Chelamax® Proven Mineral Chelation
What is a Chelated Mineral?
Chelated minerals offer enhanced bioavailability, making them more effective and marketable compared to non-chelated forms. However, many products labeled as chelated are not fully chelated—or not chelated at all. At Innophos, we’ve developed a rigorous three-step testing protocol to ensure true chelation with unmatched precision. This innovation ensures that supplement manufacturers can deliver optimal nutrient absorption. With nearly nine out of ten Americans deficient in essential minerals or vitamins, using fully chelated minerals helps consumers restore healthy levels more effectively than traditional mineral salts or oxides.
Chelation occurs when a mineral ion binds to an organic molecule, such as an amino acid, at multiple points to form a stable ring structure. This process enhances the mineral’s bioavailability, stability, and absorption, making it far more effective than non-chelated forms like salts or oxides. The choice of ligand—such as citric acid or glycine—determines key properties like solubility and absorption. However, not all minerals and ligands are compatible for chelation, making careful formulation essential. Using properly chelated minerals ensures superior nutrient delivery, helping manufacturers meet the growing demand for effective, science-backed supplements.
Chelation occurs when a mineral ion binds to an organic molecule, such as an amino acid, at multiple points to form a stable ring structure. This process enhances the mineral’s bioavailability, stability, and absorption, making it far more effective than non-chelated forms like salts or oxides. The choice of ligand—such as citric acid or glycine—determines key properties like solubility and absorption. However, not all minerals and ligands are compatible for chelation, making careful formulation essential. Using properly chelated minerals ensures superior nutrient delivery, helping manufacturers meet the growing demand for effective, science-backed supplements.
Superior Bioavailability of Chelated Minerals
Absolute bioavailability of 2.6x Chelated minerals are used for supporting normal growth, building strong muscles and bones, improving immune system function, and overall health. The reason formulators choose chelated minerals as ingredients for dietary supplements is superior bioavailability.Here’s how chelation works to improve bioavailability: the protective organic shell of the chelated mineral enables it to withstand diverse challenges of the digestive system including varying pH levels and interactions with other dietary compounds. Chelated minerals maintain their solubility in the digestive tract, allowing the mineral to be readily absorbed. This is in sharp contrast to mineral oxides and salts (e.g. magnesium oxide) which are typically flushed through the intestine without being absorbed and are excreted as waste.
Three-Step Process Verifies Full Chelation
A significant concern in supplement formulation is that many minerals sold as chelates are in fact not fully chelated and may not be chelated at all. To address this problem, Innophos has developed a novel three-step process for verification of full chelation in Chelamax® products. The three steps are: X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR).
As a leading supplier of minerals to the nutrition market, Innophos developed this unique and integrated testing protocol to prove total chelation, which is linked to bioavailability of minerals in the human body.
As a leading supplier of minerals to the nutrition market, Innophos developed this unique and integrated testing protocol to prove total chelation, which is linked to bioavailability of minerals in the human body.
