Mineral supplements
The most important part of the strategy to eliminate nicotine cravings and/or cravings for other substances is to bring the body's biochemistry into the best working order possible.
Proper nutrition is the foundation of health. To supply the needs of the organism, we have to consume the required amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins.
However, those are not the only components of a healthy diet. Minerals, or trace elements, also play a crucial role in nutrition.
We know that such elements as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, silicon, plus a few others, are present in the human body in considerable amounts.
But a healthy human body needs many more elements, even though most of them in minute, "trace" amounts.
Minerals are absolutely essential for health. But the problem is that the methods of modern industrial agriculture have depleted the soil of essential minerals to such an extent that plants can no longer extract the required minerals, as compared to the plants grown on rich, virgin soils.
In the old days the agricultural methods were not so intensive, so the soil was not being depleted nearly as fast.
In areas where agricultural lands are flooded periodically, as happens in the Nile delta, river brings with it various minerals, thus maintaining soil fertility.
Nowadays farmers may replace some half-dozen elements in soil, like potassium, calcium, phosphorus, copper and a few others, but a human body needs much more for normal functioning.
It is a known fact that American pioneer farmers had to abandon a field every five to seven years and to prepare a new one, as the family health was progressively deteriorating with crops harvested from the same old field.
It is a known fact that forests die in many areas of Europe.
It is attributed to the harmful effects of acid rain, which leeches out minerals from soil.
A remarkable regeneration of a section of a forest was observed in a mountain area in Austria where a tunnel was being built.
It turned out that stone dust, which was carried by wind from the construction site, brought with it the required minerals, which resulted in rejuvenation of forest!
Up to 1920s only three trace minerals were recognized as essential for organism - iron, iodine and copper.
By the mid-fifties the list was expanded to seven.
Now scientists say that we need more than thirty different elements in our diet to satisfy the needs of metabolism!
Some authorities, like Dr.Joel Wallach, say that our bodies require up to sixty different elements for normal functioning!
The field of trace elements study is one of the most dynamic in nutritional and medical science!
Trace elements are found in every tissue, enzyme, to name just a few. They participate in hormone formation, muscle function, nerve signal transmission, energy production. Minerals are essential for forming body tissues.
In addition to the fact that mineral molecules may act as "junction points" in biochemical molecular structures, they also act as catalysts, speeding up biochemical reactions, thus reducing energy required for formation and breakdown of substances in the body.
In this field, like in many others, the effects of trace elementswere first noticed on animals and only then they have been observed and/or reproduced on humans.
A short description of several trace elements is presented on this page, their biochemistry in the body and the manifestations of their deficiency.
copper deficiency and cardiac failure
selenium deficiency and degeneration of cardiac muscle
copper deficiency and atrophy of cardiac muscle
calcium and heart muscle tone
vascular system defects and copper deficiency
anemia as a result of copper deficiency
zinc requirements and physical exercise
zinc and transport of carbon dioxide in blood
zinc and mobilization of vitamin A from the liver
zinc deficiency and impaired growth
zinc and cellular transport of nutrients
copper deficiency and spontaneous bone fractures
copper deficiency and central nervous system
manganese deficiency and impaired growth
manganese and diabetes symptoms
chromium and glucose utilization
chromium deficiency and impaired endurance performance
selenium deficiency and "white muscle disease"
selenium deficiency and growth retardation
selenium and longevity
molybdenum deficiency and impaired growth
milk is not the best source of calcium
some calcium supplements may contain lead
link of cadmium to essential hypertension
Zinc
Total body zinc content can exceed 2 grams. Normal blood plasma concentrations are greater than 80 micrograms per 100 ml.
An average daily diet contains 10 to 15 mg, of which only 1 to 2 mg are absorbed.
The major excretory root for zinc is via feces.
Zinc is an essential element for the growth of organism. The first scientific report pointing to that have appeared in 1869.
An important discovery concerning the biological role of zinc took place in 1940, when it was found that zinc was an essential component of enzyme, which is involved in transport of carbon dioxide in blood.
