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THE ROLE OF NUTRIENTS IN HUMAN HEALTH - MINERALS (Foresight Article)
Calcium is needed for the formation of strong bones and teeth, and for controlling blood clotting mechanisms and to regulate the excitability of nerves and muscles. Sufficient calcium is thought to protect against allergies, viruses and tooth decay. Lack of calcium can cause rickets, back pain, osteoporosis, osteomalacia, insomnia, irritability, nervousness, tension, uneven heartbeat, indigestion, stomach cramps and spasms, constipation, pre-menstrual tension and cramping of the uterus. Calcium is lost from the bones during bedrest and with people on high-protein diets. Invalids and people on high-protein intakes should supplement with dolomite tablets or bone-meal, and increase dietary sources of calcium. Calcium can be used as a natural painkiller and some authorities advise taking calcium and Vitamin D in the week prior to menstruation, and at the onset of labour. Calcium is found in:
Magnesium is needed for the production and transfer of energy, for muscle contraction, nerve excitability and protein synthesis. It also assists in the function of many enzymes. Lack of magnesium brings involuntary muscle movements - gross tremor and twitching - convulsions and delirium. Insomnia, irregular heartbeat, leg and foot cramps and bedwetting can occur. Calcium deposits are found in the arteries and stones may form in the kidneys. Mental symptoms include depression, poor memory, confusion, disorientation, hyperactivity, irritability, anxiety and an increased sensitivity to noise. Problems with the foetus include congenital abnormalities, calcium deposits and other abnormalities of the heart cells. The newborn may suffer anorexia, convulsions and perinatal death. Only 20% of the magnesium is left in refined (white) flour, and only 17% is left in polished rice. Magnesium is found in:
Potassium is needed to regulate blood pH, keep the water balance, ensure the acidification of the urine, and help nerve conduction and muscle contractions. A shortage brings nervous irritability, mental disorientation, fatigue, listlessness, insomnia, muscle weakness, irregular pulse, constipation, cramping of muscles, low blood sugar and coma. A shortage can be induced by diuretics. Potassium is found in:
Copper aids the development of brain, bones, nerve and connective tissue. Lack of copper can cause porous bones, loss of hair, demyelination, heart damage and anaemia. Copper deficiency in the foetus can result in depressed growth rate, depigmentation, anaemia, fine fragile bones, ataxia, small brain and perinatal mortality. Copper deficiency is rare however, and copper in excess can be toxic. Copper water pipes, especially new ones, or even old ones in areas where the water is soft and acid, may increase the copper load. Women who are on the contraceptive pill, some fertility drugs or are using the copper coil tend to accumulate copper. Copper jewellery and cooking utensils or kettles can also increase the copper load. The Foresight Clinicians advise hair analysis to check the copper level. Only 37% of the copper is left in white flour, and only 75% in polished rice. Copper is found in:
Iron is needed to make haemoglobin, the substance in the red blood cells which carries oxygen in the blood. It aids resistance to infection. Shortage of iron can lead to weakness, shortage of breath, excessive fatigue, depression, mental confusion and poor memory. Iron deficiency in the foetus can cause eye defects, bone defects, brain defects and neonatal mortality. Iron deficiency in men is not so common, but in growing children, subject to infections at school, it does occur, and is more common in women because of blood losses in menstruation and childbirth. Excess of iron can be toxic, but the blood will call forth all the iron from the tissues and bone, before it becomes noticeably short. Many authorities think that hair analysis is a better way to judge iron status. Blood donors of both sexes are at risk to iron deficiency. Iron is found in:
Manganese is needed for numerous enzymes and for utilising fats. It is necessary for bone growth and development, reproduction, lipid metabolism and moderation of nervous irritability. Carl Pfeiffer has this to say about manganese: “Manganese is also important in the building and breakdown cycles of protein and nucleic acid (the chief carrier of genetic information). As an activator of such enzymes as arginase (required for the formation of urea) and some peptidases (which cause the hydrolysis of proteins in the intestine). Manganese may also contribute to a mother’s love and instinctive protection of her child. (Through certain enzymes manganese affects the glandular secretions underlying maternal instinct). Manganese is important in the formation of thyroxin, the principle of the thyroid gland.” Most commonly used insecticides destroy choline. Choline facilitates the uptake of manganese. Thus there will be a direct link between the intake of organophosphate pesticides and a lessening of maternal response to the child. It is noticeable how the clamour for day nurseries and nursery schools has increased since the introduction of these chemicals into the environment. Animal studies have recorded that manganese deficiency in the foetus causes malformation of the inner ear, ataxia and bone malformation. Lack of co-ordination, head retraction, tremor, loss of righting reflexes, hyper irritability, faulty cartilage and bone matrix formation, heart problems and learning difficulties also occur. Following hair analysis, hyperactive, epileptic, allergic and dyslexic children almost invariably show low manganese, (among other deficiencies). Fruit and vegetables contaminated with insecticide may lower manganese. Lead contamination from water or air also appears to lessen manganese in the body. A hyperactive allergic child, with a mother who lacks maternal instinct is not a happy combination. Only 12% of the manganese is left in white flour, and only 73% in polished rice. Manganese is found in:
