The human body contains a massive amount of ongoing chemical reactions. The majority of these processes occur within our cells, the smallest building blocks of our bodies. Like any other factory, the body produces wastes that can be quite toxic to the body if not disposed of properly. A large percentage of waste from our cells finds it’s way into the blood stream. These wastes can alter the environment of the blood in a negative way if they are not rapidly metabolized. One of the major cellular waste products are hydrogen ions. These ions are responsible for changing the environment of the blood, mainly by making the blood more or less acidic, which can be very detrimental to the functioning of other bodily processes.
In the science of chemistry, the degrees of acidity or alkalinity of a substance are expressed in pH values. The pH system, or potential of hydrogen, is measured on a scale from 0 to 14. The point at which is substance is neither acidic nor alkaline is measured at point 7. Increasing acidity is displayed as any number less than 7, while increasing alkalinity is expressed as any number above 7. Thus, maximal acidity is measured at 0, while maximal alkalinity is measured at 14. Additionally, each unit on the scale is logarithmically derived, meaning that there is a factor of ten between each digit. So, a pH of 2 is ten times more acidic than a pH of 3, and a pH of 1 is 100 times more acidic than a pH of 3.

The pH of blood is closely maintained between 7.45 and 7.35. More specifically, the blood within the arterial system stays near 7.45 while the blood within the veins stays near 7.35. Venous blood is more acidic due to the large amounts of hydrogen ions indirectly produced from carbon dioxide that is released from the tissues. It is noteworthy to point out that the chemically neutral mark for blood is a pH of 7.4, which is slightly more alkaline than the standard neutral point of 7.0. Death may rapidly occur if the blood pH falls outside the range of 6.8 to 8.0 for more than a few seconds, as a blood pH outside of this range is incompatible with life. This fact greatly relays the importance of careful regulation of hydrogen ion concentration in the body.

Regulation of pH is also referred to as acid-base balance. The body is constantly working to maintain a balance between too many acid products and too many alkaline, or basic products. Normally, the body is able to maintain an acid-base balance with little difficulty. The lungs and the kidneys are the primary organs by which the body regulates its supply of acids and bases. It is when we do not have enough raw materials for the body to accomplish its task that we run into problems with acid-base balance. Even small changes in acid-base balance can have dramatic effects on the normal function of cells within our bodies. For instance, one of the main manifestations of acidosis is a depressive effect on the central nervous system. This may be experienced as disorientation and in more severe episodes as coma. Conversely, a person who tends to have more alkaline blood will experience overexciteabiltiy of the nervous system, seen as nervousness, tingling, spasms, and twitches of the muscles. Excessive alkalinity that is not promptly addressed can lead to violent muscle spasms and convulsions.

MINERALS

The most important nutrients in our bodies for maintaining acid-base balance are certain minerals. More specifically, sodium, postassium, chloride, and bicarbonate (a combination of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen molecules) are responsible for the precise balance involved. Physicians routinely analyze the proportions of these elements in order to determine one’s relative acid-base concentrations. By fine-tuning the relative amounts of these elements in the blood, many practitioners of natural medicine can work to improve their patient’s overall balance with the environment. The amounts of sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate can be mathematically compared to arrive at a general consensus in regard to how well the body is dealing with it’s production of hydrogen, a waste product. As stated earlier, a buildup of hydrogen can lead to imbalances in the acid-base ratio. If the physician finds an unusual ratio between those different elements, he/she may suspect an irregularity in the production and clearance of hydrogen in the patient. Natural medicine practitioners will then design and implement a treatment geared toward correcting this imbalance, by intervening with strategic use of absorbable minerals and trace minerals to re-establish a healthful balance.
Analyzing acid-base balance and the concentrations of minerals in the blood provide yet another way for the practitioner of natural medicine to address the ability of the body to maintain homeostasis, or balance. By supplying the body with enough of the smaller, lesser known substances found in nature, physicians can steer how the body reacts to it’s own internal production of wastes and to external influences on it’s health. Additionally, by preventing excessive fluctuations in acid-base balance, the body may be more apt to heal itself from chronic forms of illness. Thus in summary, maintaining the complex functioning of the body’s tightly regulated pH system requires maintaining proper mineral and trace mineral levels to sustain optimal and healthful balance.


