Your body is made of seawater. Not metaphorically — literally. This is what biologist René Quinton understood more than a century ago, and what modern physiology confirms today: the mineral composition of human blood plasma is almost identical to that of diluted seawater. 78 minerals and trace elements, all present in ionic and bioavailable form — that's what Quinton® plasma contains.
Since I have been leading Biovie in 2007, I have seen hundreds of clients return to marine plasma after exhausting other solutions to regain their energy, improve their digestion, or speed up their sports recovery. This comprehensive guide answers all your questions: what it really is, what it is concretely used for, how to take Quinton® plasma — and most importantly, how to choose the right form for your situation.
What exactly is Quinton® plasma ?
A cold-filtered seawater, not an ordinary mineral water
Quinton® is a registered trademark, also we are not allowed to use this term in our product sheets. Nevertheless, we can talk about René Quinton and his discoveries. We often hear about seawater as if it were a common product. This is not at all the case with the Quinton® plasma, and the confusion often comes from there.
The essential difference is the harvesting and filtration protocol. A collection in the high seas, at more than 30 meters deep in areas with active plankton. Then a cold microfiltration — to 0.22 microns for culinary formats, to 0.01 microns for the purest health formats. No heat. No pasteurization. The reason is simple: heat destroys the biologically active micro-elements that give the product its full value.
It is also important to know that there are two distinct regulatory forms:
- Marine plasma ultrafiltered — harvested at 25 meters, filtered at 0.01 µm — packaged in glass bottles, intended for direct health consumption
- Marine plasma microfiltered — harvest at 3-4 meters, filtration at 0.22 µm — intended for culinary use
This point on regulation is important: only the first strictly adheres to the protocol inherited from the work of René Quinton, particularly regarding the level of filtration. This is not marketing — it is a distinction that European regulation itself establishes.
To go further on the mineral composition and the role of the Trace elements and cellular health, consult our dedicated article.
The story of René Quinton: the biologist who changed our view of the ocean
René Quinton was not an amateur naturopath. He was a rigorous biologist, whose work was published by Masson in Paris in 1904 in a foundational book: Seawater, organic environment. Its central thesis? The marine origin of cellular life means that our cells are immersed in an environment whose ionic composition is very similar to seawater — albeit diluted. It's a biological continuity, not a metaphor.
To validate this thesis, René Quinton conducted a spectacular experiment that is still cited today: he replaced a dog's blood plasma with diluted seawater. The animal not only survived but also recovered. These experiments from 1904 laid the foundations for a practice that continues to evolve more than a century later.
More recently, the study conducted in Nicaragua in 1991 confirmed the interest of this approach: after five months of consumption of 500 mL of seawater per day, malnourished children showed a significant improvement in their nutritional status (Durán Martínez et al., Quinton® archives). These data remain references in the literature on marine therapy.
The composition of Quinton® plasma: why 78 minerals change everything
Key active minerals and their specific role
Quinton® plasma is a registered trademark. The term "remineralization" is often mentioned without really explaining what it means biologically. Here's what actually happens.
The magnesium is involved in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. The Calcium participates in muscle contraction and bone strength. The Potassium regulates water balance and nerve transmission. Theiodine is essential for the functioning of the thyroid (ANSES, 2021). The zinc supports immunity and healing. And then there are trace elements — manganese, selenium, copper, boron, silicon — present in infinitesimal quantities, but whose catalytic roles are absolutely essential.
In seawater, 78 elements from Mendeleev's periodic table can actually be found — such as gold and silver — at exceedingly low concentrations, and it is precisely the right concentration for the biochemical reactions in our body to function properly.
What fundamentally distinguishes these minerals in the Quinton® plasma, is their bioavailability. In ionic form, they do not require any digestive transformation to enter the bloodstream.
To give you some numerical benchmarks:
- The Concentration of salts in natural seawater (hypertonic plasma): 33 to 35 g/L
- The isotonic form reduced to 9 g/L — that is the same concentration as your blood plasma
- A classic mineral water: 5 to 8 major minerals — Quinton® plasma offers 78+
Quinton Plasma® vs regular mineral water: the main differences
- Mineral diversity : mineral water, 5 to 8 minerals — Quinton® plasma, 78+ minerals and trace elements
- Chemical formula : mineral water, dissolved salts — Quinton® plasma, form ionically directly bioavailable
- Spectrum of trace elements : mineral water, variable traces — Quinton® plasma, 78 elements of the Mendeleev table
- Origin and protocol : mineral water, terrestrial source capture — Quinton® plasma, high sea, active plankton, cold microfiltration
What are the documented benefits of Quinton® plasma ?
For a comprehensive overview, also check out our article on the 10 benefits of seawater.
Remineralization and vitality: the most universal effect
This is the effect that the majority of our clients report first after a treatment of Quinton® plasma. An energy that returns, improved mental clarity, a general feeling of regained vitality.
Our modern lifestyle is a silent mineral disaster. Soils depleted by decades of intensive farming, ultra-processed foods, chronic stress that depletes magnesium, heavy sweating in athletes, medication use—all contribute to depleting our reserves. ANSES regularly publishes nutritional references that document these deficiencies in the French population: deficiencies in magnesium, zinc, iodine. These deficiencies are often silent, but their effects are felt: unexplained fatigue, irritability, nighttime cramps, disturbed sleep.
Quinton® plasma can help restore this mineral balance by simultaneously providing all the elements your cells require.
Digestive support and gut microbiota
The extracellular environment — the matrix in which all your cells, including those of the intestinal wall, are immersed — requires a precise mineral balance for digestive enzymes to function properly. The Quinton® plasma can support this rebalancing, which promotes better nutrient assimilation and normal functioning of the gut microbiota.
To delve deeper into this point, our article on how to improve nutrient absorption provides useful practical supplements.
Sports recovery and electrolytes
Here is a field where data is particularly well-documented. Athletes need electrolytes to maintain intracellular hydration, prevent cramps, optimize muscle contraction, and accelerate post-exercise recovery. Recent meta-analyses on electrolyte hydration and sports performance (Hartog et al., 2015; PubMed, 2020-2025) confirm the importance of complete mineral intake.
The problem with industrial sports drinks? They generally contain 3 to 4 synthetic electrolytes, with added sugars and flavors. The Quinton® hypertonic plasma offers the complete electrolyte spectrum — 78 minerals — without any additives.
The sports protocol I recommend:
- Before the effort : a hypertonic ampoule to stimulate and prepare the body
- During prolonged effort : isotonic diluted in water to maintain hydration and electrolytes
- After the effort : one to two ampoules of hypertonic solution to accelerate mineral recovery
Nervous system, stress, and sleep
Magnesium is the first nutrient whose deficiency manifests in the nervous system. Associated with calcium, potassium, and about ten other trace elements present in the Quinton® plasma, it can help rebalance the stress response and improve sleep quality. The effect is directly related to the restoration of the mineral environment—not to a sedative effect, but to a fundamental rebalancing.
Seasonal immunity
Zinc, selenium, and iodine—all present in Quinton® plasma—contribute to the normal functioning of the immune system. The EFSA (2011) has acknowledged that sufficient intake of zinc contribute to the proper functioning of the immune defenses, and that selenium plays a role in protecting cells against oxidative stress.
I want to be transparent here, as always: Quinton® plasma is not a medication. It does not treat anything, it does not cure anything. What it can do is restore a mineral balance conducive to the proper functioning of all these systems.
You can also read our article on the marine plasma for the skin for skin and cosmetic applications.
