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Minerals

Don’t You Forget About Me

by Nicholas Saraceno | November 1, 2019

The value of minerals is not to be overlooked, as new-and-improved supplements help consumers fill any voids in their diet.

You often hear minerals being mentioned in the same conversation as their vitamin counterpart, but even on their own, their importance is not to go unnoticed.

There are 16 essential minerals, each offering up a different contribution, although MedlinePlus states that a person has more calcium in the body than any other mineral. In fact, the body stores more than 99 percent of its calcium in the bones and teeth to both build and maintain strength.

Of course, the recommended dosage amount for minerals can vary by age and gender, but deficiency in iron, for instance, affects more than 25 percent of people around the world, according to Healthline. And for preschool children, this amount rises to 47 percent.

For those looking to fill the mineral gap with the consumption of supplements, manufacturers have developed new and improved ways to deliver these items, allowing retailers to make informed decisions with plenty of options.

Trends & Challenges

Consumers are in a constant search for items that have greater bioavailability; those that also present benefits for the gut are poised for growth.

“As the U.S. population [is] becoming increasingly knowledgeable on the various forms of minerals available, they will be searching out the supplements which will be the most bioavailable,” explained Claire Barnes, technical advisor with ADM Protexin (Florida). “In addition to choosing an organic mineral compound such as magnesium citrate or zinc citrate, mineral supplements that also contain digestive enzymes, cofactors, probiotics and prebiotics may become more popular as our understanding of the role of the gut microbiota and mineral absorption grows.”

Generally speaking, customers are leaning toward supplements that are more formula-based, and they are increasingly aware of the product details.

“High-quality minerals are starting to pop up in more structure-function formulas that have traditionally relied on combinations [of] herbal and vitamin ingredients,” observed Travis Lemon, co-owner and herbalist at Tulsi at the Market, a retailer based in West Virginia. “Consumers tend to like a more formula-based product to save them the hassle of keeping up with several individual products. Also, we are seeing many customers that are more knowledgable than ever about things like chelation and minerals from plant sources.”

During formulation, a challenge that arises is finding the proper combination between the right delivery system and portion of the specific mineral, due to minerals’ composition.

“The trend we’ve seen recently for minerals involves the delivery systems,” noted Jennifer Weinhardt, BS, MS, senior research and development specialist with Texas-based Bluebonnet Nutrition. “Because minerals are bulky compounds, they often require larger dosage forms (caplets or capsules) or multiple doses to maintain adequate quantities. For example, getting the recommended dose for calcium and magnesium may require up to four caplets per serving size. Liquid and chewable formulas are becoming increasingly popular in the marketplace today because they offer better flavor, greater ease of administration, increased compliance and most importantly, enhanced digestibility when compared to capsules or caplets. The absorption rate is much faster with a liquid or chewable formula. Capsules and caplets typically take between 30 to 45 minutes to break down—the disintegration/dissolution time set by the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP)—whereas chewables and liquids are assimilated at a much faster rate. Consumers that have difficulty swallowing are also looking for a more natural way to bridge the nutrient gaps in their diets, and this leads to improved compliance.

“Bluebonnet has recently launched several alternative delivery systems for mineral products (liquids and powdered beverages) to help increase compliance and thus help the consumer maintain adequate quantities of these essential nutrients,” she added. “To name a few, we now offer Simply Calm Magnesium Powder (available in unflavored, cherry, orange citrus and raspberry lemon flavors), as well as Liquid Magnesium Citrate in a natural mixed berry flavor. Both formulas deliver 420 mg elemental magnesium per serving in different forms, so the consumer can choose which works best for them. We also recently launched Liquid Bone Support in a natural blueberry flavor delivering calcium, magnesium and vitamins D3, and K2 for optimal bone health.”

