June 20, 2023 Written by Dr. Thomas Wnorowski

Mineral Taste Testing: Your At-Home Mineral Testing Guide

When you first start supplementing with liquid minerals, it’s helpful to know what your baseline level of a given mineral is. That way, you can measure any improvement in your status as you supplement over time. After you’ve been taking extra minerals for a while, it's just as critical to know when to lower your dose or even stop altogether for a time. 

Blood testing can be helpful for some minerals, but it’s not as accurate for others. Hair mineral analysis is also helpful to show trends and changes in mineral status, but they too cost money, time, and can’t necessarily be done as often as you need. 

Fortunately, there is a fast, easy, and completely free way to test your mineral status: taste testing. With liquid minerals, you can use your sense of taste to identify which minerals you need and which your body has enough of right now. You can easily test and retest as you go, even on a weekly basis if you wish. 

In this article, we’ll give you the step by step breakdown on mineral taste testing, how to identify the mineral taste responses, and how to take your daily liquid minerals. If you’re starting a new liquid mineral protocol, make sure to bookmark this page for future reference and testing. Let’s dive in. 

Download the Guide

Table of Contents:

    Identifying the Seven Possible Taste Responses

    What You Need

    The Process

    Testing your mineral needs is fast and easy with taste testing. Start with your liquid mineral of choice. Pour 2-4 oz. of water in a glass, then add the standard dose of your liquid mineral as shown on the bottle. Take a sip, swish it around in your mouth, and swallow. Consider the flavor and aftertaste to choose the number from the below that best fits how that mineral tastes. 

    The Mineral Taste Scale

    1. VERY SWEET
    2. PLEASANTLY SWEET
    3. NO TASTE
    4. SLIGHT TASTE 
    5. SO...SO
    6. DON’T LIKE IT
    7. PRETTY BAD

    Write down the score next to the corresponding mineral. It’s a good idea to keep a journal or make a note on your phone with your mineral test scores alongside the date so that you can look back and see your progress as your body adjusts to higher mineral levels over time. 

    For example, your chart may look like the following:

    Liquid Mineral

    Taste Score

    Potassium

    1

    Magnesium

    2

    Zinc

    2

    Manganese

    4

    Copper

    2

    Chromium

    2

    Iodine

    3

    Selenium

    4

    Molybdenum

    5

    What the Scores Mean

    • 1-2: A score of 1 or 2 means that you need that mineral; you are deficient. 
    • 3: If you record a 3 — no taste, just plain water — that means you still need that mineral, but you’re not quite as deficient as a 1 or 2. 
    • 4: A score of 4 means that you currently have some of that mineral, but you can add a bit more. A number 4 is the best score to have. That’s the one we’re shooting for. 
    • 5-7: A score of 5, 6 or 7 indicates you currently have too much of that mineral at this time. You should not take any minerals that score a 5-7 — for now. However, you should continue to test every so often because leaving those minerals out from your daily intake will eventually induce a change in your taste response, especially as you bring deficient minerals into balance. Remember, many minerals work very closely together with each other in the body. 

    Even though you don't need to supplement with the minerals that rate as a 5, 6, or 7, this can change over time. One day you will need them, so make sure to keep those bottles on hand and retest as you notice changes in your energy, mood, mental performance, and so on. The body is a constantly self-adjusting system, and it’s our job to notice the changes and supply nutrients accordingly. 

    Rinse & Repeat

    Repeat this process for each liquid mineral in your kit. Test and record your numbers every month, or on a regular basis (at least once a week) if you are addressing a specific deficiency. 

    Ideally, you’ll take your liquid minerals, whether alone or in combination, the same way each time, with the same amount of water. If the drink tastes different or odd, then you can retest the minerals you’re taking to see if your needs have changed. You be the judge. 

    Make sure you only take the minerals that pass your taste test, scoring a 1-4. You’ll soon find that your needs will change as you build up your body’s store for each mineral. Testing helps you to know what you require and can be repeated from weeks to months depending on your goals and health status. 

    Taking Your Daily Liquid Mineral Drink

    Whether you have all of the BodyBio Liquid Minerals or just one or two, creating a daily liquid mineral concoction is simple and can easily be adjusted over time. 

    If your test says you need Liquid Mineral #1 Potassium, put in 13 drops as noted on the bottle. Proceed down the list from #2 Zinc through #8 Selenium (or whichever minerals you have in your kit) add in each one as indicated on the bottle until you have added all the ones that scored 1, 2, 3, or 4. Mix them all together and drink up! Again, as long as you are taking the minerals you need, the combined taste should range from no taste to noticeably sweet. 

    If you would like to increase your minerals at a faster rate — you can do it, but you must test often. To increase the rate: For those minerals that register a 1, 2, or 3, add them in at 3x the standard dose. For example, if your testing showed that you need #1 Potassium — add in 3 times (13x3=39 drops), for #2 Zinc (7x3=21 drops), etc. However, for the 4s, only take the standard dose as written on the bottle — do not increase the dose. Even if you take your minerals two or three times a day, take only one dose for the 4s. And of course, leave out the 5, 6, and 7s. 

    PRO TIP: We like to take our minerals all together using 1/2 juice and 1/2 water to reduce your sugar intake and still provide a bit of whole food vitamin C. 

    A Note of Taking Liquid Mineral Iodine

    Liquid Mineral Iodine (#9) is different. The recommended daily intake for iodine is 150 mcg per day, less than 3 drops of BodyBio Liquid Mineral Iodine. However, according to many researchers and practitioners, this dose is not enough to raise your base iodine needs so if you are in need of Iodine, we recommend working with a functional practitioner to determine the best course of action for you.

    Want More Info on Mineral Deficiencies?

    If you discover that you may be deficient in one mineral or more, you will likely want to learn more about what that deficiency might mean for your body and overall health. Should that be the case, check out the following resources for more info: 

    Learning about the side effects of mineral deficiencies can be an additional means of helping you identify potential need for supplementation.

    Step by Step Guide

    mineral taste test steps

    Take Minerals Into Your Own Hands

    Mineral taste testing is a valid testing method and gives us a good idea of where we stand with our mineral status. However, some people will feel more secure having their health care professional help them through the steps of mineral testing via labs, which is also valid and a very good idea. For others, self-management of their health creates an empowering feeling.

    At BodyBio, we believe that you are your own primary health care provider, first and foremost. Whether you choose to use professional testing, at-home taste testing, or a combo of the two, take your health into your own hands with BodyBio Liquid Minerals.

    Download the guide and try BodyBio Liquid Minerals today!

    References

    Tako E. (2019). Dietary Trace Minerals. Nutrients, 11(11), 2823. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11112823

    Gaffney-Stomberg E. (2019). The Impact of Trace Minerals on Bone Metabolism. Biological trace element research, 188(1), 26–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-018-1583-8

    Capone, K., & Sentongo, T. (2019). The ABCs of Nutrient Deficiencies and Toxicities. Pediatric annals, 48(11), e434–e440. https://doi.org/10.3928/19382359-20191015-01

    Prasad A. S. (2013). Discovery of human zinc deficiency: its impact on human health and disease. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 4(2), 176–190. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.112.003210