Is ION* Gut Support similar to probiotics or enzymes?

ION* Gut Support is not a prebiotic, a probiotic, or a direct source of enzymes. It contains zero bacteria. We need a much more diverse microbiome than one can achieve by replicating the same strands of bacteria over and over (this monoculture can happen when we take probiotics).
ION* Gut Support is unique in that it naturally enhances the diversity of your individual microbiome. It works as a communication network that gives our bodies the tools to create their own bacterial ecosystem again - that ecosystem that has been wiped out by environmental toxins such as antibiotics and pesticides. Without the communication network, there will always be overgrowth of certain species and underrepresentation of others.
Note: Please consult your healthcare provider concerning the addition or removal of probiotics and digestive enzymes in your personal regimen; as each person is unique, we cannot make individual recommendations.

Are there any contraindications with ION* Gut Support?

There are no known contraindications with ION* Gut Support. However, for maximum efficacy of all products, we do suggest separating by 30 minutes if you are taking ASEA, a thyroid medication, iodine, or a binder supplement.
Iodine is a highly-charged element that can bind to negatively-charged elements in ION* Gut Support. Also, certain "binder" supplements (clay, charcoal, and zeolites) recommend taking separately from any nutrition, food, or supplements.
ION* Gut Support supports healthy gut membranes. This support can return expected drug absorption to normal levels and may improve bioavailability of your supplements and food nutrients. If you are on a medication that requires blood level testing to adjust the dose (such as blood thinners or seizure medications) you should discuss ION* Gut Support with your doctor, who may want to get testing done within a week of starting ION* Gut Support, as you would do with a diet change or adding other mineral supplements.
None of the minerals or amino acids in ION* Gut Support are present in levels that would be considered adequate to allow ION* Gut Support to replace other standard mineral therapies, such as Lithium orotate or your regular multi-mineral supplement, in your health management.

What is ION* Gut Support?

ION* Gut Support is a liquid, gut-brain health supplement that goes beyond probiotics, helping to support tight junction integrity and diversify your microbiome the natural way. It is soil derived and U.S. sourced. Its active ingredient, humic extract (from ancient soil), is naturally rich in a variety of trace minerals and amino acids. ION* Gut Support isn't bacteria; it's a family of molecules made by bacteria.

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What does ION* Gut Support do?

ION* Gut Support strengthens tight junction integrity at the gut lining, which protects the immune and neurologic systems and regulates the delivery of water and nutrients to the body.
As demonstrated in our peer reviewed articles, toxins like glyphosate and gluten can degrade tight junctions in the epithelial layer of the gut lining. ION* Gut Support has been shown to promote the strengthening of this gut barrier, which supplies the first line of defense against everyday exposures to environmental and foodborne toxins. This in turn helps with inflammatory response, enhancing mental clarity, promoting immune function, supporting digestion, and alleviating gluten sensitivity.

How does ION* Gut Support work?

Think of ION* as an extremely intelligent transporter that works at a cellular level. ION* isn't adding anything, it's facilitating partnership.
The fulvate molecules in ION* are bacterial metabolites that chelate (bind) with minerals, amino acids, etc. to help transport them into cells where they are needed. Further, fulvate can remove what is not needed and even harmful in the cell and transport it out.
Fulvate can even partner with metal ions. By promoting metal bridges between molecules, it encourages electron transfer both within and across molecules which helps facilitate the communication aspect of ION*, what we refer to as "redox signaling". Encouraging cellular communication is truly profound, ultimately promoting innate cellular health. After all, a cell that can reach out and "ask" for what it needs will have an easier time getting it than a cell in isolation.
ION* can also do things like donate electrons to free radicals (acting as an antioxidant), downregulate zonulin (the protein that weakens tight junctions), and diversify your gut microbiome by supporting the structure of your gut lining (where your microbiome lives).
But the truly extraordinary thing about the "how" of ION*? It functions in all of these amazing ways inherently. ION* naturally works to give each cell what is needed and remove what is not. We have not synthesized any chemical compounds to seek out and identify what each of your cells need. In truth, we couldn't replicate this kind of inherent wisdom if we tried. Nature is the spark behind this innovative molecule. And it is as a nod to that very wisdom that we are so named, ION* Intelligence of Nature.

Why should I be taking ION* Gut Support?

Currently, 80% of the population suffers from gas, bloating, indigestion, and heartburn, all stemming from poor gut health. But when you factor in inflammation that is caused by poor gut health, those are just the tip of the iceberg. Given the number of symptoms, conditions, and diseases that chronic inflammation is responsible for, it quickly becomes clear why maintaining your gut health is so important.