Market Status

As 2019 winds down and we look ahead to 2020, the demand for minerals continues to remain high. Modern-day society makes it easy for consumers to make questionable food choices as a result of stress and lack of time—many often reach for items that are easily accessible and not necessarily the healthiest option. Hence, the body is in need of minerals, but the difficult task lies in consuming them, especially via diet.

“I think the need for minerals has never been greater, and there are many factors that are causing this need,” said Darrin Starkey, ND, manager of education and training, Trace Minerals (Utah). “Soil deficiency and over-processed foods play a significant role in our need, plus the amount of stress most all of us are under makes mineral supplementation so important for basic health. We also have gotten too far away from the diet Mother Nature intended for us. Too many individuals are choosing chemical-filled beverages that drain their bodies of minerals. Our foods often come from a can, a box, or from a pick-up window at the closest fast-food restaurant. With this type of demand for quick and easy meals, minerals are often sacrificed as a result of the process involved to make the meal. The simple fact is, we as a society are eating less and less of the raw foods that would naturally provide these minerals. We also use more prescriptions today than ever before, which deplete our bodies of various minerals.”

Despite this, the numbers are indicating that the market for mineral supplements is headed in an upward direction.

“According to a report titled ‘Global Market Study on Mineral Supplements: Pharmaceutical to be the largest segment by 2020’ by Persistence Market Research, the global mineral supplements market is expected to grow to $14.5 million in 2020 up from $7.3 million in 2013,” Weinhardt described. “At Bluebonnet, mineral sales have always been consistently strong; in fact, it’s a top-selling category for the brand. We believe this is partly because dietary minerals are essential nutrients that must be consumed from the diet. The busy, stressful lifestyles of Americans in combination with the typical Western diet create the perfect storm for inadequate intake of nutrients, particularly minerals, in the diet. Furthermore, minerals serve life-sustaining functions in the body and can support optimal health when supplemented.”

Weinhardt was also in agreement with Starkey—soil depletion is a concern that is impacting how minerals are extracted from the earth.

“Additionally,” she continued, “there is a rising need for mineral supplementation as a result of changes in farming practices. A paper written by the Nutrition Security Institute in 2006 describes that in the U.S. and throughout the world, topsoil mineral content has been depleted. This depletion is due to many factors but particularly erosion, nitrogen fertilizers and other farming practices (e.g., lack of rotational cropping). These factors not only rob the topsoil of mineral content, but also of soil organisms that contribute to the formation of nutrient-dense crops. Foods grown on soils that are depleted of minerals do not contain adequate levels to maintain human health. In fact, research shows that mineral content comparison from soils today and those from 100 years ago have been depleted by 85 percent of their mineral content. Unless farming practices change and growers replenish the mineral content of their soils, harvested foods will continue to decrease in nutrient content. These are just a few of the many contributions to the ever-growing demand for mineral supplementation.”

As mentioned, mineral deficiency is a vital concern domestically and even internationally. This is not only the case for iron, but others such as magnesium and calcium. The root of this problem leads back to not only poor diet choices, but the difficulty of absorption.

“Multivitamin, multi-mineral supplements (MVMS) are widely used in the U.S. population,” Barnes said. “However, studies have shown that a large proportion of the U.S. population is below the estimated average requirement for certain minerals. For example, 46 percent of Americans are below the average requirement for magnesium, and 39 percent are below the average requirement for calcium, taking into account both food and MVMS use.1 This suggests that dietary intakes of minerals appear to be low and additionally, absorption of minerals from the diet and supplements appears to be inadequate.

“It is understood that magnesium content of foods is gradually decreasing due to food processing2 and decreases in food crop magnesium contents,”3 she added. “Whilst the uptake of MVMS in the U.S. is high, potentially some of the MVMS on the market are using inorganic mineral forms which are less easily absorbed by the body. Therefore, it could be suggested that more of the U.S. population may achieve a higher mineral status if their mineral supplement was in a more easily absorbed form rather than inorganic compounds. There is further evidence to adding other ingredients to the mineral supplement to improve bioavailability.”

