Liquid Mineral Complex - ions & stuff

[RichardR]

Someone sent me information about this Liquid Mineral Complex – a dietary supplement. Seems like a lot of improbable claims for this product, but there is one thing that puzzles me about this sort of thing, and it is this:

Liquid Mineral Complex is a unique and rich water-soluble blend of 84 ionically charged ocean minerals and trace elements derived from purified pristine sea water. These life-enhancing ionic ocean minerals are surging with ionically charged minerals and trace elements that the body needs for optimal health and vitality.

(My bold.)

Why “ionically charged”? As I recall from high school chemistry, an ion is an atom or molecule that has a net electric charge because it has an extra electron (or one less?). So why would that be of benefit? Or is it completely woo woo?

 

[Mojo]

Any salt (e.g. sodium chloride or calcium carbonate) in solution dissociates into positive and negative ions. They seem to be claiming that this is something remarkable, when it is in fact just commonplace.

 

[RichardR]

Any salt (e.g. sodium chloride or calcium carbonate) in solution dissociates into positive and negative ions. They seem to be claiming that this is something remarkable, when it is in fact just commonplace.

Is there any benefit in the minerals being ionically charged?

 

[pgwenthold]

Liquid Mineral Complex is a unique and rich water-soluble blend of 84 ionically charged ocean minerals and trace elements derived from purified pristine sea water.

Huh?

"Purified pristine sea water"

So they take pristine sea water and then purify it.

And they still get 84 ocean minerals out of it? Man, they need to improve their purification procedure...

Although it still begs the question of why pristine sea water needs to be purified, and what the heck "pristine" sea water is in the first place (my idea of sea water is anything but pristine, full of organic matter and heavily mineralized)

What they have written is all nonsense.

 

[pgwenthold]

Is there any benefit in the minerals being ionically charged?

Yeah, it makes them soluble in water.

It's a lot easier to get your RDA of sodium by ingesting table salt than by chewing on a block of sodium metal.

 

[materia3]

It sounds like they have found another use (e.g.: make money) for this stuff...I'll say no more except don't drink the stuff.........

http://www.aquariumsystems.com/salts.htm

hmm, let's see..I can make 50gals for $27.00, and then....
well, you get the picture

 

[rustypouch]

Yeah, it makes them soluble in water.

It's a lot easier to get your RDA of sodium by ingesting table salt than by chewing on a block of sodium metal.

I am getting quite an amusing mental picture here. "It burns!"

 

[RichardR]

Yeah, it makes them soluble in water.

It's a lot easier to get your RDA of sodium by ingesting table salt than by chewing on a block of sodium metal.

So are all salts ionically charged? Is that it?

(Edited to add…)

So the important thing is that the minerals are in the form of a salt, because salts are digestible. Salts are ionically charged. But the important thing is that it must be in salt form, the ionically charged just happens to be a property of salt?

 

[marting]

If I recall correctly, Hank's solution was derived from sea water mineral composition. Probably a lot cheaper.


Most of those salts disassociate (and hence exist as ions) pretty completely at these concentrations having little buffering capability.

 

[Mojo]

So are all salts ionically charged? Is that it?

Basically, yes.

So the important thing is that the minerals are in the form of a salt, because salts are digestible. Salts are ionically charged. But the important thing is that it must be in salt form, the ionically charged just happens to be a property of salt?

Not necessarily. There are other ways to get minerals into the system. For example, iron as an ion is generally not well absorbed and utilised in the gut, but is much more easily absorbed and utilised if it is in heme form (with the iron complexed in the middle of a larger molecule), the form in which it is found in meat, poultry and fish.

 

[Dr. Imago]

For example, iron as an ion is generally not well absorbed and utilised in the gut, but is much more easily absorbed and utilised if it is in heme form (with the iron complexed in the middle of a larger molecule), the form in which it is found in meat, poultry and fish.

We all also have a divalent cation transporter in our intestinal lumen as well that is pretty non-specific. Anything that is 2+ charged (like Fe⁺⁺, Mg⁺⁺, etc.) will cross it. Problem is, this transporter also will absorb anything that is not necessarily good for us, like mercury.

The body likes iron in heme form best, though, as you point out. And, any ionic salt (which is in solution) will be absorbed if dissociated in a solvent, which in the majority of cases is good ole water.

But, to claim that somehow claiming that these minerals are 'ionically charged' makes them special or distinct from any other minerals plays, as Mojo also sez, on the general ignorance of the lay public. It's just like "Coral Calcium" somehow being inherently better than just plain old calcium... also a divalent cation that is poorly absorbed through that non-specific transporter as well.

-TT