While the health food market is advertising “superfoods” left and right, we have our sights set on something a little different.
Superfoods are great (and a welcome addition to any diet!), but there’s a much smaller nutrient that packs just as big a punch.
Today, we’d like to shine the spotlight on this often ignored yet vital nutrient:
Trace Minerals.
What Are Liquid Trace Minerals?
Everybody needs a variety of vitamins and minerals to survive. Not only are minerals necessary in building cells, but they’re also needed to properly regulate the chemical and electrical changes throughout the body.
Such minerals are known as macro-minerals. Including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and others, they’re needed in large amounts. Fortunately, they’re easily found in the foods we eat every day as well as in supplements.
However, dozens of other nutrients are crucial to our health but only in small quantities. Known as trace minerals, they’re not as readily available in food today. While macronutrient sources are common knowledge, trace mineral sources aren’t as obvious. They can be found throughout the world in everything from seawater and dirt to buildings and cars.
Because these minerals aren’t as prevalent in our diet as, say, calcium, many of us are low in certain trace minerals. The most common deficiencies include zinc, selenium, cobalt, manganese and copper. Liquid trace minerals are those small microminerals that are available in liquid drops as a supplement.
Why Do We Need a Liquid Trace Mineral Supplement?
Centuries ago, the majority of the population received all the trace minerals they needed from the foods they ate. Vegetables, fruits and grains picked up these trace minerals from the soil in which they were grown. However, today’s modern farming techniques have largely depleted our soils of these necessary nutrients.
In fact, many of the trace minerals traditionally found in the earth have been washed away into the seas, rendering them useless for human consumption.
While fertilizers create healthy-looking vegetables, they do nothing to replenish those lost nutrients. The resulting crop is still healthy, but by no means does it feature the rich, nutrient-dense profile that generations before us have enjoyed.
Without supplementation, most people never receive the proper amount of minerals their bodies need to thrive.
Benefits of Taking Liquid Trace Minerals
In order for the body to continue its life-sustaining processes - such as pumping the heart, moving the muscles and working the digestive tract - certain minerals are needed to send the right signals.
Here are a few examples of trace minerals and the critical role they play in such processes:
- Iron – involved in the synthesis of blood and formation of collagen & elastin in the skin
- Iodine – helps regulate the thyroid gland
- Chromium – supports the function of insulin in controlling blood sugar
- Selenium – involved in the prevention and repair of cell damage
- Fluorine – needed in the building of strong bones and teeth
- Zinc – strengthens the immune system
- Manganese – assists in metabolism
- Copper – involved in neurotransmission and blood cell production
As you can see, trace minerals are absolutely necessary for our bodies to function at their peak potential. When even just 1 mineral is missing, the entire body can suffer. In fact, many researchers believe that numerous chronic diseases could be prevented altogether by consuming adequate amounts of trace minerals.
The Importance of Choosing Plant-Based Liquid Trace Minerals
Trace minerals can be formed either in rock, clay or even metal (known as inorganic sources), or they can be sourced from plants (known as organic sources). The inorganic forms are poorly absorbed at a low rate of just 20 to 40%.
However, plant-based liquid trace minerals are much more easily absorbed by the body. Such varieties come from traditional food sources; therefore, the body recognizes these minerals as food, absorbing them as such into the intestines.
Within the intestines are numerous villi, which are hair-like spikes extending into the intestine. It’s much easier for villi to absorb trace minerals that are negatively charged – as plant-based minerals are – than to absorb positively charged minerals.
Additionally, liquid trace minerals are simply easier for the body to digest than solid mineral supplements. When taken in liquid form, your body doesn’t have to expend as much energy in breaking down the supplement, allowing you to reap all the benefits even faster.
Overall, the important thing is to make sure you’re giving your body everything it needs to function correctly. The easiest way to do so, at least when it comes to minerals, is to take a quality liquid trace mineral supplement.
Consider choosing a plant-based option and save your body some extra energy.