Scientific basis for wholefood minerals versus regular "natural" minerals - increased mineral absorption.

1. Minerals are most frequently interrelated to each other (see mineral interaction chart).

If even one mineral is taken to excess or in too low a quantity it will affect the absorption and loss of minerals from the organism. For example, if a person consumes too much calcium, there will be a net loss of iron, potassium, magnesium, and manganese because of common metabolic sites. A balance (homeostasis) between these minerals must be maintained, this balance is found naturally in whole foods.

2. Absorption of minerals, with the exception of sodium and potassium, is achieved by active transport.

Active transport requires a participating ligand (an attachment, almost always protein). When you take non-food forms of nutrients there is no protein found with the minerals (they are isolated fractions of foods). These minerals must compete for participating proteins. (Even when they are taken with food) When non-food minerals are ready for attachment of their ligand or protein, they are by their physical nature unstable. In the ionic state minerals are highly susceptible to sequestering by phytic acid. The phytic acid forms very stable complexes with the mineral ions rendering them unavailable for intestinal uptake. The first step in absorption for non-food minerals is to remain in the ionic state. FoodState nutrients are in the form necessary for absorption. The participating Protein Chaperones are inherent in the FoodState minerals.

3. The competition of non-food minerals for digestive enzymes.

The activity of digestive enzymes does influence mineral absorption. The competition of a mineral for those available enzymes influences their overall absorption. Food nutrients naturally contain these digestive enzymes

4. A reason for decreased utilization of non-food minerals is that of competition within the metabolic pathways.

The natural balance of the minerals and vitamins being ingested directly influences the interference of mineral utilization. Although difficult to define, it is known that non-food calcium has a high affinity for fat in the diet. The combination of fats with non-food calcium forms unusable calcium salts (called insoluble soap forms), which are either poorly absorbed or not absorbed. Presumably, if calcium can be bound by unsaturated fatty acids, other bivalent metal ions, such as magnesium and zinc can be tied up as well. Fiber also affects non-food minerals in a similar way.

5. Certain forms of non-food minerals require a very low pH to be absorbed.

These minerals will remain unabsorbed in an alkaline or slightly acid environment. Unfortunately, for non-food calcium, the small intestine (where almost all absorption takes place) is in an alkaline or slightly acid environment, which makes the absorption of many non-food minerals questionable.

6. The protein attachment protects the nutrient in transit.

This provides advanced antioxidant capabilities to the nutrient so it does not oxidize within the water environment of our bodies (our body is 90% water). This is one reason why FoodState iron is highly effective and very safe. Non-food iron, such as ferrous fumerate, sulfate, or gluconate is susceptible to changing into iron oxide (rust), a difficult form of iron to utilize.

7. Taking higher dosages of minerals is not the answer.

The Bantu tribes of central Africa subsist on low protein vegetable diets, consuming less than 50 grams of protein and 300mg of food calcium daily. Despite the low calcium intake, these people show no evidence of osteoporosis, even in old age. By contrast, a population of African Americans investigated in the United States, genetic relatives of the Bantu, experience osteoporosis at rates com-parable to those of Caucasian Americans. Caucasian American women take higher dosages of calcium than any other culture, yet have high rates of osteoporosis.