Trace Minerals Explained: The 70+ Minerals in Every Stick of N-2

Beyond the headline minerals (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium), the body uses dozens of trace elements in small but essential amounts. Zinc, boron, selenium, manganese, copper, and many others play roles in normal enzyme function, immune signaling, and metabolic processes.

For most of human history, trace minerals came from two sources: food grown in mineral-rich soil, and water drawn from underground springs and wells. Both sources have diminished.

What are trace minerals?

Trace minerals are elements required by the body in very small quantities, typically micrograms or low milligrams per day. They are distinguished from macro minerals (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium) by the amounts needed, not by importance.

The body cannot produce any mineral on its own. Every trace element must come from diet, water, or supplementation.

Why hydration products usually skip them

Lab-isolated mineral salts deliver one mineral at a time. To add trace minerals, a formula would need to source dozens of individual compounds, which is expensive, complex, and nearly impossible to do in natural ratios.

Marine-sourced mineral complexes solve this by default. Seawater and marine algae carry trace minerals as a natural part of their composition. You do not add them; they come with the source.

The N-2 trace mineral profile

N-2’s calcium from red marine algae and magnesium from Irish seawater each carry naturally occurring trace mineral complexes. Combined, they deliver 70+ trace elements in every stick. They are not added individually; that is simply what the ocean provides.