For those worried about the presence of potentially harmful substances such as Mercury, Lead, Aluminum, Fluoride, and Arsenic please do your research before panicking. This product is natural and all substances in it are naturally occurring. To find a product without the certain substances most likely means you are getting a more processed and synthetic product. Please read below an email I received from Dr. Darrin Starkey re: why those substances are in ConcenTrace mineral drops."Trace Minerals Research regularly tests for the presence of heavy metals, using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) testing methods in addition to other standard testing methods. Test results consistently show that the amounts of these elements are well below safety tolerance levels established for food and drug manufacturing. In fact, recent test results released by an independent laboratory, using U.S. EPA approved testing methodologies, affirm that Trace Minerals Research’s mineral products do not contain levels that even approach the EPA’s reference dose for these elements. The recent findings should assure you, as well as our consumers everywhere, that Trace Minerals Research’s products are safe and do not pose any threat of heavy metal toxicity. The product is GRAS affirmed. If you are not familiar with GRAS affirmation, I would recommend educating yourself on it.Our trace minerals are harvested (not manufactured) from the Great Salt Lake, and if you look at the landscape of the Great Salt Lake, you realize very quickly that it is surrounded by mountains. These mountains have various streams and rivers, that naturally runoff into the Great Salt Lake, and with no outlets, the lake becomes a sort of catch basin. As the snowpack melts in the spring, and this runoff makes it's way down the mountains, it picks up minerals from the rocks and soil that then accumulate in the Great Salt Lake.Information that was put together by the Utah Geological Society on the Great Salt Lake actually clarifies how the lake is able to self clean without any outlets. It is important, and interesting, to note this information because while the lake has been concentrating inorganic salts in its waters for thousands of years, the total soluble concentrations of heavy metals are actually low. The information the Utah Geological Society put together states that the heavy metals, including clays, are enabled within the sediments and brines due to anaerobic conditions that then immobilize the metals.At Trace Minerals Research, we take great pride in the quality and purity of our products. Our mineral brines are harvested from our private ponds on the Northwest side of the lake. Once the trace minerals are harvested, each lot of mineral brines undergoes extensive testing by both "in-house" and independent laboratories (as I have already mentioned), to test for impurities and to ensure potency, purity, and balance. Careful handling is a part of our harvesting process which is similar to that of an agricultural operation, and, just as in organic farming, great care is taken to avoid contamination by chemicals.You specifically mentioned a concern about Lead, Mercury, Fluoride, Arsenic, and Aluminum. Again, this is question/concern many people have, and so it is important to understand how trace minerals work to understand why we have trace amounts of these elements in the product. First off, toxicity often occurs when a single element is introduced out of balance with other trace minerals. Man-made by-products are, all too often, the culprits of this because they are found in much higher doses than nature would have them. For instance, mercury contamination of our oceans has created a situation where the fish we consume from the very oceans we have contaminated contain much higher mercury levels than nature would normally have them contain. Most forms of life are not very good at expelling mercury so they tend to accumulate and concentrate mercury that they consume. If plankton consumes sea water over its life, it will tend to accumulate any mercury from the sea water and, thus, the mercury in the plankton will typically be higher than levels that are found in the sea water. When a fish eats the plankton over its life, it tends to accumulate mercury from the plankton and, thus, the fish will typically have higher levels of mercury than the plankton. As this paradigm continues upwards through the food chain, mercury levels tend to increase. The balance of trace minerals has been disrupted, and and as a result, there is now concern over human consumption of fish and the risk of mercury contamination.The amount of Mercury found in 40 drops (1/2 teaspoon) of ConcenTrace is 0.008 parts per million (ppm). To put this into perspective, in a baked potato or a lean grilled chicken breast you get 0.4 ppms, and in a strawberry, you get 0.6 ppms of Mercury.Arsenic is another perfect example of a man-made byproduct that has been linked to toxicity and as a result, most information about arsenic is focused around this concern. But, did you know that some of the richest sources of arsenic in our diets are found in our seeded berries such as strawberries. Most people wouldn't think twice about popping a strawberry in their mouth, and shouldn't, but that is also the amount of arsenic we are talking about in the ConcenTrace.Fluoride does occur naturally, however, the concern over fluoride comes not from the naturally occurring fluoride, but from synthesized versions that are made by man and then added to our drinking water and to toothpaste. On average, we usually consume anywhere from 1.3-1.8 milligrams of fluoride a day from our foods. Fluoride naturally occurs in potatoes, beef, apples, chicken, milk, eggs, and oatmeal to name just a few.The same applies to both Lead and Aluminum as well that are found in our product. Both are naturally occurring trace minerals found in their naturally occurring ionic state, and as such, are in similar amounts to that which is found naturally existing in many of the foods we consume.Understanding how trace minerals work, helps to put into perspective the concerns over toxicity. Again, toxicity occurs when a single element is introduced out of balance with other trace minerals, and, as I said, man-made by-products are, all too often, the reason why we associate certain elements with toxicity.Trace minerals work synergistically with one another to ensure that proper absorption, activation, regulation, and pH balance occurs within the body. An example of this synergistic relationship is that of the one between molybdenum and iron. All the iron in the world will do you no good without molybdenum. Molybdenum performs a very important, but basic, function by mobilizing iron from its storage location in the liver so that it can help blood carry oxygen to cells and tissues. This important, but often overlooked mineral, is vital in sustaining our lives, and only recently was its purpose discovered.Another role of trace minerals is to police each other. When taken in proper balance, trace minerals control one another to ensure that no one element gets out of control and creates a toxic situation within the body. Trace Minerals Research does not manufacture their trace minerals. They are harvested in their naturally occurring state, and as such, also occur in their naturally balanced state. Again, in this state, they help to regulate one another, and create a balanced state within the body.Best of health,Dr. Darrin StarkeyManager of Education and TrainingTrace Minerals Research "Hope this helped!
