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Many of my patients bring their supplements with them to their appointments (and I always encourage this, especially if there are a lot of them!) When I sort through, I’ll often ask, “What are you taking this for?” or “Who prescribed this?” In general, my goal is to whittle the list down to just those things that we know are helpful, and as little as we can get away with. (I wrote here on the core basics for everyone.)
But I’m also looking for whether or not the supplements are absorbable (bioavailable) or not. This is largely a function of whether the minerals are organic or inorganic.
Inorganic Minerals
Most cheaper supplements are inorganic, in the form found in rocks. The most common are carbonate, oxide, and sulfate.
Inorganic mineral absorption is highly pH-dependent. They are absorbed far better in an acidic environment than in a more alkaline one–like the intestines tend to be, where absorption should occur.
In order to get absorbed, the mineral also has to separate from the compound to which it is bound, outside the cells, and then compete for mineral-specific transporters inside the cells. If these inorganic minerals can’t get where they need to go, they can also accumulate in the tissues in inappropriate places, too.
This is why some inorganic calcium supplements in particular have been linked to arterial calcification, precipitating on tissues along with inorganic phosphates, conferring cardiovascular risk.
But that’s inorganic minerals. Organic are another matter.
Organic Minerals
Organic minerals are typically chelated forms (the second word next to the mineral ends in -ate, like glycinate, taurate, orotate, citrate, etc. But NOT sulfate or carbonate… those are the exceptions to the suffix rule.) These are the forms that naturally occur in food, or are bound to organic acids.
These are much more readily absorbable compared to inorganic forms, as they can be absorbed intact into the cells and release the mineral inside of the cells, where it needs to be. They also are far more absorbable across a wide range of pH environments.
Not only that, but organic minerals don’t bind nearly as readily to food-based inhibitors, like phytic acid or oxalates. This is due to their chelated structure too.
The Upshot
This is unfortunately often a case of getting what you pay for. Not all chelated (organic) forms of minerals are necessarily expensive, but it’s certainly true that the cheapest supplements tend to contain inorganic minerals.