Chloride: The Forgotten Essential Mineral
Chloride is an “essential” mineral for humans. It is abundant in ionic trace mineral preparations. It is a major mineral nutrient that occurs primarily in body fluids. Chloride is a prominent negatively charged ion of the blood, where it represents 70% of the body’s total negative ion content. On average, an adult human body contains approximately 115 grams of chloride, making up about 0.15% of total body weight.1 The suggested amount of chloride intake ranges from 750 to 900 milligrams per day, based on the fact that total obligatory loss of chloride in the average person is close to 530 milligrams per day. As the principle negatively charged ion in the body, chloride serves as one of the main electrolytes of the body. Chloride, in addition to potassium and sodium, assist in the conduction of electrical impulses when dissolved in bodily water. Potassium and sodium become positive ions as they lose an electron when dissolved and chloride becomes a negative ion as it gains an electron when dissolved. A positive ion is always accompanied by a negative ion, hence the close relationship between sodium, potassium and chloride.

ELECTROLYTES

The electrolytes are distributed throughout all body fluids including the blood, lymph, and the fluid inside and outside cells.2 The negative charge of chloride balances against the positive charges of sodium and potassium ions in order to maintain serum osmolarity.
Pivotal Roles of Chloride in the Body
In addition to its functions as an electrolyte, chloride combines with hydrogen in the stomach to make hydrochloric acid, a powerful digestive enzyme that is responsible for the break down of proteins, absorption of other metallic minerals, and activation of intrinsic factor, which in turn absorbs vitamin B12. Chloride is specially transported into the gastric lumen, in exchange for another negatively charged electrolyte (bicarbonate), in order to maintain electrical neutrality across the stomach membrane. After utilization in hydrochloric acid, some chloride is reabsorbed by the intestine, back into the blood stream where it is required for maintenance of extracellular fluid volume. Chloride is both actively and passively absorbed by the body, depending on the current metabolic demands. A constant exchange of chloride and bicarbonate, between red blood cells and the plasma helps to govern the pH balance and transport of carbon dioxide, a waste product of respiration, from the body. With sodium and potassium, chloride works in the nervous system to aid in the transport of electrical impulses throughout the body, as movement of negatively charged chloride into the cell propagates the nervous electrical potential.

Deficiency of Chloride

Deficiency of chloride is rare. However, when it does occur, it results in a life threatening condition known as alkalosis, in which the blood becomes overly alkaline. A tedious balance between alkalinity and acidity is in constant flux, and must be vigilantly maintained throughout the entire body. Alkalosis may occur as a result of excessive loss of sodium, such as heavy sweating during endurance exercise, and in cases of prolonged vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms include muscle weakness, loss of appetite, irritability, dehydration, and profound lethargy. Hypochloremia may result from water overload, wasting conditions, and extensive bodily burns with sequestration of extracellular fluids. In a situation in which infants were inadvertently fed chloride-deficient formula, many experienced failure to thrive, anorexia, and weakness in their first year of life.3

Excess Intake?

xcessive intakes of dietary chloride only occur with the ingestion of large amounts of salt and potassium chloride. The toxic effects of such diets, such as fluid retention and high blood pressure, are attributed to the high sodium and potassium levels.4 Chloride toxicity has not been observed in humans except in the special case of impaired sodium chloride metabolism, e.g. in congestive heart failure.5 Healthy individuals can tolerate the intake of large quantities of chloride provided that there is a concomitant intake of fresh water. Other situations in which increased blood levels of chloride are seen include diseases of improper waste elimination that occur in kidney diseases. Excess chloride is normally excreted in the urine, sweat, and bowels. In fact, excess urinary excretion of chloride occurs in high salt diets. Excessive intakes of chloride can occur in a person with compromised health in addition to an unhealthy diet. However, those that follow a healthy diet and lead an active lifestyle may need to consider supplementing their diet with this important mineral.

Chloride vs. Chlorine

The mineral supplement chloride is very different from the gas chlorine. While elemental chlorine is a dangerous gas that does not exist in the free elemental state in nature because of its reactivity, although it is widely distributed in combination with other elements. Chloride is related to chlorine however, as one of the most common chlorine compounds is common salt, NaCl. Chloride is a by-product of the reaction between chlorine and an electrolyte, such as potassium, magnesium, or sodium, which are essential for human metabolism. Chloride salts are essential for sustaining human metabolism and have none of the effects of isolated chlorine gas.

