Return to WellWellWell HOMEPAGE

Welcome to Martha Pilcher's...

Minerals and Chelation

The importance of minerals has finally gained international recognition and acceptance. To meet this vital demand for minerals in nutrition, many have begun including minerals, mostly in the form of inorganic mineral salts. Unfortunately most minerals in their natural or salt state cannot be absorbed. The movement of most minerals across the intestinal mucosa requires CHELATION with carrier proteins. Most minerals exert most, if not all, of their biological effects while in the chelated state.

A Word About Chelation

The word CHELATION is derived from the Greek word 'chele', meaning CLAW. Pronounced KEY-LAY-SHUN, the chemical definition is: To firmly bind a metal ion with an organic molecule (ligand) to form a ring structure. The resulting ring structure protects the mineral from entering into unwanted chemical reactions. Dynamite did not invent chelation -- nature did that! And a German scientist named Werneer discovered it in 1893. It wasn't until 1920 that two other scientists, Morgan and Drew, named the process 'CHELATION'. Closer to the subject of mineral nutrition, a chelated mineral that can be utilized by the body is one that has been bonded to two or more amino acids from hydrolyzed protein. A mineral in this chelated state allows easy passage through the intestinal wall into the blood stream, which results in increased metabolism of that mineral.

Research Develops the ANSWER

The research role of Dynamite Products has been to develop natural chelated minerals which are biologically available through chemically suspending an essential mineral between two or more amino acids. Our researchers have uncovered nature's way of chelation which requires that the chelating ligand furnishes at least two donor groups to combine with the metal. One of the donor groups generally comes from an amino of the donor groups generally comes from an amino group (NH2), forming a complex covalent bond. The other donor group should come from the carboxyl group, (COOH), and forms an ionic bond. A minimum of two donor ligands must be used. They should be far enough away from each other to allow for the formation of a double heterocyclic ring compound. It is these discoveries, the processes developed from them, plus the ability to produce the products, giving this vital nutritional knowledge a practical application in a wide variety of areas that has made Dynamite Products far and away the world leader in mineral nutrition.

Formulation of a True Chelate

The concept of chelation is simple; making a chelate that is biologically available is not. The criteria established by nature include the following:
• A true chelate that is stable requires at least five bonds which form a ring. X-ray diffraction indicating the angle of the bonds between the atoms composing the chelate molecule shows that Dynamite's Chelate is a five-ring structure.
• The mineral must be bonded in the chelate ring by two of the elements of the ligand. Photoelectron spectroscopic analysis indicates the metal is bonded to the oxygen and nitrogen in the chelate ring formed by the process.
• In order to have a true chelate, one of the bonds between the metal and ligand must be covalent while the other is ionic. In the Dynamite Chelate, infrared spectrometric analysis indicates that the bond between the nitrogen and the metal is covalent and the bond between the oxygen and the metal is ionic.
• Further, it must have a molecular weight that is less than 1500 in order to penetrate the body cell membranes as an intact chelate. A chelate that has a large molecular weight must be broken down prior to absorption, thus destroying the protective value and purpose of chelation. Dynamite chelates have molecular weight of less than 1,000 even though the mineral has been bonded to two or more amino acids in order to protect the mineral from entering into other reactions.
  Source: Dynamite Specialty Products brochure entitled
  The Chelation Process. What is It?
  
  

How are Dynamite Products Superior?

The increasingly obvious need for supplementation has led to a real flood of nutritional additives on the marketplace. Dynamite products have some distinct advantages over most of the competition. Dynamite uses chelated minerals in its formulations for maximum digestibility and usability, with a minimum of side effects. Most consumers (and perhaps even most supplement manufacturers) are under the impression that a mineral is a mineral, and that one form is as good as another. Authorities have finally recognized that without optimum mineral nutrition, dietary protein, fats, vitamins and carbohydrates cannot be utilized by the body. In spite of this, the majority of supplement manufacturers still utilize inorganic mineral salts in their formulas. Unfortunately, most minerals in their natural or salt state cannot be absorbed. The movement of minerals across the intestinal mucosa requires chelation with carrier proteins. Minerals exert most or all of their biological effects while in the chelated state.

Source: Dynamite Specialty Products representative training materials.