Ancestral Minerals is a blend of Ancient Sea Salt, Atlantic Kelp, and Wildflower Bee Pollen, each a whole food source of essential minerals we need to thrive. Our ancestors have always relied on salt-preserved foods, fresh organ meats, beehive products, and marine life, including seaweed for both food and medicine. It is believed that access to these mineral-rich food sources, including iodine, unlocked the full potential of our cellular metabolism and aided in our rapid brain development [8]. These essential nutrients all work synergistically with each other in harmony with nature, and in harmony with the wisdom of our ancestors.

Ancestral Minerals... rich in whole food sources of essential and trace minerals including sodium chloride, potassium, iodine, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous and zinc to support remineralization.

It’s estimated that more than half of the global population suffers from a micronutrient deficiency. [9] Much of this is due to a lack of essential minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and sulfur) and trace minerals (iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium). The ‘key’ to our cells functioning properly is having specific amounts of these minerals available in the correct organ in the body, at precisely the right time. These minerals are essential for a huge range of physiological functions. If you’re deficient in minerals it’s likely your teeth and bones are weak too. In the event of insufficient mineral intake, our bodies will take minerals from our bones which can lead to low bone density and osteoporosis. [10] The good news is, Ancestral Minerals contains all of the essential minerals we need to remineralize our entire bodies, including our bones and teeth. Ancestral Minerals is a rich source of calcium and phosphorus. Our ancestors consumed at least 1-2 grams of calcium/phosphorus per day, from a wide range of sources including animal bones, seaweed, sea salt, bee pollen, and insects… Calcium is essential for vascular contraction and vasodilation, muscle function, nerve transmission, intracellular signaling, and hormone secretion. While the main function of phosphorus is the formation of strong bones and teeth, it is also necessary for the body to synthesize protein to support the growth, maintenance, and repair of cells and tissues. It even plays an important role in how the body uses carbohydrates and fats and is needed for the proper absorption of calcium.

Almost everyone these days is deficient in magnesium. Thousands of years of agriculture have taken so much magnesium from the soil that it is difficult to imagine how our ancestors ever got enough through diet alone. The earth was more fertile and their food was simply more nutritious back then. Ancient Sea Salt, Atlantic Kelp, and WIldlfower Bee Pollen are all great sources of magnesium that our ancestors were consuming. Magnesium is critical for bone development, enzyme synthesis, the nervous system, and muscular function. [11] It is required for the production of all proteins, including those that interact with vitamins A and D. Vitamins A, D, and K2 interact synergistically with these essential minerals to support energy metabolism, immune health, provide for adequate growth, support strong bones and teeth, and protect soft tissues from calcification. In addition to Ancestral Minerals, be sure to consume Beef Liver for Vitamin A, get Vitamin D from sensible sunshine, and for K2 consume bone marrow and fermented foods.

Pro tip: Mechanical loads are known to support bone strength too! I suggest getting into some weight training! Lifting heavy things was absolutely something our ancestors did to build robust and healthy bodies!

The key to optimal hydration is not water, it is electrolytes. Electrolytes are minerals that conduct electricity when dissolved in water to form electrically charged ions, chiefly sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphate. Not only do athletes require electrolytes… everyone needs electrolytes to survive, especially the elderly and those in poor health. Many automatic processes in the body rely on a small electric current to function... electrolytes provide this charge.

Electrolytes interact with each other and the cells in our tissues, nerves, and muscles. They regulate nerve and muscle function, help rebuild damaged tissue, hydrate the body, balance blood acidity and blood pressure. The muscles and neurons are sometimes referred to as the “electric tissues” of the body because they rely on the movement of electrolytes through the fluid inside, outside, or between cells in order to carry electrical impulses to other cells. For example, a muscle needs calcium, sodium, and potassium to contract. When these minerals become imbalanced, it can lead to either muscle weakness or excessive contraction.

Our bodies can’t make electrolytes so we must find them in our environment. Our ancestors consumed plenty from the soil, their food, and pristine water sources. In the modern world our soil, food, table salt, and water are all stripped of these essential minerals, and many of us struggle to consume enough electrolytes… add physical exercise or anything that makes you sweat to the mix and you’re in trouble. Our sweat contains a significant amount of electrolytes and losing them leads to a decrease in strength, speed, and focus. Performance can be impaired by as much as 10% when dehydrated by 2%, and by as much as 30% when dehydrated by 5%. [12]

Electrolytes including (sodium chloride/salt) not only support muscle and nerve function, they support optimal brain function too. Increasing salt consumption stimulates the production of glial cells in the brain, which are responsible for creative thinking and long-term planning. Regardless of the consistent push from so-called nutritional experts to decrease the RDA for salt intake, salt consumption is intimately connected with the evolution of our intelligence.