In 1954 another metalloenzyme containing zinc was discovered.
Today more than 70 zinc enzymes are known, most of them identified in the 60s and 70s. More than 90 percent of all enzymatic zinc is contained in red blood cells.
Enzymes are unique ingredients of biochemistry, they are proteins which catalyze specific metabolic reactions and some of them contain metallic ions which are essential for their activity.
International Union of Biochemistry designates six major categories of enzymes, zinc enzymes are a part of each of them!
They participate in a wide variety of metabolic processes in our body, which include carbohydrate, lipid (fat), protein synthesis and nucleic acid synthesis and degradation.
Zinc enzyme is essential for mobilization of vitamin A from the liver.
Pancreatic secretions have a relatively high content of zinc.
Zinc exerts a protective effect in maintaining the integrity of cellular membranes.
This means that when we do not get enough zinc, the cell transport of biochemical substances and nutrients is degraded.
One of the most important biochemical characteristics of zinc is its ability to form complex ions.
Many of zinc complexes have a tetrahedral configuration, but it can also form octahedral ones.
Because of this, it is an important element in maintaining DNA structure, as well as RNA structure.
Deficiency of dietary zinc reduces the rate of protein and collagen synthesis.
(Collagen is fibroprotein which forms such tissues as ligaments, tendons, fascia).
The most visible manifestation of it is a delayed growth in children, delayed wound healing.
Zinc deficiency produces a loss of taste and smell, as well as perverted sensation of both taste and smell, which disappear when adequate amounts of zinc in the body are restored.
Deficiency of zinc may cause diarrhea, mental depression, loss of hair and certain skin disorders.
One can lose several milligrams of zinc during strenuous physical exercise.
During a marathon you can lose ten, twenty milligrams or even more!
In such cases supplementation is absolutely essential.
Copper
A body of an adult may contain up to 150 mg of copper. Blood concentrations of copper may reach 150 micrograms per 100 ml.
The major excretory root is the biliary system, with approximately 1 to 2 milligrams per day being lost.
Scientists realized the biochemical importance of copper as early as the turn of the 20th century.
It was found that copper, along with iron, is essential for normal development of red blood cells (erythrocytes).
Thus the anemia was the first recognized sign of copper deficiency.
Biochemical role of copper in development of red blood cells is related to the absorption and transport of iron.
Thus iron metabolism is disrupted in copper-deficient organism.
Erythrocytes have a shorter life span in copper-deficient animals.
Several copper enzymes are known, all of them play an important role in biochemistry of the body.
Copper metabolism may be affected by genetic disorders.
Sufferers of Menkes syndrome have copper deficiency due to malabsorption of copper.
Copper deficiency also takes place in Wilson's disease, even though in this case copper accumulates in organ tissues to such an extent that toxicity results.
One of the first recognized manifestations of copper deficiency were spontaneous bone fractures of domestic animals consuming forage low in copper.
Various types of bone defects due to copper deficiency have been observed in many other animals.
It was discovered that maturation of collagen in the bone is impaired by copper deficiency, with the resulting inadequacy in the degree of itscrosslinking.
Cardiac failure associated with copper deficiency was first observed in cattle and was termed "falling disease".
This sudden death was due to development of cardiac lesions due to necrosis and atrophy of the heart muscle and replacement of cardiac muscle with nonfunctional fibrous tissue.
Some of the cardiac lesions were due to inadequate linking of collagen and elastin, but some were due to muscular defects.
(Elastin, as its name implies, is a protein which forms a principal substance of elastic tissue fibers).
Some vascular system defects are closely related to heart defects and are attributed entirely to copper deficiency.
Copper is a crucial element in maintaining the integrity of connective tissue.
Integrity of vascular system, especially of the large arteries, is dependent largely on quantity of collagen and elastin in the vessel walls and the degree of their crosslinking.
Copper plays an important role in that. Lack of copper is a major cause of aortic wall defects, which results in aneurysms (localized dilatation of arterial wall) with a serious potential of death due to their rupture.
