Our guide to Mineral Supplements
What are Mineral Supplements all about?
Minerals are elements that occur naturally in the earth, and, like their vitamin supplement counterparts, function as essential components in enzymes and coenzymes. Enzymes are essential for speeding up chemical reactions that take place in our bodies. Coenzymes assist enzymes in carrying out their life-sustaining functions. In short, these chemical reactions are what control our body’s very metabolic processes. Therefore, taking mineral supplements are absolutely crucial for maintaining good health, especially if there is a deficiency.
How can Mineral Supplements benefits you?
Because mineral supplements play a crucial role in our metabolic processes, this means they are also central in helping the body produce energy, growth, and the reproduction and health of our cells. A deficiency in even one mineral can lead to serious health problems because they often work synergistically with other minerals and also vitamins. For example, the mineral zinc is required for the body to convert vitamin A into its active form. Without vitamin A in its active form, a whole host of problems will soon appear, such as vision deterioration.
Some minerals also function as potent antioxidant free radical scavengers. Free radicals are highly reactive chemical substances in our bodies that if left unchecked can lead to premature aging and disease, such as cancer and heart disease. Antioxidant minerals such as selenium have the power to neutralize free radicals before cellular damage occurs.
While it is true that someone can technically get all of the nutrients they need from food alone, it is becoming increasingly harder due to modern farming methods, which have seriously eroded the vitamin and mineral content of fruits and vegetables over the last several decades. It has now reached such a problematic level that unless one is consuming a “perfect” diet, it is vital to take a quality mineral supplement. Indeed, comprehensive studies done by the U.S. government have shown that nutrient deficiencies exist in well more than half of all Americans!
Precautions and Tips on Choosing Mineral Supplements
It is important that one be very careful in choosing a top quality supplement manufacturer. Some reasons are:
1. Because minerals work synergistically, it is crucial that your supplement be formulated by scientists with top notch credentials. Many products on the market are simply “thrown together” and many of the ingredients can end up canceling each other out or even have harmful consequences. Moreover, supplements that are not scientifically formulated generally have poor bioavailability, which means that most of the ingredients will simply pass through the system and excreted with little to no benefit.
2. Because the supplement industry is unregulated in the U.S. it is absolutely crucial that you choose a manufacturer that follows pharmaceutical GMP compliance, which is the highest standard possible.
3. Choose a mineral supplement that uses the CHELATED form. Chelated minerals are ones that are attached to protein molecules, which in turns allows them easier transport into the bloodstream for better absorption. Minerals that can come in chelated form are: boron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, vanadium.
4. Call or email the company and ask if they have a certificate of analysis on file, confirming the potency of each batch. Avoid companies that do not respond or waver in their answer.
Why not buy the best? Your health depends on it.
A Comprehensive Mineral Supplement Product
One company that meets all of the aforementioned requirements -- and more -- is Xtend-Life Natural Products from New Zealand, which has one of the strictest regulatory environments in the world for the manufacture of dietary supplements, far exceeding U.S. FDA standards. Their flagship product, Total Balance, contains the full spectrum of chelated mineral supplements along with vitamins, amino acids, potent herbal extracts, and many other speciality nutrients. In fact, Total Balance contains almost every nutrient documented on this entire site!
Our Mineral related articles can be found below:
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