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Mother's Milk and Minerals: A Duo for Healthy Nursing and Growth
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Minerals play an essential role in fertility, from conception to pregnancy to postpartum recovery.
Your body needs a lot more minerals than usual throughout pregnancy, and the latest nutritional guidelines for new mothers suggest continuing to supplement with a variety of minerals for at least a year postpartum. [ * ]
A big part of those extra minerals go to lactation. Breast milk is exceptionally mineral-rich and producing it is especially taxing for your body’s mineral stores. Here’s a look at which minerals you need during lactation, and how they can help you stay healthy while you’re giving your newborn the nutrition it needs.
Why You Need Extra Minerals During Breastfeeding
If you’re going to breastfeed your baby you need almost twice the mineral intake of a normal, healthy adult, particularly when it comes to iodine, calcium, magnesium, and several other essential minerals. [ * ]
The main reason is that breast milk contains every essential mineral, and you have to produce a lot of it . It’s the sole source of nutrition for your baby, which means it must contain everything a newborn needs to grow.
Analyses show that breast milk has particularly high levels of minerals [ * ]
Doctors recommend significantly increasing your mineral intake during breastfeeding.
Do Mineral Deficiencies During Breastfeeding Affect Your Baby?
Broadly speaking, the breast milk you produce will have constant levels of key minerals, regardless of your nutrition during lactation.
If you aren’t getting enough minerals to produce healthy milk, your body will pull them from reserves in your body—your bones, thyroid, and even your brain. Essentially, your body has evolved to put the baby’s needs before your own. [ * ]
However, there are exceptions to this rule. Iodine is particularly important for brain and thyroid development in newborns and it’s delivered exclusively via breast milk. If you have low iodine levels, your child will also have low iodine, which increases risk of health issues later in life. [ * ]
Why You Need More Minerals During Lactation
Your body evolved to prioritize breast milk quality during lactation, which is good for your baby. But if you aren’t getting adequate minerals it can be bad news for you.
Mineral deficiencies are common during lactation and can lead to a variety of issues for young mothers. The most frequent complications are:
Postpartum depression. A 2010 review concluded that deficiencies in magnesium, iron, and copper all contribute to postpartum depression in breastfeeding mothers. [ * ]
Thyroiditis. Thyroid conditions are common postpartum. A 2021 study found that new mothers often have selenium deficiencies, and that low selenium increases risk of thyroid dysfunction during the first year after childbirth. [ * ]
Weakened bones. Much of the calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium in breast milk comes from the mother’s bone minerals. As a result, young mothers typically experience significant bone loss during breastfeeding and are at increased risk of fractures. [ * ] Insufficient mineral intake leads to greater bone loss and makes it harder for your bones to recover. [ * ] Mineral supplements reverse this issue. [ * ]
Being a new mother is hard on your body, and mineral deficiencies make it even harder. A high-quality mineral supplement will help you make sure you stay in good health postpartum—for your sake and for your baby’s.
How to Replenish Your Mineral Stores During Lactation
The easiest way to replenish your mineral stores during lactation is to take a full-spectrum mineral supplement.
Don’t worry: we make minerals simple. Our liquid mineral supplement has every essential mineral your body needs, in the right ratios. It’s also safe for you and your baby—BEAM Minerals is made from ancient rainforest soil and is a pure, plant-based solution that’s perfect for support during breastfeeding.
If you want to give your body some extra help postpartum, give BEAM Minerals a try. You’ll be amazed by how much better you’ll feel when your body has access to plentiful minerals.
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FAQs
Can I take BEAM Minerals with my other supplements?
Yes, in fact, BEAM Minerals will enhance the bioavailability of all your other supplements.
What is the difference between Micro-BOOST™ and Electrolyze™?
Electrolyze™ is primarily composed of Fulvic Mineral Complexes . Fulvic complexes are small molecules that provide inter-cellular transport for nutritional elements into the cells and carry bio-waste out of the cells. Fulvic complexes are flavonoids , which provide many benefits in the body.
Micro-BOOST™ is primarily composed of the Humic Mineral Complexes . Humic complexes are large molecules that are extra-cellular, meaning they do not enter the cells but stay outside the cells. They are highly-charged molecules that attract, through their electrical charge, bio-waste, free radicals and heavy metals. They ultimately carry bio-waste out of the body. Thus, we call them “Nature’s Janitor”.
How many milligrams (mg) of an electrolyte (Potassium, Magnesium, Sodium, Calcium, etc.) is there in BEAM Minerals?
The quantities of each element in BEAM Minerals products are measured in “parts per million” (ppm), rather than the “milligrams” (mg). Here is the information which usually helps to understand the difference:
Milligrams (mg) vs parts per million (ppm)
In comparing our products to other supplements, people want to know how much of an electrolyte is in our products (like potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium). Usually they are looking for an amount in milligrams (mg).
We have a hard time answering that question, because the electrolytes (and other elements) in BEAM Minerals products are measured in parts per million (ppm). So how can consumers compare?
The answer is a little complex, but here’s the high points.
The electrolytes in BEAM Minerals products are provided in “trace” amounts that are completely dissolved and thus 100% bio-available, immediately introduced into your circulation when you consumed them and will produce and active effect.
When you take a 320mg pill of magnesium, your body is only able utilize about 12-20% of it as it takes some time because your body has to digest it first. Whatever is not dissolved gets processed out of your body.
When you take a capful of liquid Electrolyze™ and/or Micro-BOOST™, you receive approximately 5.22 ppm of magnesium in which 100% of the magnesium is immediately available to your body. In addition, an important to know is that the magnesium in BEAM Minerals products stay in your system much longer building up healthy levels as you continue to take it daily.