It has been known a long time already that concentration of mature (adequately crosslinked) elastin and collagen in copper-deficient aortas is depressed.
Copper deficiency affects central nervous system, mainly during the developmental stage.
Such a disease was first described among animals in areas of the world where soil is low in copper, they were displaying unsteady gait and stance.
Daily dietary requirements are estimated to be in the range of 1 to 2 mg for an adult.
Acute copper toxicity may follow the ingestion of more than 15 mg of elemental copper and manifests itself in nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and intestinal cramps.
Destruction of red blood cells may also take place.
Ingestion of copper sulfate is a relatively common way of committing suicide in some underdeveloped countries.
Manganese
Manganese is widely distributed in nature, but occurs only in trace amounts in human and mammalian organism.
Concentrations are highest (2-3 ppm) in bone, liver and lactating breast tissue. An adult human body of average size may contain up to 20 g of manganese.
In spite of these very small amounts, manganese plays an important role in biologic functions and maintenance of life.
It activates many enzyme systems, it also plays an important role in initiating protein synthesis.
Symptoms of manganese deficiency in humans include weight loss, transient dermatitis, occasional nausea and vomiting, impaired growth and changes in hair color.
Manganese plays an important role in glucose utilization.
Deficiency of manganese causes a diabetes-like glucose-tolerance curve and can be corrected by supplementation.
There is a potential relationship between insulin and manganese.
Patients with diabetes show decreased concentrations of manganese in blood.
Artificially induced manganese deficiency in animals produced slow growth, decreased testicular and ovarian function, accumulation of fat, skeletal abnormalities, such as shortening and bowing of forelegs.
Manganese is one of the least toxic of trace metals, however, symptoms of toxicity have been recorded in miners.
Manganese is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract.
It is excreted almost exclusively through the gastrointestinal tract, with bile and pancreatic juices contributing large amounts.
Almost no manganese is excreted in urine.
Chromium
Chromium concentrations in human plasma can reach 0.7 micrograms per 100 ml. It can also be found in skin, muscle, fat, testes, bone, liver, spleen.
Just like zinc, chromium is important in stabilizing structures of nucleic acids and proteins.
Chromium plays an important part in glucose utilization.
The biochemical action of chromium is closely associated with that of insulin, affecting the sensitivity of peripheral tissues to insulin. In the absence of insulin, chromium has no effects.
Chromium concentration in tissues declines with age. Patients on high-carbohydrate diets tend to develop chromium deficiency as a result of its higher utilization.
Deficiency of chromium can lead to impaired athletic endurance performance, since it results in reduced glycogen reserves.
Trivalent chromium ion is an essential part of glucose tolerance factor, which facilitates the reaction of insulin with receptor sites of cells.
Glucose tolerance factor activity is present in a variety of foods - brewer's yeast, meats, whole grains and cheeses.
Additions of chromium supplements improved glucose utilization in malnourished people.
Chromium supplementation for older people, as well as athletes is absolutely essential.
Chromium occurs in a variety of foods in form of a complex with nicotinic acid and some aminoacids.
It is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, especially in inorganic form.
It is excreted almost exclusively via urine except for small amounts lost through the gastrointestinal tract.
Selenium
Selenium is an essential trace element of profound physiological significance.
Inadequate supply of selenium can cause a wide array of pathological developments, mostly in parenchymal tissues (those which carry a biological function, as distinguished from connective or supportive tissue).
In lambs and calves selenium deficiency causes "white muscle disease", a muscle degeneration and calcification of tissue.
It also resulted in growth retardation, reproductive failure, eye changes, fibrotic degeneration of pancreas.
Selenium is a part of a glutathione peroxidase which is an enzyme with antioxidant properties.
This enzyme plays an important role in biochemical reactions in liver, kidney, red blood cells, lens of the eye, lining of blood vessels.
In view of the theory of aging based on free radical damage, the function of selenium enzyme, as well as other antioxidants may be related to longevity.
