Minerals are essential to life and play an enormous role in the proper functioning of the body’s physiological processes. They act as coenzymes to carry out innumerable metabolic reactions and are involved in such diverse activities as fluid balance, utilization of vitamins, hormone production, energy generation, bone formation and muscle, heart and nerve function. Unfortunately, mineral deficiencies due to inadequate dietary intake have become prevalent in the modern world, resulting in increased risk and incidence of a multitude of conditions ranging from high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease to cancer and hypothyroidism. The good news is, we can offset nutritional deficits and restore and enhance our health with the use of high quality mineral supplements from an all-natural and pristine source: Utah’s Great Salt Lake. This plentiful source concentrates the lake’s mineral-rich waters using the heat of the desert sun and when packaged in a liquid ‘ionic’ form (for optimal assimilation by the body) they become the perfect solution to mineral replenishment.
Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic substances with a characteristic crystalline form, found in the earth and oceans. Rock formations are made up of mineral salts, which over time (millions of years) gradually break down into tiny fragments forming the basis of soil. Most of the ocean’s salts were derived from similar gradual processes of weathering and erosion of rocks and mountains; aided by the dissolving action of rains and streams, the mineral washings were transported to the sea.
Minerals belong to two groups, called bulk (or macrominerals) and trace (or microminerals). Macrominerals are needed in relatively large quantities compared to trace and are important as electrolytes. They include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, chloride, potassium and sulfur. Only minute quantities of trace minerals are required, but they are essential for good health. The body needs at least 30 of these, including iodine, iron, selenium, zinc, copper, etc. Most trace minerals are incorporated into enzymes or hormones required for metabolism. Minerals, both macro and trace, are constantly utilized by the body, and must be replenished regularly through the diet (or supplements), ideally in the proper ratios to each other.
Until the advent of modern farming practices, consumption of crops (i.e., grains, fruits, vegetables, etc.) grown in nutrient-rich soil provided ample, balanced amounts of essential minerals needed for optimal health. Today, however, as with vitamins, it has become difficult, if not impossible to obtain the full spectrum of minerals we need in adequate amounts through diet alone. Mineral deficiency has become a public health concern that is widespread in the U.S., Europe, and throughout the world, with dire consequences. Why? How has this happened?
The mineral content of crops is directly related to the mineral content of the soil in which they are grown and for the past few decades, the nutritional quality of produce has been plummeting. Modern agricultural practices, including the use of pesticides and certain fertilizers plus back-to-back growing seasons that don’t allow the soil time to renew itself, have stripped the fields of nutrients. Consuming crops grown in this depleted soil lowers intake of essential minerals to inadequate levels unable to meet physiological demands, setting the stage for disease. What can we do about it? For one thing, we can replace our reliance on soil-depleting agricultural practices with more restorative organic farming methods. Another important step we can take immediately is to replenish our stores of mineral nutrients to meet our body’s daily requirements with high quality natural mineral supplements.
Thankfully, we can turn to the mineral-rich waters of the oceans and in particular, to the Great Salt Lake, a pristine inland sea in Utah that is a concentrated source of a full range of balanced essential minerals and trace elements. The Great Salt Lake is the oldest inland sea in the world, a remnant of the last great Ice Age. Its rich supply of over 72 macro and trace minerals is the result of tens of thousands of years of weathering of the surrounding Rocky Mountains and erosion of soils and rocks found in the area. Like ocean water, minerals in the Salt Lake are present in precisely the same proportions as human plasma, but in a highly concentrated form, free of toxic heavy metals.
What sets these products apart from the hundreds of other mineral supplements on the market is their innovative manufacture from a pristine and natural source, the level of quality that goes into each step of production and the six dozen or more readily absorbed minerals in each product.
A proprietary four-month solar evaporation process concentrates the minerals of the Great Salt Lake. Testing is performed at every point, from initial extraction of the lake’s waters, to evaporation in harvesting ponds, to final analysis of the concentrated water at a cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices*) facility to ensure standards for quality and safety. The result is a purity-tested, heavy-metals free, full-spectrum mineral supplement labeled ConcenTrace® Trace Mineral Drops that forms the base of all we’ll examine below.
(*cGMP refers to the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations enforced by the FDA that are used in pharmaceutical manufacturing to insure both the control of manufacturing processes and facilities, and the identity, strength, quality, and purity of drug products. Although mineral supplements are not in the category of pharmaceuticals, companies that follow cGMP guidelines maintain the high level of quality.)
Each of the following ionic single mineral products combines a generous quantity of a particular mineral ingredient with an additional 72 trace elements from ConcenTrace® Trace Mineral Drops. The minerals are in liquid ionic form. This means that solid mineral salts, (such as magnesium sulfate, potassium chloride, etc.), have a negatively charged ion(s) bonded to a positively charged ion(s), which then dissociate in solution (water), into their positively and negatively charged component mineral ions. This is the ideal form for absorption and assimilation by the body: minerals must be in ionic form to be absorbed through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. Ionic single minerals are packaged in two ounce bottles with a metered dropper, to allow for the desired dose.
Electrolytes are ionized macrominerals including magnesium, potassium, sodium and chloride, that have crucial roles in the body: they conduct electrical current and regulate hydration, blood pH (acid-base balance), and nerve and muscle function. Disruption of the body’s tightly controlled electrolyte balance (from fluid loss due to exercise or heat exposure, illnesses, certain drugs, etc.) can result in fatigue, decreased energy, muscle cramps and other symptoms. Volt-Pro™ is a blend of ConcenTrace® and ionized macrominerals in a base of liquid potassium citrate. It replenishes depleted electrolytes and boosts stamina, energy and endurance. To use, add one teaspoon (approximately 80 drops) to a large glass of juice, sports drink, or other beverage before, during and after strenuous exercise or any other circumstance that results in fluid loss.
Made with ConcenTrace®, colloidal silver and peppermint essential oil, this unique mouth wash rids the teeth and gums of food debris while the minerals help to neutralize odors and freshen the breath. This product should be used full strength morning and night for best results like any regular mouthwash.
We’ve just examined the importance of minerals to countless aspects of metabolism and the dangerous health consequences of a deficiency of any of them. It’s important to realize that no antiaging regimen would be complete without first establishing the foundation of good health, which we can promote by replenishing our body with vital nutrients on a daily basis, including high quality full-spectrum ionic minerals.