We often get the question – why are the minerals so low in Absorb Plus?

Well, the amounts of all the minerals and vitamins in Absorb Plus are formulated for someone to be able to take a maximum of 12 servings per day, so to even get a daily therapeutic dose of vitamins and minerals you would need to be consuming at least five shakes per day.

Remember, Absorb Plus was formulated to be consumed as an elemental, sole food source.

The minerals in AP are purposely low because:

1. Regular magnesium loosens the bowel. There is very little magnesium in Absorb Plus since people are already on a liquid diet and their bowels are inflamed. Therefore, we do not want to give them diarrhea by giving them a lot of normal magnesium! Remember that the body can only absorb 5-15% of normal magnesium (absorption of magnesium oxide is lowest at 5% and citrate/bisglycinate is highest at 15%) and the rest is thrown off into the bowel, where it is irritating and stimulates a bowel movement. This is great if you’re constipated, but awful if your bowels are already loose and irritated.

2. Regular calcium builds up in the arteries. There is very little calcium in Absorb Plus – because ‘normal’ powdered calcium can build up in the arteries and is believed to be a primary cause of heart disease. So even at 5 servings of Absorb Plus per day you are only receiving 250 mg of calcium – way below the 1000 mg per day dosage recommended for osteoporosis-prevention.

The great benefit of QuikPlus Bone Matrix and QuikPlus Magnesium is that people can finally take a therapeutic or high dose of calcium and/or magnesium without suffering loose bowels or diarrhea, or risking calcification.

3. Iron is aggravating to the gut and can trigger intestinal bleeding. Many of our customers use Absorb Plus to recover from intestinal bleeding, and iron can trigger or exacerbate intestinal bleeding. This is why it has been left out of the formula – and people can then supplement as needed. Also, depending on the person’s size, they will consume anywhere from 3 to 10 shakes per day. Since iron is a very powerful substance, it would be very hard to set an amount that suited everybody and wouldn’t lead to iron toxicity for some.

That’s why I recommend QuikPlus Iron for people with gut sensitivities, or who are prone to intestinal bleeding – since it does not require digestion and therefore does not irritate the gut.

Still Sensitive to Nano-Sized?

Are you super sensitive to Magnesium and find that even nano-sized magnesium can loosen your stool? In that case, the best thing to do is to start with half a dose and put it into a bottle of water (16 ounces or more) that you sip throughout the day. Once your body has adjusted to that, increase the dosage to the full amount, in 16 ounces+ of water or herbal tea and sip throughout the day.

If you dilute the dosage and spread it out over the course of the day, it gives your body lots of time to gently utilize the mineral and not trigger any reactions.

Note: These instructions can apply to ANY QuikPlus mineral other than Iron. Because Iron has the potential to stain the teeth, it would need to be diluted in 16-32 ounces of water and ideally drink it through a straw (you can get glass or stainless steel straws on Amazon) so the liquid goes to the back of your mouth and doesn’t get swished around your teeth.

I hope this answers your questions! If you have any others, please comment below or email us at service@listentoyourgut.com.

In good health!