Deficiency of selenium is known to be the cause of cardiac myopathy, which means degeneration of cardiac muscle, resulting in wasting, weakness and loss of biological function.
However, selenium toxicity in animals have been reported.
In areas with high levels of selenium in soil, plants can accumulate large amounts of it.
Such plants have taken a heavy toll on grazing animals which developed chronic forms of toxicity, so-called "alkali disease" which causes softening and loss of horns and hoofs.
Written records exist dating back to 13th century where this disease is mentioned.
Excessive ingestion of selenium was also known to cause "blind staggers" in animals.
Sulfur
It is an extremely important element for all living organisms, including humans.
And even though there is a great abundance of it in nature, nutritional deficiency in humans is not at all uncommon.
Meat is a good source of dietary sulfur.
Among non-animal sources, MSM (methyl-sulfonyl-methane) is also a good source of dietary sulfur.
Silicon
The situation with silicon is very similar to that with sulfur - both extensively occur in earth's crust and yet deficiency of dietary silicon and sulfur in humans is very common.
This is because these elements can only be usefully metabolized in an organic form. Moreover, some inorganic compounds are toxic, especially those of sulfur.
Silicon is involved in bone calcification and the structure of cartilage matrix. It also contributes to the structure and resiliency of connective tissue.
Excellent source of silicon is beer, which contains up to 1.2 g per liter. Many herbs, in particular, horsetail, contain silicon.
Cobalt
Cobalt is a part of vitamin B12, which is also called cyanocobalamine.
At least two micrograms of it per day are necessary for a normal human diet.
Molybdenum
Animal experiments suggest that molybdenum deficiency adversely affects growth and may contribute to dental caries.
This metal is an essential component of an enzyme called xanthine oxidase. The average daily diet may contain up to half a milligram of molybdenum.
Studies indicate that daily human requirements are about 2 micrograms per kilogram of body weight.
Nickel
Only recently it was demonstrated that nickel is essential for mammalian diet.
Symptoms of nickel deficiency in animals include impaired reproduction, a sparse, rough hair and decreased oxygen uptake by liver.
Patients likely to develop nickel deficiency include those with cirrhosis of liver, chronic uremia/azotemia (presence of excessive amounts of urea and other nitrogenous waste products in blood), which happens in renal failure, those with malabsorption.
Nickel deficiency can be caused by large losses of sweat, which contains up to 50 micrograms of nickel per liter.
Extreme physiologic stress can also result in nickel deficiency.
Tin
Just like zinc and chromium, tin plays part in maintaining structures of proteins, as well as DNA and RNA.
This comes about as a result of atomic structure of tin, which allows it to form complexes with four to six and possibly eight ligands.
Vanadium
Symptoms of vanadium deficiency in animals include impaired growth and bone development, impaired reproductive performance.
It also results in increased levels of triglycerides in blood, which are the principal form of fat in blood.
They are bound to proteins, forming high- and low-density lipoproteins.
Iron
The adult body contains up to 5 grams of iron. About a half of it is present in hemoglobin, about a third in storage forms and the remainder is in various tissue components and enzymes.
Daily losses of iron include about 100 micrograms in urine, up to 500 micrograms in feces.
Iron is also lost through sweat and desquamated skin. Total daily losses may be up to 1 mg per day.
Recommended daily intake for adult males and post-menopausal females is 0.5 to 1 mg, 1 to 2 mg for menstruating females.
Athletic activity, especially of the endurance type, vastly increases demands for iron. Many competivie athletes eat beef or pork liver to satisfy their iron requirements.
It is true that mammalian liver is very rich in iron, however, it also contain relatively high levels of cadmium. You can find more about it in the section about cadmium.
The average daily diet without supplementation may contain up to 20 mg, of which only 5 to 10 percent is absorbed.
Once in blood, iron is bound to the protein transferrin which is formed in the liver.
It is then taken up by maturing red blood cells (erythroid precursors) or is deposited in storage complexes.
Iron is essential for production of hemoglobin and myoglobin.
