid suspension or dried within a loose flux.) Without
Chelation, these minerals can **only be absorbed by the body by
energy-dependent driven and passive diffusion processes**, a much
slower and
less guaranteed process of absorption than for minerals which have been
naturally Chelated. Moreover, these unChelated minerals must all
compete
with many of the same mineral uptake sites in the mucosa lining of the
gut,
slowing the process of "tidal infusion" even further.
On the other hand, Free Form Amino Acids become ionized molecules in
aqueous
solutions, such as the gut, naturally having a resting electric potential
and
capable of responding to the alkalinity and acidity in the medium in which
they are found. Because of this they are called isoelectric (isoelectric pH
or pI) and demonstrate free active migrational tendencies according to
the pH
of the gut. Amino acids are also zwitterions or dipolar ionic molecules
which bear charged groups of opposite polarity, and thus exhibit
properties
of ionic compounds, being more soluble in polar than nonpolar solvents.
What this means, specifically, is that the unique chemical characteristics
make them exceptionally active transport mechanisms and chelating
agents,
especially to all minerals in solution and allows any mineral to be quickly
Chelated (or enveloped) within their versatile structures. Most
importantly,
once a mineral becomes Chelated, competitiveness for energy-dependent
driven
and passive diffusion processes (as outlined above) are completely
circumvented. Chelated minerals are no longer dependent upon the
passive
processes of "tidal infusion" as are unChelated Colloidal/Ionic minerals.
Most simply, there are no longer any delays or "long waiting lines" to get
into the body. Thus, Chelated minerals attain 'a higher status' and bypass
all of this and are immediately absorbed into the blood stream without
waiting for some passive system to initiate the process of absorption on
which all other minerals, including unChelated Raw, Colloidal and Ionic,
must
depend.
Thus, the absorption of all Trace Minerals, whether they are Raw, in
Colloidal solution or flux and/or are Ionized, *will always be enhanced*
via
natural Chelation by Free Form Amino Acids and peptides. But without
natural
Chelation, all minerals must wait for the "tides" of passive diffusion and
energy-dependent absorption processes before they can be appropriately
assimilated.
Therefore, the only way to ensure the fastest way of trace mineral
absorption
is to provide Free Form Amino Acids in order to allow the body's chemistry
to
properly chelate them within the gut. Vaxa makes sure that all
Colloidal/Ionic Trace Minerals and Mineral Complexes offered in the
MIN-PAC
and the NUTRITIONIZER & PRO-TEC come with sufficient Free Form Amino
Acids and peptides to ensure ongoing natural Chelation within the gut,
and
thereafter speedy and appropriate assimilation into the blood stream.
With
VAXA'S HOMEOPATHIC NUTRACEUTICALS as well, Free Form Amino Acids are
available to ensure natural Chelation of all accompanying mineral
cofactors
as well, ensuring them the "fast track" to absorption.
Selected References:
Cerewski, F.L., Ridlington, J.W., in Hurley, L.S. Keen, C.L., Lonnerdal, B.
and Rucker, R.B., eds: Trace Elements in Man and Animals, Plenum, New
York,
N.Y. 1988.
Linder, M.D., ed: Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism with Clinical
Applications, Second Edition, Appleton & Lange, Norwalk, Connecticut,
1991.
Lehninger, A.L., Nelson and D.L., Cox, M.M., Principles of Biochemistry,
Second Edition, Worth Publishers, New York, N.Y., 1986.
Mertz, W., ed: Trace Elements in Human and Animal Nutrition, Fifth Edition,
Vol. 1 & 2, Academic Press, New York, N.Y., 1986.
Scrivner, C.R., Beaudet, A.L., Sly, W.S., and Valle, D., eds: The Metabolic
and Molecular Bases of Inherited Disease, Vol. 1,2,3, McGraw-Hill, Inc.,
New
York, N.Y., 1995.
Voet, D. and Boet, J.G., Biochemistry. Second Edition, John Willey and Sons,
Inc., New York, N.Y., 1995.
Valentine, J.I., Caropaion, D.S., Schlachter, M.D., and Massey, F.J., in
Howell, J. McC., et al, eds: Trace Element Metabolism in Man and Animals.
Canberra: Australian Academy of Science, 1981.
For more information contact:
*****************************************************************
Leaf & Twig Nutraceuticals Vaxa ID # RS 40650-2
Pharmaceutical Representative for Vaxa International, Inc.
email: leaf...@ioa.com Phone: 800-269-4141
Orders: 800 248-8292 Vaxa Fax on Demand: 619 625-8282
World Wide Web Site: http://www.vaxa.com/vaxa/vaxa.html
To order a Vaxa Welcome Kit, use Vaxa ID # 43831-1
*****************************************************************