Tasty Water Part II – When Water is a Flour

Rock Flour or Glacial Milk refers to finely ground rocks pulverized by active glaciers. The resulting material that is of fine silt or clay size is easily suspended by flowing meltwaters and the inorganic particles usually only settle out when they reaches quiescent waters of a lake or coastal embayment. Sedimentological classifications call “silt” any particle between 3.9 and 62.5 μ and “clay” if it’s less than 3.9 μ (a μ is 1/1000 of a millimeter). So this stuff can stay suspended in a water column for quite a while.

Ecuador

Peyto Lake, Canada

Around the world, many cultures utilize rock flour in agriculture to add a source of inorganic nutrients to their soils.  But also, a number of cultures tout the dietary benefits of consuming Glacial Milk (I’m not referring to the brand of over-the-counter vitamin supplements that go by this name, but the real thing). But glacial rock flour is actually sold as a dietary supplement. Here is one such commercial supplier and part of their claim reads:

“Glacial milk is rich in essential minerals and has been known since ancient times to be a nutritional supplement of high value. For centuries, glacial milk has been known as a secret for health, energy, youth and beauty, a true fountain of youth for skin and organism. Glacial milk contains highly valuable minerals and trace elements in naturally balanced proportions which makes it to be rejuvenating and energizing for our whole organisms. Glacial milk is a water of life.”

Sounds tempting, and what could be the harm you ask? Unfortunately, claims of health benefits are unfounded and such suppliers oversell without shame (“water of life”? Please). Also, I don’t think the people behind such businesses have much of a grasp of science.  Reading further into their website: “Naturally grown rock which is ground or weathered into smallest particles is the base of all living organisms on earth because of their function as building blocks.”

Naturally grown rock? I’ll stick with my Poland Spring Water, thanks just the same.