Pro tip: For years, I’ve used salt as a pre-workout. I take about 2-3 grams of salt with a little water before my workout to improve my cardiovascular capacity and endurance, and to prevent any potential symptoms from sodium loss, like cramping or muscle spasms. Most people believe that muscle cramps come from magnesium and potassium deficiencies so they load up on bananas post-workout, when most of the time it's simply a lack of salt.

The adrenal glands are responsible for the release and regulation of over fifty of the body’s hormones that regulate blood pressure, glucose levels, mineral metabolism, healing, and stress response. When levels of adrenal hormones drop, which often happens during periods of stress or fatigue, the body naturally responds by craving salty foods to help stabilize blood pressure.

When we encounter stress our adrenal glands release cortisol to enhance various bodily functions (focus, energy, etc.). Constant stress, however, can cause adrenal glands to burnout and result in extreme fatigue. Too much cortisol can also interfere with thyroid hormone production and slow down metabolism… excess cortisol stimulates the thyroid to work harder to create sufficient amounts of thyroid hormone. Iodine is an essential component of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4. These hormones regulate the metabolic activities of most cells, heart rate, and body temperature. Iodine also plays a vital role in our immune system, detoxification pathways and also supports the process of early growth and development of most organs, especially the brain. [13]

Iodine is an essential trace mineral required for human life and the only natural sources are from marine life or plants grown in iodine-rich soil. Most soils are now deficient in iodine and therefore most foods are either directly fortified, or sourced from animals that are fed supplemental iodine. Certified Grass Fed guidelines even allow 100% pasture-raised livestock to be fed seaweed in parts of the world where the soil is mineral deficient. Ancestral Minerals is a source of naturally occurring and bioavailable iodine (from kelp) and adaptogens (from bee pollen) that support thyroid and adrenal health.

Pro tip: As it relates to iodine supplement drops, I’d steer clear. Our ancestors would have never had access to such concentrations of iodine and the long-term effects of concentrated iodine can be toxic. Whole food sources of iodine include Ancestral Minerals, seaweed, wild-caught fish eggs, oysters, and shellfish. For intensive thyroid support consider our Beef Thyroid.

In the modern world, we consume about half the salt our ancestors would have. Before the days of refrigeration, most of our meat and fish were preserved by salting them. Our early ancestors would have consumed magnitudes more than modern humans — to the tune of 10+ grams/day. I personally start my day with 2 grams of sea salt (my pre-workout) and get the rest throughout the day by seasoning my like-supports-like nutrition foods to taste.

Salt, of course, is vital to health. There’s a reason that foods taste better with salt… it plays a key role in digestion. Sodium-dependent enzymes are required for carbohydrate digestion. We also need salt for digesting fats as sodium is involved in the manufacture of bile, which emulsifies fats so that they can be absorbed. Salt is our main dietary source of chloride, the major component of hydrochloric acid, needed for protein digestion.

Hydrochloric acid also plays a role in keeping parasites and pathogens from entering the digestive tract—parasites can easily gain a foothold in those on low-salt diets. Other symptoms of low hydrochloric acid include heartburn, bloating, acne, iron deficiency, belching, indigestion, diarrhea, and multiple food allergies.

Ranging from ancient healers, all the way up to our modern naturopaths, centuries of health experts have relied on bee pollen to help those with gastrointestinal issues including constipation, diarrhea, enteritis, and colitis. Bee pollen is rich in digestive enzymes and acts as an easily absorbable digestive aid to help with various stomach and intestinal disorders by supporting and regulating the intestinal flora. When bees collect pollen they combine it with some of their own digestive enzymes and honey from their hive. The pollen becomes enriched with beneficial bacteria, lactic acid, and carbohydrates to become a potent prebiotic. Bee pollen has been shown to induce the growth of healthy bacteria and reduce the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria in the gut, including C. difficile, Klebsiella pneumonia types, and the Candida albicans. [14]

Magnesium supports digestion too... it helps relax the muscles of the digestive tract and neutralize stomach acid, supporting stool movement through the colon. It helps to pull water into the intestines which can help to soften up blockages and support smoother bowel movements.

Pro tip: For digestive support, skip the juice cleanse or high fiber smoothies… instead try an extended water fast with spring water (and maybe even added minerals). The benefits of extended fasting reach far beyond digestion (learn more about fasting on our About Us page)... that said, a 5-day water fast is the ultimate cleanse. Wife and I fast for 5 days once per quarter. During this time, we only drink spring water which naturally contains essential minerals. For the first 1-3 days we include extra magnesium to help our colon pass any lingering bits and pieces, so the body can utilize all of its energy for repairing internal tissues, instead of digesting the food from our last few meals.