Minerals can generally be found in two different forms. The first form
is that of a colloid, where minerals are suspended in a stable form. In
this stable form, the minerals are evenly distributed throughout the medium
in which they are suspended. Minerals in this colloid state are held in
large, organized patterns, whereby they remain in suspension without
settling out. Colloidal minerals are not readily absorbed by the body due
to the absence of an electrical charge and their relatively large size,
unlike other mineral forms. In fact, one definition of a colloid is as a
substance that when suspended in a liquid phase, will not easily diffuse
through a living membrane.1
Colloid arrangements are unable to pass through the membrane which lines the
digestive tract, from the mouth all the way out. It is argued that
colloidal mineral forms are more easily dispersed in the body; however, this
does not improve their absorption. In fact, it is necessary for the body to
break these minerals down into smaller constituents in order for them to be
absorbed.
Manufacturers claim that supplements made from these colloids are more
balanced than other mineral supplements and are in a natural form that is
easier for the body to use. According to the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) and the American Dietetic Association, no scientific evidence supports
these claims. Commercial colloidal mineral
products are derived from clay or humic shale deposits and there is a
tremendous amount of promotional claims for colloidal mineral products.
There is no reliable medical evidence to support using these products.2
Ionic minerals, on the other hand, are easily transported across the
highly selective cell membranes of the human digestive tract. Because ionic
minerals are charged, the body has to employ less energy in order to absorb
these minerals. Colloidal minerals must be dismantled, into smaller parts,
and obtain an electrical charge in order to cross the intestinal membrane.
This electrical gradient allows for the easy flow of ionic minerals from an
area of higher concentration (intestines) to an area of lesser concentration
(cells of the body). The body assists in this process by further charging
ions during the course of the digestive process. The body absorbs ionic
minerals with greater efficacy than colloidal minerals, as colloids must
undergo the complete processes of digestion into smaller charged particles,
and even after undergoing these processes; the body utilizes not all of the
colloid mineral form, just as not all foods eaten are completely utilized.3
Ionic States
Ionic minerals are comprised of atoms or collections of atoms that retain
their intrinsic electric charge, either positive or negative. This
electrical charge exists surrounding the atom because it is either missing
an electron or has additional electrons within it’s surrounding area. The
addition or subtraction of electrons gives the atom, or ion, it’s electrical
signature, or charge. This charge causes the ions to interact, attracting or
repelling each other in a search for another ion to contribute or remove
additional electrons, in a never-ending process to create a neutral
electrical charge, which is important in maintaining the total concentration
of ions in the body.
Various minerals, in their atomic form, link with other minerals to form
ionic complexes. Nature has designed an intrincate fit between atoms of
different species. For instance, each atom has a particular number of
electrons within its grasp that it constantly maintains. As this atom
interacts with other atoms of the same type, or even different types, it
enters into electron-sharing agreements with these different atoms, forming
different mineral complexes. This association is highly important to the
workings of all biological organisms, as the linking of many different types
of atoms forms solid matter.
Sodium Chloride
However, on a smaller scale, minerals form relatively simple interactions
with each other. These mineral complexes are necessary for various
metabolic needs, and are vitally important to proper physiologic function,
as well as optimal health. For instance, an atom of sodium and an atom of
chloride are often found linked together, forming sodium chloride, commonly
known as table salt. In recent years, many negative health effects have been
attributed to salt, namely high blood pressure.4
However, in the absence of sodium chloride, no organism would be able to
exist. Additionally, the dissociation between sodium and chloride
contributes to physiologic functions such as kidney function, the formation
of digestive enzymes, nerve transmission, and muscle function, to name a
few. Chloride is another form of chlorine, a naturally occurring atom, which
is a major mineral nutrient that occurs in body fluids. Chloride is a
prominent negatively charged ion (anion) and a predominant ion (electrolyte)
in the human body, where it represents 70% of the anions. The negative
charge of chloride helps to balance the positive charge of sodium and
potassium.
Potassium Chloride
There are multitudes of vital ionic mineral combinations that are
necessary for optimal physiologic function. Potassium chloride is a mineral
complex that is fast becoming more widely recognized for it’s important role
in health. When potassium chloride is ingested, it also dissociates into
its principle atoms of potassium and chloride. Potassium itself is vital in
bone health, cardiac muscle function, cellular membrane transport, and is
one of the principle electrolytes of the body, meaning that of the hundreds
of physiological useful ions, potassium is found in large amounts in the
body and is used for many diverse functions. Potassium performs many of the
same functions inside of cells that sodium does outside of cells such as
maintenance of acid-base balance and osmotic balance (the balance between
negative and positive ions). Potassium is the major intracellular cation,
providing approximately 75% of the total cations within the cell. Increased
intake of potassium coupled with reduced sodium leads to greater control of
blood pressure, a common problem in the United States.5
Importance of Ionic minerals
Minerals are found both in their single, unlinked form (such as a
solitary potassium ion) and their ionic form in which they have joined with
another atom to make a charged mineral particle. The large majority of
minerals are found bound in some form or another, which is important for
their utilization in human physiology. When the body absorbs ionized, or
electrically charged minerals, they can be readily absorbed through our
selectively permeable intestinal membranes.6
In fact, the membranes lining our intestinal tract maintain their own
specific electrical charge in the form of ionic receptors. The body
maintains this charge on the lining of membranes in order to facilitate the
absorption of food nutrients. Different receptor areas maintain different
charge qualities, allowing for the attraction of the multitudes of diverse
nutrients that pass through the intestinal tract. Because of this charge,
ionic minerals are easily taken in to the cells lining the intestinal tract,
whereby they may be readily employed in the many physiologic activities of
the body.