Advice for Retailers

Weinhardt broke down her marketing tips for retailers into three main points:

1. Renovation of the mineral department by making it attractive, interactive and informative for consumers—no matter their age. Companies can cross merchandise mineral products in various delivery systems (one for every preference) and with various structure-function applications, since minerals offer many benefits in the body. Related products, such as calcium, magnesium, boron, manganese, iron, etc., with signage relating to their various health benefits, such as a “Bone Support,” “Energy Production” and “Enzyme Function” appeals to many consumers. Additionally, you could provide a basket of fresh fruit and veggies, addressing the requirement that Americans get five to nine servings of fresh produce every day for healthy living and to support the message that dietary supplements should do just that—supplement the diet.

2. Avoid too much product redundancy at one time. Focus on one particular delivery system or one particular structure-function application and pick three popular items across these categories and then rotate monthly, eventually covering all subcategories (bone support, energy production and enzyme function).

3. Don’t forget who your customers are. Millennials are “growing up.” Previously known for being the younger, broke generation, they are now in their peak earning years and by 2020, their annual spending power is estimated to rise to $1.4 trillion, representing 30 percent of total U.S. retail sales. The Millennials are now 80 million strong, making them the most significant generation, exceeding the Baby Boomers numbered at 75 million. So how do you capture this consumer? There are many ways to get their attention digitally, such as social media platforms and live interactive demos. That said, it is vital for the brick-and-mortar stores to know that Millennials are a loyal consumer, and if a retailer can provide an excellent customer-centric experience that is tailored to their wants and needs, they are sure to gain that loyalty.

Staff education is also critical in being able to provide customers with the proper product recommendations.

“I would suggest that retailers focus on educating their staff and their consumers on the differences between forms of minerals,” Lemon advised. “Like why to suggest magnesium citrate for customers with gut health concerns or an algae-based calcium supplement containing strontium for someone concerned with bone mineral density.”

This education also extends to ways to help ensure proper mineral consumption.

“Aim to provide education on the importance of the type of mineral compound to improve bioavailability,” Barnes recommended. “Studies have shown magnesium citrate is more bioavailable than magnesium oxide. Magnesium citrate, similar to other organic magnesium compounds, may be more suitable than magnesium oxide to optimize the dietary magnesium intake.

“Alongside a mineral supplement, a retailer may recommend a multi-strain probiotic such as Bio-Kult 14 strain. Minerals are better absorbed when the gut is healthy and intestinal pH is optimal. Our gut microbiome helps to maintain the integrity of the epithelial lining. Certain strains of bacteria produce lactic acid which lowers the pH of the small intestine, making it easier to absorb minerals.”

Processes and Functions

Weinhardt noted the importance of mineral chelation, a process that allows magnesium to be broken down with the help of amino acids.

“I would argue that mineral chelation, while not a recent advancement—the process was first developed and perfected by Albion Minerals in 1956—was and is by far the most innovative scientific breakthrough regarding mineral supplementation,” she explained. “Minerals are bulky elements and are not easily absorbed by the body; the best way to absorb them is to take them in the form of an amino acid chelate.”

Albion Minerals has developed a patented process that replicates the body’s natural chelation process using amino acids—essentially turning inorganic minerals into highly bioavailable organic molecules, she explained. This process attaches a bulky mineral to an amino acid, dipeptide or tripeptide, and forms it into an amino acid chelate (AAC) which is then absorbed via active transport in the small intestine. AACs are the product resulting from the reaction of a metal ion with amino acids at two or more separate sites to form coordinate covalent bonds creating an aromatic ring structure. In other words, minerals are absorbed along with amino acids as a single unit, utilizing the amino acids as carrier molecules. This produces a stable and tolerable compound that is easily absorbed and strong enough to survive the pH of the gut, but weak enough to be utilized once absorbed.