So why do we suddenly need help maintaining our gut health? To start, overprescribed antibiotics, glyphosate damage, and a lost connection with our environment. Our microbiome is not thriving as it should, and neither are we. Rather than address a specific medical condition with a narrowly-targeted supplement, ION* Gut Support takes a holistic approach and helps maintain the strength of our immune system to create an environment that supports total body and mind health.

What are tight junctions?

Tight junctions are the seals between cells which help to create a defensive barrier in the epithelial layer of your gut lining. They function to keep toxins and foreign particles out of the bloodstream while also allowing nutrients to enter. Tight junction integrity is at the foundation of health.

Tight junctions are protected by the carbon and mineral metabolites of bacterial digestion. When the intestinal bacteria are balanced and thriving, this matrix of metabolites produces a strong enzyme defense system that protects the tight junctions from the toxin zonulin.
Over the last sixty years, there has been a steady loss of biodiversity in our bowel bacterial ecosystem. Factory farming, processed foods, and widespread antibiotic use have all played major roles in this decline. However, the most potent of triggers for zonulin impact at the gut barrier is glyphosate, the most commonly used herbicide. Gluten is the most potent of naturally occurring triggers for zonulin production in our modern diet.
ION* Gut Support functions as the answer to glyphosate and gluten impact at the gut lining by promoting increases in production of the enzymes that break down zonulin and thereby strengthen tight junctions.

What is the gut-brain connection?

Recent science has called the gut our "second brain," or "Enteric Nervous System" (ENS). It consists of two thin layers of more than 100 million nerve cells that line our gastrointestinal tract, from our sinuses all the way to our rectum, and serves as a vast communication network. We now know that the majority of neurotransmitters, or "chemical messengers," such as serotonin and dopamine, are made in our gut lining, with very little being made in the brain comparatively. However, the production of these chemical messengers is dependent on the right bacteria, fungi, and even parasites and viruses (collectively known as the microbiome), being present in our gut.

What is glyphosate and why is it harmful?

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in the most commonly used weed killers, including Roundup. These weed killers are used broadly in agriculture and found in varying quantities throughout our environment. The volume of usage of this herbicide has led to reports of significant levels of glyphosate in water, air, rainfall, and even human breast milk. The World Health Organization classified glyphosate as a "probable human carcinogen", and it is implicated in a wide variety of human health disorders.

ION* Gut Support functions as a response to glyphosate and gluten impact by improving the gut lining's ability to keep out these detrimental elements and promoting increases in production of beneficial enzymes. ION* Gut Support promotes a healthy "firewall" in the gut and blood-brain barrier, to support a beneficial shift in the gut ecosystem as well as normal immune function. ION* Gut Support improves gut resilience to glyphosate within 16 minutes.

Is ION* FDA compliant?

Yes! Our manufacturing and quality control teams adhere to all the FDA's current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs), and do regular testing on ION* Gut Support for bacterial contamination, heavy metals, and overall product composition.
Further, third-party testing has shown ION* to be non-toxic on sensitive kidney cells, even at very high concentrations.

Is ION* vegan?

Yes! All products in the ION* suite are vegan, naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, latex-free, sulfite-free, preservative-free, non-GMO, and certified glyphosate residue free. They are all produced in a facility free of allergens, including peanuts and tree nuts.

Does ION* test for Prop 65 metals?

In compliance with California's Prop 65 legislation, we test ION* for levels of mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium. It is important to note, however, that metals are found naturally in soil. In fact, there are heavy metals everywhere, from the air we breathe to the food we eat. For example, candy can have 100-6000 ppm lead, and root vegetables can easily have about 2 ppm lead. Fish bodies can have 1-4 ppm mercury and rice in the US can have over 0.5 ppm arsenic.
Our limits are set low, and we typically see levels 10-fold less than those limits. The result? You would typically need to consume 100x the recommended dose to approach the Prop 65 No Significant Risk level.
Please note: 1 ppm = 1 ug/ml

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Could I be allergic to ION* Gut Support?

ION* Gut Support has numerous naturally occurring trace minerals and amino acids in it. We are aware of the vulnerability to some of these elements that certain individuals have. However, the concentrations of these trace minerals are far below the concentrations seen in the daily intake of a healthy plant-based diet and never in the metallic form typically associated with sensitivity. Cucumbers, for example, are high in naturally occurring aluminum.

