Bioavailability of Trace Minerals

Trace minerals are not all created equal. Some forms of trace minerals have very poor bioavailability due to low solubility (e.g., copper oxide) or due to antagonism from other inorganic factors (zinc sulfate, copper sulfate). AvailaMins from Zinpro Corporation are engineered to resist antagonists in the diet, and are designed for improved absorption via the chemical bonding of a single amino acid to each mineral ion. Therefore, each zinc, manganese and copper metal atom has a single amino acid bonded to it, to facilitate absorption in the gut. This complexing process increases trace mineral bioavailability compared to other mineral sources (Figure 2 and 3).

Figure 2.	Relative Bioavailability of Manganese Sources	Figure 3. Relative Bioavailability of Zinc Sources

Variation in Trace Mineral Bioavailability

Many factors may lead to large variations in bioavailability values of the same chemical form of a trace mineral. The graph below (Figure 4) shows the differences in bioavailability between numerous zinc oxide sources and zinc sulfate. This variation can partly explain inconsistent performance of animals consuming these and other mineral sources.

Figure 4. Relative Bioavailability of Zinc Oxide

Absorption Theory

Other forms of trace minerals require a ligand to transport them through the gut wall and then to be absorbed. If these minerals fail to attract and bond with a ligand, they are simply excreted and wasted. AvailaMins are built with an amino acid chemically attached and are, therefore, more readily absorbed (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Proposed Absorption Theory