Minerals are solid, crystalline substances, not of animal or vegetable nature. They cannot be synthesized by the body. Imbalances or deficiencies in minerals can affect the production of energy, the synthesis of blood, bones, and hormones, immune system and enzyme function, and reproduction. Balance, or the ratio of one mineral to another, is key to mineral utilization.
The bioavailability of mineral supplements is perhaps the most important consideration in selecting a formula. The body transports minerals across the intestinal walls by chelating or bonding them into amino acids. For greater bioavailability special processing is needed to create a stable bond between the mineral and amino acids. Albion Laboratories® uses patented processes to assure the bond stability. The superiority of the bioavailability of Albion®’s chelates has been demonstrated numerous times over many years, by employing more than a half-dozen testing procedures. Some other products on the market purported to be chelates are merely complexed mixtures of proteins and minerals that lose stability during digestion and consequently have lower bioavailability.
Many of the minerals in Revolution Mineral are bound to di-peptides. This combination appears to further enhance absorption by means of active transport across the intestinal wall. Three very important features of the chelated minerals in Revolution Mineral are 1) absence of an electrical charge so that they are less likely to interact with other dietary substances such as phytates, other vitamins and minerals, or medications; 2) small molecular weights that facilitate transport across the intestinal mucosa; 3) the chelates remain intact and stable throughout the ranges of pH in the digestive tract.
The minerals in Revolution Mineral differ from those in many formulas in that they are bound to the ligand, glycine. Unlike the ligand picolinic acid that gets excreted unchanged in the urine, the amino acid glycine has nutritional value in and of itself. This means that 100% of the compound has nutrient value.
Revolution Mineral also stands apart from most other mineral formulas on the market because of its content of malic acid, lithium, and vanadium. Malic acid participates in the energy production cycle. A double-blind, placebo controlled, cross-over study using 400 mgs of malic acid three times a day (approximately the same amount as in Revolution Mineral) along with magnesium resulted in significant reductions in three measurements of pain and tenderness in subjects with primary fibromyalgia. Studies in Sweden demonstrated reduced content of high energy phosphate bonds in the muscles of individuals with fibromyaglia and theorized this to be one cause of the pain associated with the condition. As a result of malic acid’s role in energy production, NADH (which yields 3 ATPs) is formed and may potentially reverse this status in the muscles of these patients. Malic acid is also thought to increase energy levels in healthy humans.
Lithium and vanadium are known as ultra-trace elements. As yet, neither a human requirement for ultra-trace elements, nor deficiency symptoms have been demonstrated in humans. The insulin-like properties of vanadium have been demonstrated. Lithium regulates the neurotransmitter glutamate, acting to keep the amount between brain cells at a stable healthy level. Doses somewhat higher than those in this formula are used by some practitioners to treat bipolar disorders and autism. These ultra-trace minerals, as well as some of the others, could have very narrow margins between useful and toxic doses. However, Albion® amino acid chelates have been shown to have lower toxicity than any other form of inorganic mineral supplements.
Significant excretion of maganese, molybdenum, zinc, and lithium was seen in a preliminary clinical trial with Revolution Mineral’s Chelation SupportTM an excellent companion interim formula. Individuals with diabetes also are likely to benefit from a multi-mineral supplement such as Revolution Mineral due to polyuria, hyperexcretion, poor absorption, oxidative stress, poor intake, and various links to individual minerals such as magnesium, zinc, manganese, and chromium and insulin resistance. Data shows that the more an individual needs a particular mineral(s), the higher the relative absorption advantage is for the Albion® mineral amino acid chelate form.
Directions
Take 2 capsules twice daily (unless otherwise directed)
References
- Russel IJ, Michalek JE, Flechas JD, Abraham GE. Treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome with Super Malic: a randomized , double blind, placebo controlled, crossover pilot study. J Rheumatol. 1995 May; 22(5):953-8. [PMID:8587088]
- Bengtsson A, Henriksson KG. The muscle in fibromyalgia — a review of Swedish studies. J Rheumatol Suppl. 1989 Nov; 19: 144-9. [PMID: 2691674]
- Malic Acid can be the right ligand for certain applications. Albion® Research Notes. April 2003; 12(2) 1-4 www.albion-an.com/human/ newsletter/2003april.pdf {accessed 2.21.06}
- Mehdi MZ, Pandey SK, Theberge JF, Srivastava AK Insulin signal mimicry as a mechanism for the insulin-like effects of vanadium. Cell Biochem Biophys. 2006 ;44(1):73-81 [PMID: 16456236]
- Lithobid (Lithium carbonate/citrate) and Autism. http://www.remedyfind.com/rem.asp?ID=7094
- Implications of the “other half” of mineral compound. Albion® Research Notes. October 2000; 9(3) 1-4www.albionan.com/human/ newsletter/2000october.pdf {accessed 2.21.06}
