Balchem and Virginia Tech open new joint Mineral Metabolism Research Center

16 Feb 2024 --- Nutrition and health manufacturer Balchem and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), US, have jointly established the Virginia Tech Mineral Metabolism Research Center. The center will investigate the significance of mineral nutrition in human health.

“The project plays an important role in the future of nutrition because it aims to provide a credible and comprehensive overview of the current state of scientific research on minerals and human health to clinicians and researchers,” says initiative leader Dr. Stella Volpe, head of the department of human Nutrition, foods and exercise at Virginia Tech.

“We support Virginia Tech on this project because we believe it will help the scientific community reach a deeper understanding of minerals in human health,” says Dr. Eric Ciappio, strategic development manager of nutrition science at Balchem.

“This collaboration supports independent research to continue to develop effective, innovative ingredients that can benefit consumers globally,” he adds. “Our Albion Minerals brand has been conducting mineral research for over six decades, introducing ingredient formats, such as magnesium bisglycinate chelate and chelated iron, always using science as the foundation to product innovation and development.”

Minerals for health
The collaboration sets out to review contemporary scientific knowledge on the relationship between mineral intake and human health in order to identify research questions to inform researchers and clinicians. Dr. Volpe’s team of researchers plan to publish a review article on the state of science on magnesium later this year.

Existing research suggests that magnesium facilitates a variety of bodily functions, such as blood pressure regulation, muscle and nerve function, bone formation and blood glucose concentration management. 

Magnesium is recognized by the FDA as having health claims for having a positive impact on high blood pressure,

Multiple recent studies have shown that increasing intake of the mineral may lower the risk of developing dementia. 

Magnesium has also been identified as an increasingly sought-after ingredient for improved relaxation and sleep. 

In addition, research shows that magnesium ion (Mg2+) facilitates hyaluronic acid production, which can improve skin moisture and reduce UV damage. 

Balchem states that the large body of scientific work and the popularity of magnesium makes the release of a review paper timely and essential. 

By Milana Nikolova