The latter is a ferrous complex consisting of one heme molecule which is attached to a single globin chain, which is a globulin protein, characterized by such properties as solubility and ability to retain an electric charge and store oxygen.
Myoglobin is found in muscle, giving it red color.
Iron is also important for the functioning of some essential metabolic enzymes.
Iron deficiency results in anemia, depressed cellular immunity, decreased bactericidal activity of leukocytes.
It may also increase susceptibilityto helminth infections.
Iodine
Iodine is an integral part of thyroid hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine and is essential for regulation of body metabolism.
Deficiency of iodin leads to thyroid enlargement. The daily iodine requirements to prevent goiter development in adults is approximately 1 microgram per kilogram of body weight.
Nowadays iodine is added to table salt, and the deficiency symptoms in industrialized countries are practically unheard of, even in the areas where soil contains very little of this element. But it wasn't so in the old days.
Here is a story about this. There were two villages in Switzerland, quite literally a couple of miles from each other. One was Catholic, another Protestant.
Protestants had severe symptoms of goiter - enlarged thyroid, protruding eyes, but Catholics looked perfectly healthy.
Catholics believed this is because their religion is "right" and that is why God protects them.
But it turned out the reason why they had no signs of goiter was because every Friday they ate fish, as prescribed by their religion, and a sea fish is an excellent source of iodine.
Calcium
And now a few words about calcium. Many people are aware about its importance, that is why we will be very brief.
Calcium is essential for bone development. It is also important for the regulation of nervous function, activity of muscles, maintenance of heart muscle tone, vascular tone and blood coagulation.
The most obvious manifestation of calcium deficiency is muscle twitching and spasms. It can also weaken the heartbeat.
The excess calcium produces prolonged contraction of heart, known as "calcium rigor".
Calcium is absorbed mainly in the upper intestinal tract, this is because its absorption is aided by acidity.
Absorption is decreased by the presence of alkalies and large amounts of fatty acids with whichcalcium forms insoluble substances (which chemically are soaps).
Chocolate, including chocolate drinks, form insoluble substances with calcium and thus inhibit calcium absorption.
Vitamin D and magnesium are essential for calcium absorption. That is why calcium supplements are often sold in combination with vitamin D and/or magnesium.
One can hear plenty of claims that milk is a good source of calcium.
The problem with milk is that it contains phosphates.
It poses no problem for adults, but small children, whose kidneys are still immature and are thus unable to excrete phosphates effectively, may develop severe calcium deficiency from milk.
It happens because both phosphates and calcium levels are regulated by the same hormone, and the body sensors are thus mislead by the presence of phosphates.
And now a few words about calcium supplementation.
There is a great variety of products on the market, both in organic and inorganic form.
Some companies claim that their competitor's product, in particular if it is obtained from dolomite deposits or shellfish, contains lead or aluminum.
You may want to investigate by contacting the manufacturer and requesting the technical data on their product.
You should also know that calcium carbonate produces "acid rebound", a long-term increase in stomach acidity. Some people were forced to take antacids to counteract that.
The reason for that is the fact that initially calcium carbonate reacts with stomach acids, thus reducing acidity.
But with regular intake, organism begins to produce larger amounts of acids to counteract antacid effect of calcium carbonate.
If you find that is the case with you, you may want to consider chelated calcium supplements.
The "folk" remedy for calcium deficiency is eggshells and vinegar. In the old days it was given to pregnant women to preserve their teeth.
Eggshells were placed in a jar and vinegar was poured in it.
After a day or two all vinegar would be consumed by the reaction (provided there were enough eggshells) and you could drink that liquid.
The taste of that liquid is rather harsh, to improve it people were using wine, or apple cider, or balsamic vinegar.
This form of calcium is safer than carbonate, however, since body requires magnesium for proper calcium metabolism, you should take magnesium supplements separately if you use this form of calcium for supplementation.
If you decide to try this form of calcium, you should make absolutely sure that there were more eggshells than is required for a reaction with a given amount of vinegar.