Zinc is needed for the health and maintenance of bones, muscles, eyes, organs and sperm and acts as a co-factor in over 90 enzymes. It is needed in the liver for the conversion of carotene to plasma Vitamin A. Lack of Zinc in women can lead to difficulties with parturition (childbirth). In rat mothers, it has been found to lead to total avoidance of the offspring - no nest building, no cleaning of pups, no retrieving of pups who fall out of the nest and no nursing. The mother rat will go down to the far corner of the cage and refuse to go near her young. Without help from the laboratory assistants, the rat pups will die. I find a deficiency that can have such a profound effect upon a mammal’s normal emotional development very frightening. Early signs of zinc deficiency include white spots on the finger nails, stretch marks on the skin, lank lifeless hair, acne, no periods, painful knee and hip joints, cold extremities and lack of taste and spell. Body and breath odour may be increased. In the foetus, zinc deficiency can cause growth retardation. In the newborn, anorexia, seborrhoea, loss of hair, apathy and lethargy can develop. Defects in eyes, kidneys, brain and bones, faulty trunk and limb development, curvature of the spine, fusion of limbs, reduced brain size, heart problems and small eyes can occur. Zinc deficiency in children has been connected with allergic illness, eczema, learning problems and hyperactivity. Children suffering from coeliac disease have been found to be short of zinc. In the USA, pregnant women are said to need 20mg daily and lactating women 25mg. USA hospital diets were found to contain an average of 8-9mg daily. Average daily intake in the UK is said to be 7-10mg daily. The contraceptive pill, fertility drugs, alcohol and cigarettes all remove zinc from the system. Only 17% of the zinc is left in white bread after processing, and only 25% in polished rice. Diuretics increase excretion. Zinc is found in:
Chromium is needed for regulation of the glucose tolerance factor, in combination with nicotinic acid and some proteins. Glucose is required for every bodily function. Every movement of muscle and every nerve impulse uses glucose. In animals sufficient chromium has been found to increase growth and longevity. Deficiencies are believed to be a factor in arteriosclerosis and hypertension and possibly in diabetes and cataract. Lack of chromium is known to cause serious eye abnormalities. Only 13% of chromium is left in white flour, and only 25% in polished rice. Chromium is found in:
Selenium deficiency has been found to be associated with muscle weakness and muscular dystrophy. Swelling, internal haemorrhages, atrophy of the pancreas, liver necrosis and infertility also occur. Sufficient selenium may help to prevent cataract and certain types of cancer. Also, it has been found to be helpful in cases of allergy to inhaled substances such as house dust mite, animal dandruff and pollen. It is thought to be necessary for normal growth. It has been found to prevent chromosome damage in tissue culture. Selenium will combine with toxic metals such as lead, and help to remove them from the body. Due to this, significant levels of toxic metals will lower selenium levels. Research from the USA has linked selenium deficiency with Down’s Syndrome. It is interesting to note that fluoride is antagonistic to selenium, and in Florida it was reported that there were four times as many Down’s Syndrome babies born after the introduction of fluoridation to the water supply. Animal sources are richer than vegetables, so vegetarians may need to supplement their selenium. Foresight would advise hair analysis before supplementing, as too much can also be dangerous. People who use selenium-containing anti-dandruff shampoos in the bath need to be aware of this. Some Xerox copying machines can produce a lot of selenium in the atmosphere. Selenium is found in:
Cobalt is essential to humans as part of the structure of Vitamin B12. Lack of Vitamin B12 can cause pernicious anaemia, but as little as 3mcg of B12 daily can prevent this. Vitamin B12 is likely to be in short supply in vegetarians, and particularly in vegans, who should supplement daily, as should people taking large quantities of vitamin C to clear toxic metals. Cobalt is necessary for sugar metabolism, and people eating refined carbohydrates and/or regularly drinking alcohol, may be short. Cobalt-iron compounds have been found to be useful in treating iron deficiency anaemia in children and pregnant women. Only 50% of the cobalt is left in white flour, and only 62% in polished rice. Cobalt is found in:
Nickel is needed in the heart muscle, the liver and the kidneys. It is involved in hormone, lipid and membrane metabolism. Significant concentrations are found in DNA and RNA and it may contribute to the stabilisation of nucleic acids. Nickel deficiency in adults has been connected with cirrhosis of the liver and chronic liver failure. It has been demonstrated in experimental animals that nickel excess can also be toxic. Nickel is found in:
Carl Pfeiffer has this to say: “Molybdenum is an essential catalyst; since bacteria-fixing atmospheric nitrogens require its chemical attributes to begin protein synthesis...... Molybdenum is essential to all mammals; it is in all of our tissues.” Adequate molybdenum is said to prevent dental caries, mouth and gum disorders, oesophageal cancer, and sexual impotence in older men. Sufficient molybdenum was found to increase birthweight in a study by Bryce-Smith & Ward. Molybdenum is found in:
Vanadium has been found to be present in most tissues in the human body, and to be rapidly used and excreted into the urine. It is thought to exert some effect on lipid metabolism. Vanadium deficiency in chickens causes them to lose their feathers, and in rats it has been found to decrease reproduction and increase perinatal mortality. Mothers giving birth to very small babies in the USA have been found to be deficient in vanadium. In a study by Bryce-Smith & Ward, sufficient vanadium was demonstrated to significantly increase birthweight. Vanadium is found in:
Without adequate iodine, the thyroid gland cannot develop and function. Iodine is needed in quite small quantities for the formation of thyroxin, the active principal of the thyroid gland. Too little iodine brings fatigue, lethargy, susceptibility to cold, loss of interest in sex, anorexia, slow pulse, low blood pressure, rapid weight gain, high blood cholesterol, death from heart disease and cancer of the thyroid. Where a mother is short of iodine, the baby fails to develop normally; growth and mental development are retarded. Iodine is found in:
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