What are Ionic and Colloidal Minerals?

Before writing this page, I did a google search for "Ionic Mineral Studies" to see if there was any research from anywhere in the world that supported the claims of these mineral supplement sellers. Of course I didn't find any.  My dictionary term for both ionic and colloidal is "A term used by slick Internet marketers to induce you to pay a high price for a product with virtually no detectible amounts of the claimed mineral".

What exactly do the terms "ionic" and "colloidal" mean when referring to minerals? A colloid is simply a particle suspended in a liquid or a gas.  Milk is an example of a colloid (it's a protein suspended in liquid). Most minerals occur in nature as ions, meaning they are negatively or positively charged particles. Ionic minerals, on the other hand, supposedly are dissolved in water or in a water-soluble form (as opposed to a colloid, which is a suspension). Ionic mineral manufacturers say that their product is assimilated more quickly and efficiently into the body than colloidal minerals, which they claim aren't absorbed as well as touted. Many of these ionic minerals are available in individual mineral solutions.

Ionic and colloidal supplements became popular about five years ago, when a tape of a lecture entitled "Dead Doctors Don't Lie" given by a veterinarian/naturopath was circulating. It touted the benefits of a colloidal mineral potion based on a discovery of a Utah rancher some 75 years ago. As the story goes, the rancher found an Indian spring that supposedly had healing powers. He extracted minerals formed as humic shale (plant remains originating from a prehistoric rain forest) and gave them out in a liquid form.  From this concept, supplement manufacturers developed colloidal mineral solutions and capsules (they don't contain any vitamins). Each manufacturer claims theirs is the real thing. The marketers of colloidal minerals state that you only absorb a small amount of minerals from other types of (non-colloidal) supplements. And what about from food? They claim the soil in which food is grown is depleted of minerals. Manufacturers of colloidal minerals assert that their products are absorbed almost 100 percent because they have a "natural negative electrical charge," allowing them to enter cells more easily. However, many minerals exist in nature with a positive charge, and are absorbed adequately in that state. As a matter of fact, numerous factors affect absorption, which varies from mineral to mineral, regardless of a mineral's charge. With some minerals, a person with low levels of them will absorb a greater percentage than someone with adequate stores. With other minerals, that's not the case, and high levels can be harmful. Absorption can also be enhanced or inhibited by certain factors, foods, and nutrients. A good example of this is iron. Heme iron, the form of iron found in animals or animal sources, is more readily absorbed than non-heme iron, which is of plant origin. Phytates, a substance in some plants, bind iron, reducing its availability in our digestive tract. Vitamin C, however, increases our absorption of non-heme iron. As you can see, many factors come into play with nutrient absorption, whether a mineral has a positive or a negative charge. (By the way, iron has a positive charge.)

Some ionic mineral manufacturers state that minerals are absorbed instantaneously through the lining of the stomach. This is untrue — almost all minerals are absorbed in the small intestine. It takes some time for food to travel to the small intestine, depending on what and how much has been eaten.

The bottom line is this. When you see the term "ionic" or "72 trace minerals", ask the vendor to tell you exactly how many milligrams of x, y, and z mineral is in their product.  Also, you have a right to ask for the MSDS sheet and or a certificate of analysis that proves their product does not contain high levels of lead, arsenic, mercury, or any of the other minerals which are counted among the "72" minerals. Buyers beware, and stay safe!

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