Sources of Chloride

Chloride occurs naturally in foods at levels normally less than 0.36 milligrams per gram of food. The average intake of chloride during a salt-free diet is approximately 100 milligrams per day. Unfortunately, chloride is found commonly combined with undesirable dietary sources. The most common of these negative sources is table salt. Table salt is made from a combination of sodium and chloride ions. Other unhealthful sources include yeast extracts, processed lunchmeats, and cheeses. Healthier sources of chloride include kelp (seaweed), ionic trace minerals, olives, rye, tomatoes, lettuce, and celery, although not in large enough amounts to supply the needs of an active adult.6 In its original form, however, chloride is leached from various rocks into soil and water by years of weathering processes. The chloride ion is highly mobile and is transported to closed basins, such as the Great Salt Lake, or oceans.7

Summary

Chloride is a highly important, vital mineral required for both human and animal life. Without chloride, the human body would be unable to maintain fluids in blood vessels, conduct nerve transmissions, move muscles, or maintain proper kidney function. As a major electrolyte mineral of the body, chloride performs many roles, and is rapidly excreted from the body. Active adults that eat a healthy diet devoid of salt and illnesses in which vomiting and/or diarrhea are profuse warrant the supplementation of additional chloride. Replacement of chloride is essential on a daily basis to maintain regular metabolic function. Chloride is safely utilized by the body, without negative health effects. Of the negative health effects that have been associated with diets high in chloride, these are mainly attributable to the accompanying sodium and potassium, two other electrolyte minerals to which chloride is often attached


Coral Calcium -

An Ancient Source of More than Calcium
The oceans of the world are literally the collection basins for the life giving nutrients eroded away from the farmlands, valleys and forests worldwide. To illustrate the shear volume of mineral and nutrients that enrich the habitat for underwater sea life including living coral can be best summed up with the fact that over the last 200 years, the topsoil in the United States alone has gone from 21 inches to a mere 6 inches. As rain and wind scourers the earth, eventually the puddles, turn into creeks that yield streams emptying into tributaries culminating in the creation of the mighty rivers that dump topsoil and nourishment into the wonderfully balanced ecology of our sea.

Much of the fan fair about Coral Calcium originally arose from the fact that the Japanese that live on the island of Okinawa live unusually long and high quality lives. The reality is that indeed looking into the magic that supports such a disproportionately high percentage of centenarians in their society clearly shows that their dietary consumption is nutrient dense and healthful. In addition to consuming nutrient rich water from their coral surrounded island, they also focus on consuming fresh fruits and vegetables that provide them a bounty of trace minerals and antioxidants. Once again illustrating that blending trace minerals with such health supporting coral calcium can support a person that wishes to enjoy a bountiful health journey.

Also of note when water suspends large amounts of minerals as purported on the island of Okinawa, it is often termed to be hard water. There is a body of literature supporting the concept that people that consume hard water have lowered frequency of heart disease.
Thus as we look at the effects of alkaline water (hard water), the larger question must asked if overall acid-alkaline balance does indeed affect wellness. Overt acidic systems have been linked to various disease states including a well-known and classical case in point that of keto-acidosis that arises in poorly controlled diabetics. Likewise we all know that when lactic acid builds up in our body and muscles from working beyond our body’s ability to compensate leads to feelings of toxicity and lack of wellness.

Today’s diet is commonly suboptimal in numerous nutrients and minerals, that has lead one of the most conservative medical journals, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), in their June 2002 edition to publish an article recommending that medical doctors check to see if their patients are taking sufficient multivitamins. Every adult American is now recommended to take extra multivitamins and minerals, because our diets are not sufficiently nutrient dense in essential life sustaining elements.

The medical literature and scientific research regarding the effectiveness of minerals in the body clearly demonstrates that minerals work in synergy with one another. Thus, taking coral calcium with other critically needed minerals and trace minerals is strongly indicated from a clinical perspective. In addition, the use of high bioavailable ion trace minerals that readily disassociate in solution can help provide an added vehicle for overall absorption. Trace Minerals Research of Ogden Utah, offers this combination in their Trace Mineral Complex Concentrace. Combining the Coral Calcium with Concentrace improves the ph levels to provide on of the most effective Coral Calcium’s available.