Sensitivity to the ionic and organic minerals found in ION* Gut Support, therefore, is not common. Additionally, ION* Gut Support is sourced from plant-derived fossils and is routinely tested for contaminants. However, if you have an allergy to trace minerals, we recommend starting slowly with ION* Gut Support, as detailed under "Usage Instructions". If you believe you are experiencing an allergic reaction to ION* Gut Support, stop taking the product immediately, and consult your healthcare practitioner.
As ION* Gut Support begins to strengthen the tight junctions in the gut lining, it is not uncommon to experience mild, temporary side effects such as constipation as full hydration is promoted. In these cases, the first and best response is to increase consumption of water and herbal teas. It may also be beneficial to take a slower approach. See under "Usage Instructions" for sensitive individuals.
"Detoxing"
The clinical spectrum of signs and symptoms that have been attributed to the word "detox" are vast. If we consider the full term, "detoxification", we can bring some clarity to the process. The need to remove toxins is part of the body's natural defense, and a healthy body has vast mechanisms for toxin removal.

Many people starting ION* Gut Support have noted almost immediate signs of toxin clearance from the body. Urine, sweat, breath, and skin in the case of mineral foot baths, can all reveal toxin clearance. This is the result of the extremely rapid changes in tight junction integrity as ION* Gut Support promotes functional tight junctions in the gut, blood vessels, kidney tubules, etc.

To be clear, ION* Gut Support does not detoxify anything. The body's natural systems, once back online with intelligent membranes, produce all the natural detoxification pathways. If tight junction restoration throughout the system is the reason for the mobilization of toxins and subsequent removal (detoxification) from the body, there is no redistribution of the toxin to other tissues. The toxins are instead trafficked to appropriate clearance sites of urine, breath, and sweat.

For how long should I take ION* Gut Support?

You should take ION* Gut Support as long as you are getting exposure to those environmental factors known to impact the tight junctions in the gut lining, including gluten, glyphosate, and antibiotics. Organic, non-GMO, and gluten-free foods are great. However, avoiding exposure to glyphosate is the bigger challenge, as it has been shown to be contaminating even our rainwater.
As with most supplements, you can expect to receive benefit as long as you are taking ION* Gut Support, and for a residual period afterwards.
Every day, month, and year that goes by offers new opportunities for more diversity, and a deeper reservoir of cellular communication. ION* Gut Support is not a one-time fix for anything; ION* Gut Support is the foundation for a lifestyle of connectivity to the nature around you.

Does ION* Gut Support expire?

Through lab testing, we know that ION* Gut Support stays safe on kidney tubule cells and is efficacious in strengthening intestinal tissue tight junctions beyond six years. We now use a "Best By" date, six years from manufacture. Prior to that we used a "Manufactured On" date (MFG ON). If you have one of those bottles, your ION* Gut Support (what was previously RESTORE) will be good for at least six years past that date.

Is ION* Gut Support similar to other fulvic or humic extracts/substances?

ION* Gut Support is a balanced formula, comprised of a very unique family of carbon molecules with oxygen-binding sites that are produced by bacteria when they digest nutrients. We extract our primary ingredient from ancient soil that contains humic and fulvic substances.
Fulvate (what ION* utilizes) has not been acidified like fulvic acid and exists naturally in our source material, Leonardite.
Oxygen atoms in fulvate molecules are partnered (chelated) with metal ions. Metal bridges between molecules allow electron transfer both within and across molecules which helps facilitate the communication aspect of ION*, what we refer to as redox signaling. This ability to enhance communication at the cellular level is what differentiates us from your average fulvic acid.
When fulvate is acidified, oxygen atoms in fulvic acid are bound to hydrogen instead of metals. Hydrogen does not support electron transfer between molecules and therefore may not facilitate redox signaling.

Did you change the ION* label?

While we did evolve much of our brand, labeling, and packaging as of September, 2021, we have not changed the ingredients or our formula. The only thing that has changed about ION* is the way we refer to and measure our ingredients.
And although our previous ingredient name, "aqueous humic substances", was accurate in a broader categorical sense, "humic extract" is more specific in relation to our unique product.
The term "humic substances" is used often to describe organic material composed of humic, fulvic, and humin. So, while we do utilize some of the material from humic substances, we do not use it all and to avoid customer confusion and remain as transparent as possible, we have decided to make it perfectly clear that ION* is an extract of humic, hence "humic extract".

Our proprietary Terrahydrite® extraction and isolation process makes ION* distinctly different from other humic substances available on the market today and "humic extract" helps not only to better distinguish us but to better inform you.
Further, the amount per serving for our active ingredient, "aqueous humic substances" was 150 mg on our previous label. However, now that we have changed our active ingredient to "humic extract", the new amount per serving is 5mg.
Again, the formula, dosing, and serving size have not changed. But the way we measure our ingredients has become more accurate thanks to the availability of more accurate testing. We now measure the exact amount of humic extract present in each serving of ION*.
While previously, we were calculating the amount of ION* molecules together with their water shell, which are held together via hydrogen bonding, we are now able to measure the amount of humic extract more accurately without the water shell. This is 5mg per serving of ION*.
Moving to the actual weight of humic extract is a more readily understood, measurable, and transparent view of our ingredient.