This way you can be sure that there is no vinegar left in liquid.
There should still be undissolved eggshells in a jar after all the vinegar has been consumed by the reaction.
Toxic metals
Not all elements are good for health - cadmium, lead, mercury, are very toxic.
Cadmium is widely used in industry and we are constantly exposed to it.
Toxicity to cadmium from industrial exposure was first recognized in 1920s.
Cadmium sulfate is an important ingredient in manufacturing of synthetic rubber, and, as one can imagine, plenty of fine cadmium dust is produced on roads and highways.
Acute exposure to cadmium by ingestion can cause severe inflammation of gastrointestinal tract.
Inhalation of cadmium can contribute to pulmonary dysfunction and emphysema.
Considerable quantities may produce severe, sometimes fatal pulmonary edema.
During WW2 substances containing cadmium were being evaluated in various countries for use as a chemical weapon.
Prolonged low-level exposure may produce anemia and liver dysfunction.
Research has shown that cadmium competes with other trace elements, in particular with zinc, for certain intracellular ligands.
Zinc supplementation counteracts some adverse effects of cadmium.
In certain areas of Japan where people had high environmental exposure to cadmium, there were many cases of disease with a local name itai-itai, which is characterized by severe bone pains and softening of bones.
Cadmium has a unique tendency to accumulate in kidneys.
This must be the consequence of the fact that it is attached to a protein called metallothionein.
It is found in large amounts in renal cortex, liver and gastrointestinal mucosa.
Hypertensive people have a higher concentration of cadmium in kidneys.
Thus, it was postulated that this may be the reason for essential hypertension.
The "body burden" of an average American adult has been estimated to be about 30 mg of cadmium, of which 10 mg are in kidneys and 5 mg in the liver.
As we have already indicated, cadmium has unique pattern of distribution, with most of it accumulating in kidneys over the years.
Ingested cadmium is probably the major source of accumulated cadmium in man.
The total daily amount averages 50 micrograms.
Certain foods, like shellfish and mammalian liver may contain as much as 100 microgram per gram.
In areas of the world where relatively large amounts of cadmium are contained in soil, some plants may accumulate considerable amounts of it.
Rice grown in some regions of Japan may contain as much as 1 microgram per gram of weight.
Areas of the world with soft (acidic) water may contain more than 15 microgram of cadmium per liter.
Absorption of cadmium through intestinal tract is estimated to be 3 to 8 percent, but it may go higher when diet is deficient in calcium or protein.
Unfortunately, lungs absorb cadmium much more effectively than intestines, up to 50 percent.
One cigarette contains about 2 micrograms of cadmium.
Urinary excretion of cadmium is very poor, from 0.0044 to 0.015 percent of the body burden.
We are not going to describe here the adverse effects of lead and mercury, as those are well known.
It should be mentioned, however, that vitamin C acts as an effective chelating agent for lead.
It binds lead atoms, preventing them from being deposited into body tissues, thus facilitating excretion.
There are many other effective chelating agents, but vitamin C is the least expensive.
Many mineral supplements are now available commercially. There are many inorganic, as well as organic compounds. After reading this article, you should be able to make the right choice.
The manufacturers of colloidal minerals claim that their product is the best and they would give you an entire host of reasons for that.
(Colloidal means that the particles are suspended in liquid.
Particles are NOT molecules, which are dissolved in water the way sugar or salt my be dissolved).
Since the substance is not soluble, bioavailability of minerals is rather limited in comparison to soluble mineral salts or chelated minerals.
The origin of most of those products are ancient mineral deposits which contain a surprisingly wide array of minerals. However, they also contain aluminum, cadmium, lead, mercury.
The manufacturers of those supplements do not dispute that those elements are toxic, but they claim that by using their product you would not be ingesting more of those elements than you ingest from other sources.
It is true that we have no choice but to live with the fact that such poisons as cadmium, lead, mercury are impossible to completely avoid in our daily lives.
Why should that be an excuse for ingesting even more of that stuff, is not clear.
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