As we look at ways to maintain health and prevent disease states that dramatically alter our quality of life, we should look to populations like those living on the island of Okinawa, Japan to pattern our eating habits, lifestyle and supplementation regime.
Health Tips for A Successful Health Journey:

• Hydrate daily with 48 ounces of purified water
• Consume sufficient minerals
• Avoid Pesticide/Herbicide contaminated foods
• Exercise 4-5 times a week
• Stay De-Stressed to avoid Dis-Stress
• Eliminate dietary trans fatty acids
• Pursue a spiritual path to balance your life
• Get 7-9 hours of sleep


Dehydration - An Imbalance of Water & Minerals
100% Preventable - If you know what to do!
Dehydration results from the loss of water and important electrolytes from the body, including potassium, sodium, chloride and many other minerals often overlooked. The very functioning of essential organs like the brain, kidney, heart and nervous system can’t function without sufficient water or minerals. In third world countries millions of people die each year from dehydration, particularly susceptible are children and the elderly. But even in North American people suffer unnecessarily and even when people aren’t actually ill from dehydration, it can really affect quality of life and performance.

Noteworthy is that water makes up 70 percent of our muscles and about 75 percent of our brains. Thus it is not surprising that as minerals and water become deplete that muscle aches and cramps, fatigue and thinking can be affected. Research shows that dehydration can diminish thought processes and memory, thus adversely affecting global quality of life. This should not be surprising considering that an imbalance in just one mineral can actually lead to substantial biochemical imbalances, thus maintaining and replacing the full array of minerals and trace minerals in ones diet daily is important, let along during times of strain on your body’s systems such as times that can cause dehydration.

There are many causes of dehydration, indeed everyday we lose about 2 cups of water from just breathing, so if it is not replaced a fluid and electrolyte imbalance will occur. Dehydration causes fall within 4 basic categories represent common causes:

Common Causes of Potential Dehydration*

Sweating- Fever, Exercise, Excess exposure to heat (heat exhaustion/heat stroke)
Vomiting- Ulcers, Food Poisoning, Flu, etc.
Diarrhea- Gastroenteritis, Flu, Food Poisoning, Bowel Disease
Insufficient Intake- This can arise from not consuming adequate quantities of water and minerals or a relative deficiency due to excess loss.
*It is essential that the cause of the dehydration is addressed.
I routinely coach my patients to focus on prevention when it comes to dehydration.
The reality is that dehydration happens more frequently than most of us realize. How many of you have suffered from dry lips and mouth, skin that is flaky, a swimmy sensation in your head when you have forgotten to drink sufficient water? Well one or more of these symptoms are very prevalent for tens of thousands of people in the North America alone.

In fact, on a hot humid day, an active person can become dehydrated in just 15 minutes.
So, how do you avoid getting dehydrations, well here are two specific clues:

1. Get enough water
2. Consume your minerals sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium
Minerals-

The Spice of Life and an Essential Consideration for Dehydration Treatment
Sodium Salt plain and simple. That is why after sweating you crave salty food.

Potassium Most American’s don’t get enough. The average intake is only half as much as sodium. A healthful intake is 5 times more potassium, than sodium, which is easily gotten by eating a more vegetable, and fruit based diet.

Chloride The mate to both sodium (NaCl) and potassium (KCl), it is essential to keep these items in proper balance.

Calcium This mineral is essential for proper cardiac and muscle function, if too low one can get muscle cramps.

Magnesium When low muscle spasms can occur, also this mineral is crucial for maintaining a healthy airflow and to help keep blood pressure balanced.
Trace Minerals The forgotten minerals, yet just because they are trace and small they are lost also when one get dehydrated. Replacing them as well can help maintain overall health and optimal functioning and performance.

If you are athletically inclined, avoiding dehydration takes on an additional significance.

Not only are you at a higher risk, dehydration can really decrease your performance and endurance, thus dulling your performance edge.

There are 2 basic levels of dehydration that might be treated at home. It is important to remember dehydration can be serious. Here are some signs of dehydration and the level of related severity.

