Chelated Minerals: The Complete Guide

You may have heard of “chelated minerals” and how they are the best mineral supplements to take, but what are they?

While the word “chelate” may sound scary and complex don’t fear!

Chelated minerals are simply minerals that have been bound to an organic molecule.

This is believed to lead to better absorption in the body.

We’ll dive into the technical details below:

What Are Chelated Minerals?

Minerals are naturally found in an inorganic state (i.e. they are free of carbon). When an inorganic mineral is combined with an amino acid molecule (think protein), it creates an amino acid chelate. 

This process of binding a mineral with an organic molecule is called “chelation” (pronounced ke-lay-shun).

For the purposes of this article, the words “Chelated Mineral” and “Amino Acid Chelate” will be used interchangeably.

Simply stated, chelated minerals are minerals that contain both organic and inorganic molecules that are bound together. Often times, you can find them in high quality multi-vitamins.

This is crucial for absorption, as you’ll see in the video below:

 

The Benefits of Chelated Minerals

First off, you should know that minerals are involved in numerous different functions in body. For instance, one mineral, Magnesium, is present in every single cell in your body! You can read more about Magnesium here.

Needless to say, minerals are vital nutrients that your body needs for overall health and wellness. Traditionally, you would be able to absorb all of the minerals that your body needs through the foods that you eat. However, with aggressive modern farming practices, minerals have been stripped from the soil.

Here's where chelated mineral supplements come into play.

Amino acid chelates (or chelated minerals) are better utilized by the body because they are better absorbed than inorganic minerals.

Your body absorbs inorganic minerals poorly. Inorganic minerals are the ones found in foods and in cheap mineral supplements.

These inorganic minerals are absorbed poorly because they become bound to other nutrient particles as they move through your digestive system. Once a mineral is bound to other food particles, it is essentially neutralized and is prevented from use by your body. It is then excreted from the body without being used.

In contrast to inorganic minerals, Chelated Minerals are shielded as they travel through your digestion system. This shield, made up of amino acids, allows the minerals to arrive safely in the stomach where they are easily utilized by your body.

Simply put, chelated minerals have increased bio-availability.

This process is detailed more thoroughly in the section below:

Chelated Minerals and Increased Bio-Availability

When non-chelated minerals enter the body they can easily become sequestered by other nutrients and food particles as they go through the body’s digestive tract.

Once an inorganic mineral is sequestered, it is neutralized and becomes unavailable for use by the body. 

Chelated minerals are processed differently by the body. They have a ring-like structure of Amino Acids that surround them. These Amino Acids effectively work as a shield to protect the mineral through the digestion process.

Once the chelated mineral reaches the jejunum (a section of the small intestine), the Amino Acid structure is cleaved off and the mineral is free to be absorbed and used by the many different organs and systems within the body. 

This why chelated minerals are considered to be more bio-available (that is, easy to be absorbed and used by your body).

 

What To Look For In A Chelated Mineral Supplement

As you can see, Chelated Minerals are a good option for those looking to increase the amount of minerals that their body is able to absorb.

You can find Chelated Minerals in our premium multi-mineral supplement Essentially-U. Take advantage and save 50% off your first bottle!

Essentially-U is different from other daily multi-nutrients in that it contains both the vitamins AND minerals that your body needs for optimal health. 

We source our minerals from Albion®, a trusted mineral supplier located in Utah. We use their TRAACS® (The Real Amino Acid Chelate System) verified minerals. Albion® is the gold standard for Amino Acid Mineral Chelates.

We use Albion TRAACS® chelated minerals in the following Utzy Naturals products:

•Essentially-U (daily multi-nutrient)

•U-Mune (immune support supplement)

•Utzzz’s: Stay Asleep (targeted natural sleep aid)

•Utzzz’s: Fall Asleep (targeted natural sleep aid)

Are Chelated Minerals Safe?

There are no known negative side effects of Chelated minerals. They are similar to regular minerals, which are needed by your body for normal function. There are also no known interactions at this time. 

 

What Types of Chelated Minerals Are Available? 

You can find Chelated Minerals in many different forms. Below is an exhaustive list of the chelated minerals that are available:

 

Chelated Essential Minerals

There are many different types of chelated minerals that are available. The ones widely available are listed below:

•Chelated Calcium

•Chelated Cobalt

•Chelated Copper

•Chelated Iron

•Chelated Magnesium

•Chelated Manganese

•Chelated Molybdenum

•Chelated Potassium

•Chelated Selenium

•Chelated Zinc

 

Chelated Trace Minerals

In addition to Essential Minerals, various Chelated Trace Minerals are available. See the list below. 

•Chelated Boron

•Chelated Vanadium

•Chelated Chromium

 

What Amino Acids Are Used For Amino Acid Chelates?

There are various different amino acids that chelated minerals can be bound to, the most common amino acids being:

•Glycine

•Lysine

•Arginine

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Daniel Powers is a health and fitness enthusiast with a background in the supplement industry. He has a degree is business and has allowed his passion for entrepreneurship flow into researching health topics. Outside of work, Daniel enjoys Crossfit, reading large books, and drinking coffee.