ADM Protexin is intrigued by not only the relationship between zinc and digestive health, but magnesium’s ties to helping with migraines.

“As a probiotic company,” Barnes noted, “our interests lie in the link between the gut microbiota, gut health and mineral absorption. Zinc is well known as an important mineral in gut health, promoting normal intestinal barrier function and regenerating an impaired intestinal epithelium.5 It is suggested that zinc supplementation may increase resistance to Gram negative bacteria and increase beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Streptococcus.5 Therefore, zinc supplementation may have beneficial effects on gut microbial balance.

“There is a strong body of evidence demonstrating a relationship between magnesium status and migraine,”6 Barnes continued. “Serum magnesium levels have been found to be reduced in migraine sufferers compared to non-sufferers,7 and research suggests magnesium deficiency may contribute to migraine development at a biochemical level via a variety of mechanisms.6 Many migraine sufferers report stress to be a trigger for attacks and research demonstrates a relationship between stress reactions and magnesium levels.8 Magnesium also contributes toward the reduction of tiredness and fatigue,9 which often accompany central nervous system (CNS) disturbances. Studies indicate that intravenous magnesium supplementation is an effective acute treatment for migraine attacks.10

Trace Minerals stressed the company’s priority on new research so that it can better formulate products that help meet certain needs.

And the excitement? Research in the field is constantly advancing.

“The reality of mineral research is that it is still evolving,” Starkey concluded. “There is just so much that we still don’t know about minerals, and not just their relationship to one another, but also how other things can impact them as well. Ultimately, this field of research is still largely uncharted, so there is still much to be done in discovering just how minerals work within the body.” VR

References

1 Wallace TC, McBurney M, Fulgoni VL. Multivitamin/Mineral Supplement Contribution to Micronutrient Intakes in the United States, 2007–2010. J Am Coll Nutr 2014; 33: 94–102.

2 Uysal N, Kizildag S, Yuce Z, et al. Timeline (Bioavailability) of Magnesium Compounds in Hours: Which Magnesium Compound Works Best? Biol Trace Elem Res 2019; 187: 128–36.

3 DiNicolantonio JJ, O’Keefe JH, Wilson W. Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis. Open Hear 2018; 5: e000668.

4 Kappeler D, Heimbeck I, Herpich C, et al. Higher bioavailability of magnesium citrate as compared to magnesium oxide shown by evaluation of urinary excretion and serum levels after single-dose administration in a randomized cross-over study. BMC Nutr 2017; 3: 7.

5 Usama U, Jaffar Khan M, Fatima S, Fatima S. Role of Zinc in Shaping the Gut Microbiome; Proposed Mechanisms and Evidence from the Literature. J Gastrointest Dig Syst 2018; 08. DOI:10.4172/2161-069X.1000548.

6 Teigen L, Boes CJ. An evidence-based review of oral magnesium supplementation in the preventive treatment of migraine. Cephalalgia 2015; 35: 912–22.

7 Assarzadegan F, Asgarzadeh S, Hatamabadi HR, Shahrami A, Tabatabaey A, Asgarzadeh M. Serum concentration of magnesium as an independent risk factor in migraine attacks. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 2016; 31: 287–92.

8 Tarasov EA, Blinov D V, Zimovina U V, Sandakova EA. [Magnesium deficiency and stress: Issues of their relationship, diagnostic tests, and approaches to therapy]. Ter Arkh 2015; 87: 114–22.

9 Nutrition and Health Claims – European Commission.

10 Bigal M, Bordini C, Tepper S, Speciali J. Intravenous Magnesium Sulphate in the Acute Treatment of Migraine Without Aura and Migraine with Aura. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Cephalalgia 2002; 22: 345–53.

For More Information:

ADM Protexin, Inc., www.bio-kult.com
Bluebonnet Nutrition, www.bluebonnetnutrition.com
Trace Minerals, www.traceminerals.com

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