Frequent Signs of Dehydration*

Mild- (Safe to treat at home as long as it doesn’t worsen)
Thirst
Dry lips
Inside of mouth slightly dry
Moderate- (Children under 12 should see a physician immediately)
Thirst
Very dry mouth
Eyes sunken
Fontanelles sunken (Soft spots on infants head)
Tenting (pinching and lift skin lightly- it doesn’t bounce back readily)
Severe- (This requires hospitalization to rapidly reverse the dehydration via IV therapy)
All other signs of moderate dehydration
Rapid and weak pulse (often over 100 beats per minute)
Cold hands and feet
Breathing is rapid
Lips may be blue
Person may be lethargic, confused or apathetic

*When in doubt get medical attention, it is always important to be cautious

Though the symptoms described about seem ominous, the important thing to remember is that these symptoms occur when dehydration is allowed to occur and are not treated in a rapid fashion. Remembering that the very young and older adults are more susceptible to suffering from dehydration and a more rapid and serious progression of symptoms requiring even more close attention. Here are a few points of review that are helpful tips to remember.

Practical Tips to Avoid Dehydration

• Drink plenty of fluids~Consume 8 glasses of 8 ounces of water daily
• Sports drinks can provide carbohydrates, fluid and minerals
• Limit or avoid caffeinated beverages and alcohol~They both increase dehydration
• Outside clothing on warm days should be light, absorbable and loose fitting
• Avoid carbonated beverages that can bloat and give sense of fullness limiting fluid intake
• Use sun block, stay cool and seek the protection of shade whenever possible

Consuming your water and replacing your minerals is the essential first step when treating dehydration. Yet the best bet is to get your daily dose of minerals and water daily, so you will be better prepared for potential dehydration risks. Researchers have shown that pre-loading, treating during and after are the best way to maintain proper hydration.

IonicTrace Minerals -
A Simple Solution for a Complex Body

What is an ion?

An ion is any atom or group of atoms that holds one or more positive or negative electrical charges. Positively charged ions are known as cations while negatively charged ions are called anions. Ions are formed by the addition of electrons to, or the removal of electrons from, neutral atoms or molecules or other ions. Additionally, the splitting of the bond between two atoms such that a portion of the electrons shared by the previously joined atoms are split between the two now individual atoms. Examples of this include the reaction between a sodium atom and a chlorine atom to form sodium chloride (NaCl), now comprised of a sodium cation and a chloride anion. Some important cations for human health are calcium, hydrogen, magnesium, sodium and potassium, while the important anions are bicarbonate, chloride and phosphate, to name a few.

Minerals are found throughout nature, although oftentimes the forms they are found in are not well utilized by the human body. In physiology, it is known that in order for an organism to properly and completely absorb minerals, they must have an electrical charge attached in order to penetrate cellular barriers. This cellular barrier, known as the cellular membrane, is the ultimate gatekeeper, deciding exactly what enters and exits the cell. The fluid surrounding our cells is saturated with both cations and anions, as is the fluid inside of the cells. Because of this separation of atoms with specific electrical charges, an electrical gradient, or current, is formed across the cell membrane. Because of this current, the movement of the charged mineral particles that the cell requires tends to flow more easily across the cell membrane.

Ionic versus Colloidal

The chemical gradient results in the passive movement of ions from a region of higher concentration to lesser concentration. In humans, this process is achieved in the stomach, where hydrochloric acid assists in splitting apart groups of atoms, leaving them in an ionic state which allows them to more easily penetrate the intestinal wall, where a large amount of absorption takes place. The body preferentially absorbs minerals in ionic form, while other mineral forms (organic, colloidal) are not as readily absorbed.

The term used to describe the condition in which materials are held in a stable, colloidal suspension is called the ‘dispersed phase.’ In the dispersed phase they are distributed evenly and uniformly throughout whatever medium they are suspended. The problem with this is that the ability of colloids to be readily absorbed by the body is limited due to their size and that they are not charged. Without an electrical charge, minerals are not likely to penetrate the cell membrane.
Minerals found in the stable colloidal state, are too large and insoluble to dissolve but are also too small to settle out of the suspension. This fixed state of suspension occurs regardless of whether the substances are inorganic (metals) or organic (plant tissues). Colloids, by definition, cannot penetrate the semipermeable membranes which line our intestinal tract, mouth and esophagus. Because of their relatively large particle size, it is difficult for most living tissues to directly absorb colloids.

