Vitamin & Dietary Supplement - Health Tips

Exploring the Different Types of PureBulk Minerals

February 08, 2024

The human body needs dietary minerals to support numerous functions. They provide essential support for the intricate machinery of our bodies, such as fortifying bone structure, influencing muscle and nerve activity, and regulating the body's water balance. Minerals are also integral components of hormones, enzymes, and other biologically active compounds that participate in the immune system. Dietary mineral imbalances increase our susceptibility to infections and developing chronic illnesses. While a well-rounded diet can provide these much-needed minerals, certain groups have a higher risk of developing deficiencies. These include individuals with chronic illnesses, older adults, vegetarians, vegans, pregnant women, and athletes following restricted diets. Dietary minerals fall into two categories: macrominerals and trace minerals. [1 - 5]

What are Macrominerals?

Macrominerals are the minerals the body requires in relatively large amounts to carry out fundamental physiological functions—typically more than 100mg per day. These include calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and sulfur. They are critical for the health and performance of vital organs and tissues such as bones, muscles, the heart, and the brain. For instance, calcium is crucial for bone strength, phosphorus contributes to energy metabolism in muscles, magnesium participates in nerve function, and sodium and potassium are critical for heart and muscle contractions. PureBulk carries all the essential macrominerals as standalone products or mineral blends. [6]

Macromineral Health Benefits

Calcium. Important for bone and teeth health, muscle function, and blood clotting. Calcium is the most abundant of all the minerals in the human body. The body stores the vast majority (99%) of calcium in the bones and teeth. Unfortunately, the skeleton acts as a calcium reserve when dietary sources aren’t sufficient for its needs. It leaches calcium, which weakens bones and teeth. PureBulk carries nine calcium supplements: calcium carbonate (mineral) powder, calcium citrate (USA) powder, calcium pyruvate powder, coral calcium powder (Okinawa), calcium gluconate (USA), calcium d-glucarate, and calcium lactate gluconate. PureBulk also carries three calcium blends: calcium ascorbate powder, dicalcium phosphate (DCP)dicalcium phosphate (DCP)dicalcium phosphate (DCP), and tricalcium phosphate (TCP)tricalcium phosphate (TCP). Calcium ascorbate is a calcium salt combined with vitamin C. DCP and TCP are dietary sources of calcium and phosphorus. [7 - 9]
Chloride. Works with sodium to maintain fluid balance and facilitates digestion by stimulating stomach acid. [10, 11]
Magnesium. Serves as a cofactor in a diverse array of enzyme systems (over 300) that influence energy metabolism, DNA and RNA synthesis, bone health, muscle contraction, and nerve function. Magnesium is also essential for synthesizing glutathione antioxidants. PureBulk carries eight magnesium supplements: magnesium bis-glycinate powder (USA), magnesium malate, magnesium citrate, magnesium gluconate (USA), magnesium lactate dihydrate, magnesium hydroxide (USA)magnesium hydroxide (USA)magnesium hydroxide (USA), magnesium carbonate, and magnesium l-aspartate. [12 - 14]
Phosphorus. Essential for bone and teeth formation, energy metabolism, and acid-base balance. It’s a component of DNA, RNA, and ATP (adenosine triphosphate), essential molecules that store genetic information and transfer energy. PureBulk carries dicalcium phosphate and tricalcium phosphate. Both are a combination of calcium and phosphorus. [15, 16]
Potassium. Necessary for fluid balance, nerve transmission, and muscle contraction. Potassium exists in all parts of the body, and every cell needs it to work properly. It helps keep the fluid inside cells at the right level and maintains the balance of electrically charged particles across cell membranes, which is crucial for normal cell function. Not getting enough potassium in from dietary sources can lead to problems like high blood pressure, an increased risk of kidney stones, increased calcium loss through the urine, and increased sensitivity to changes in salt, which can affect blood pressure more than usual. PureBulk carries five potassium supplements: potassium citrate, potassium bicarbonate (USA), potassium gluconate (USA), potassium l-aspartate, and potassium chloride (USA). [17 - 20]
Sodium. Critical for fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle contraction. Sodium is also essential for maintaining proper blood pressure and pH levels in the body. [10, 21]
Sulfur. Although sulfur does not fit neatly into the traditional macromineral or trace mineral categories, it is an essential structural component of thiamine (vitamin B1), biotin (vitamin B7), and coenzyme A. Unlike other essential nutrients, the body obtains sulfur through dietary intake of sulfur-containing compounds, such as cysteine and methionine. Sulfur is also crucial for glutathione synthesis and function. Glutathione is a tripeptide composed of three amino acids: cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine. Cysteine contains sulfur, and its availability is a limiting factor for glutathione production. Glutathione is a critical antioxidant that helps neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protect cells from oxidative stress. Sulfur from cysteine enables disulfide bonds to form within glutathione, contributing to its structure and function as an effective antioxidant. PureBulk carries several sulfur-containing supplements: taurine, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), benfotiamine, alpha lipoic acid (R-ALA) (thioctic acid), n-acetyl l-cysteine (NAC), alpha lipoic acid (RS-ALA) (thioctic acid), l-methionine, l-cysteine HCl anhydrous, and DL-methionine. [6, 22 - 28]

What are Trace Minerals?

