Minerals are key nutrients needed by the human body. They affect various aspects of body functions, such as growth, bone health, muscle contraction, fluid balance, and many other processes.
However, it's often hard for your body to absorb a lot of minerals, which is why there's been a recent interest in chelated minerals (supplements that boost absorption rates and are touted).
Chelated minerals are combined with compounds such as amino or organic acids to enhance the body's absorption of minerals.
This article explains whether chelated minerals are effective.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >What are chelated minerals? </h1>
Minerals are a nutrient that your body needs to function properly. Since your body cannot produce minerals, you must obtain them through your diet.
However, minerals in many foods are difficult to absorb, for example, your intestines only absorb 0.4-2.5% of chromium from food.
Chelated minerals are designed to promote the absorption of minerals and are formed by combining minerals with chelating agents (chelating agents are usually organic compounds or amino acids) to help prevent minerals from interacting with other compounds.
For example, chromium picolinate is a type of chromium attached to three picolinate molecules, which is absorbed through a different pathway than dietary chromium and appears to be more stable in the body.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > various types of chelated minerals</h1>
Most minerals can be present in chelated form, the most common include: calcium, zinc, iron, copper, magnesium, potassium salts, cobalt, chromium, molybdenum, etc., and their chelates are usually made of amino acids or organic acids.
Amino Acids: Are organic compounds containing alkaline amino and acidic carboxyl groups, which are commonly used to make mineral chelates:
Aspartic acid: used in the manufacture of zinc aspartate, magnesium aspartate, etc.;
Methionine: used in the manufacture of copper methionine, zinc methionine, etc.;
Monomethionine: used in the manufacture of zinc monomethionate;
Lysine: used in the manufacture of calcium lysine;
Glycine: Used in the manufacture of magnesium glycinate, etc.
Organic acids: refers to an acidic organic compound containing carboxyl groups widely present in living organisms, and the organic acids used to make mineral chelates include:
Acetic acid: used in the manufacture of zinc acetate, calcium acetate, etc.;
Citric acid: used in the manufacture of chromium citrate, magnesium citrate, etc.;
Whey acid: used in the manufacture of magnesium wheyrate, lithium orotate, etc.;
Gluconic acid: used in the manufacture of iron gluconate, zinc gluconate, etc.;
Fumaric acid: used in the manufacture of iron fumarate (ferrous);
Picolinate: used in the manufacture of chromium picolinate, manganese picolinate, etc.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > chelated mineral absorption better? </h1>
Chelated minerals are often touted as having better absorption than non-chelated minerals, and some studies have compared the absorption of the two:
For example, a study of 15 adults found that chelated zinc (zinc citrate and zinc gluconate) was about 11% more efficient at absorption than non-chelated zinc (zinc oxide).
Similarly, a study in 30 adults showed that magnesium glycerol phosphate (chelating) increased magnesium levels in the blood much more than magnesium oxide (non-chelating).
In addition, some studies have shown that taking chelated minerals may reduce the total amount consumed to reach healthy blood levels, which is important for people at risk of excessive mineral intake, such as iron excess.
For example, in one study in 300 infants, the addition of 0.34 mg of iron bisglycinate (chelation) per pound of body weight per day increased blood iron levels to 4 times the level of blood iron similar to that caused by iron sulfate (non-chelating).
However, not all studies have come to the same conclusion:
A study of 23 postmenopausal women showed that 1,000 mg of calcium carbonate (non-chelated) was absorbed faster and elevated calcium levels in the blood were more effective than the same amount of calcium citrate (chelated).
Meanwhile, a study of pregnant women with iron deficiency found no significant difference in blood iron levels when comparing chelated iron (bisglycinated ferrous salt) to ordinary iron (ferrous sulfate).
In general, animal studies have shown that chelated minerals can be absorbed more efficiently. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution, as the digestive tract of animals differs significantly from that of humans, and these differences can affect mineral absorption. Considering that the current study is chaotic, more research on chelated minerals is needed.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > should you buy chelated minerals? </h1>
In some cases, it may be more appropriate to employ the chelated form of minerals:
Chelated minerals may benefit the elderly. As people age, stomach acid may decrease, which may affect the absorption of minerals. Since the chelated minerals bind to amino acids or organic acids, it does not take much stomach acid to digest efficiently.
Similarly, people who experience stomach pain after taking supplements may benefit from chelated minerals because they rely less on stomach acid for digestion. Still, regular, non-chelated minerals are sufficient for most adults.
Mineral supplements are not necessary for most healthy adults unless your diet does not provide enough food for your daily needs. Plus, chelated minerals cost more than non-chelated minerals, so stick with regular mineral supplements if you don't have a budget.
For vegetarians, blood donors, pregnant women and certain other groups of people, they can benefit from regular mineral supplementation.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > summary</h1>
Chelated minerals are minerals that bind to chelating agents, such as those bound to organic acids or amino acids, to improve absorption.
They are generally said to be better absorbed than regular mineral supplements, but current studies are mixed.
For certain populations, such as the elderly, children, and those with stomach problems, chelated minerals are a suitable substitute for regular minerals. However, for most healthy adults, it is not necessary to necessarily choose chelated minerals.
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