Trace minerals, except for chromium, are components of the enzymes, hormones, and other molecules involved in various metabolic processes. Despite needing them in smaller quantities compared to macrominerals, trace minerals are indispensable for maintaining good health. They contribute to functions such as immune system support, antioxidant activity, and forming certain proteins and enzymes.

Trace Mineral Health Benefits

Copper. Involved in forming connective tissues, iron metabolism, and antioxidant defense. Copper deficiencies can cause issues with connective tissue, resulting in problems with blood vessels and bones. It can also cause anemia due to difficulties in using iron properly and potential dysfunction in certain aspects of the central nervous system. [29 - 31]
Iodine. Necessary for synthesizing thyroid hormones, which regulate metabolism. Iodine is also crucial for proper brain, bone, muscle, and reproductive organ development. Iodine deficiency is a global health concern, particularly in regions where the soil lacks sufficient iodine to infuse foods. It is the leading preventable cause of brain damage globally. Many countries add iodine to table salt (iodized salt) in a coordinated, international effort to prevent deficiencies. [32 - 35]
Iron. Essential for forming hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to tissues. Iron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide. The body struggles to produce enough healthy red blood cells without sufficient iron, leading to symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, paleness, and difficulty concentrating. Prolonged iron deficiencies can cause anemia. Children, women of childbearing age, pregnant women, frequent blood donors, and individuals with specific medical conditions are most at risk of developing iron deficiencies. [36 - 38]
Manganese. Contributes to bone formation, blood clotting, and antioxidant enzyme activity. It also activates enzymes that metabolize amino acids, carbohydrates, and cholesterol. These metabolic pathways are fundamental for energy production, protein synthesis, and maintaining lipid balance in the body. [39 - 41]
Molybdenum. Helps metabolize certain amino acids and forms sulfite oxidase enzymes. Sulfite oxidase is essential to break down and utilize sulfur-containing amino acids like cysteine and methionine. It also helps prevent toxic sulfite buildup. [42 - 44]
Selenium. Acts as an antioxidant and is essential for thyroid hormones to function properly. It is a component of selenoproteins like glutathione peroxidase enzymes. These enzymes protect cells from oxidative damage by neutralizing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid hydroperoxides. [45 - 48]
Zinc. A critical player in immune function, wound healing, and DNA synthesis. More than 300 enzymes in the body require zinc to function. Several studies show that taking zinc supplements shortly after the onset of the common cold can reduce the severity of symptoms and duration. Zinc deficiencies are a common problem that affects around 2 billion people worldwide. PureBulk carries seven zinc supplements: zinc picolinate 20%, zinc ascorbate, zinc bis-glycinate, zinc gluconate, zinc l-aspartate (USA), zinc oxide, and zinc sulfate monohydrate. [49 - 58]

Debated Essential Minerals

Chromium. Aids in glucose and fat metabolism and may enhance insulin activity and function.
Fluoride. Supports dental health by promoting tooth enamel strength and resistance to decay.

Chromium’s essentiality is a hot debate topic among researchers, scientists, and experts in the fields of nutrition, biochemistry, and medicine. Studies show that chromium benefits individuals with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes, while others question chromium’s significance in the general population. As such, the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has not set the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for chromium. However, many nutrition experts still recognize its importance in metabolic processes and continue to classify it as an essential trace mineral. [59, 60]

Like chromium, some do not consider fluoride an essential trace mineral as humans don’t need it to sustain physiological functions. However, others argue that it's crucial for preventing chronic dental diseases, making it essential. The nutritional science field is dynamic, and research findings may influence the understanding of chromium and fluoride essentiality over time. [61 - 63]

PureBulk Multivitamin

PureBulk carries a multivitamin that contains the essential minerals calcium, phosphorus, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, and zinc. It also includes vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, thiamine (vitamin B1), vitamin C, riboflavin (vitamin B2), biotin (vitamin B7), niacin (vitamin B3), folic acid (vitamin B9), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), and choline (a nutrient similar to b vitamins).