Ionic minerals are already in a form that the body recognizes and understands so they can be easily assimilated through the selectively permeable cell membranes. The colloidal minerals, on the other hand, must first undergo a process of conversion within the body prior to being absorbed, and then only a certain percentage is utilized after the conversion process. The bioavailablity of a mineral is influenced by the form in which it is consumed in the diet, and by the presence of other factors in the food that enhance or depress mineral absorption and utilization.

1 Ions play an important role in the body. Larger minerals such as calcium, potassium, sodium, and chloride are some key ions that participate in the body's electrical conduction systems. Imbalances of any of these ions or certain trace ions in the body can negatively affect the transport of minerals across the cell membranes, leading to dysfunction. Meanwhile, trace minerals such as chromium, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, vanadium and copper have very specific effects in the body, and have far-reaching health effects as evidenced by current research.

Chromium

Chromium (Cr) is implicated in maintenance of blood sugar, prevention of atherosclerosis, and control of cholesterol levels. Human studies suggest that a particular form of chromium known as chromium picolinate, enhances insulin sensitivity, glucose removal, and may improve lipid ratios in obese and type 2 diabetics.2 Additionally, it is suggested that chromium has a potential beneficial antioxidant effect in patients with type 2 diabetes when combined with zinc and copper supplementation.3 Chromium is found in some foods, in small amounts. Because of this, supplementation with chromium can have positive health implications.

Manganese

Manganese (Mn) is a component of several enzyme systems, including manganese-specific glycosyltransferases and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and is essential for normal bone structure. Unrefined cereals, green leafy vegetables, and black tea are the richest dietary sources of manganese. Unfortunately, the refinement of grains has lead to widespread inadequacies in the daily intake of manganese from our diet. Manganese deficiency can manifest as transient dermatitis, hypocholesterolemia, and an increased liver enzyme (alkaline phosphatase) levels.

Selenium

Selenium (Se) is a part of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which metabolizes free radicals formed from the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Selenium is also a part of the enzymes that deiodinate thyroid hormones, assisting the body’s use of this hormone. Selenium functions as an antioxidant that works in conjunction with vitamin E. One study determined that head and neck cancer patients had serum selenium levels that were significantly lower compared with controls, and these levels decreased further as their tumor burden increased.4

Molybdenum

Molybdenum (Mo) is a transition metal that forms oxides and is a component of a coenzyme that is essential for the activity of xanthine oxidase, sulfite oxidase, and aldehyde oxidase.5 Molybdenum is derived principally from organ meats, whole-grain cereals, and legumes. Molybdenum may possibly retard degenerative diseases, cancer and aging. Molybdenum acts as a detoxification agent in the liver as a part of the sulfite oxidase enzyme, which destroys sulfite, a common preservative in foods and drugs.

Vanadium

Vanadium (V) has a significant role in inducing the production of reduced glutathione content in the liver and specific extrahepatic tissues.6 Additionally, vanadium increases the activity of the detoxifying enzyme system glutathione S-transferase in liver and in several extrahepatic tissues.7 Because of vanadium’s ability to induce an increase of detoxifying enzyme activity, vanadium might be considered a potential cancer chemopreventive agent. Vanadium appears to function like insulin by altering cell membrane function for ion transport processes, increasing insulin receptor sensitivity.8 Vanadium may also inhibit cholesterol synthesis in animals and humans resulting in decreased plasma levels.

Copper

Copper (Cu) is a universally important cofactor for many hundreds of enzymes. Copper functions as a co-factor and activator of numerous enzymes that are involved in the development and maintenance of the cardiovascular system. Copper is essential for the function of reduced lysyl oxidase activity, which causes a conversion of the connective tissue element pro-elastin to elastin. A copper deficiency can result in a decrease in the tinsel strength of arterial walls, leading to aneurysm formation and skeletal maldevelopment.9 Other effects of copper deficiency are anemia (iron storage disease can result from chronic copper deficiency), poor hair keratinization and hypopigmentation.10

Summary

From the examples above, it is clear that maintaining a balance of ionic minerals in the body is essential to our health. Minerals provide much of the basic framework from which health is built and maintained, and mineral supplementation is an obvious choice for people who are interested in being proactive in their health. As pointed out in the June 2002 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, everyone needs to supplement with extra nutrients beyond those found in their daily diets. This is not surprising since over the last 200 years, the average amount of top soil in the US has dramatically declined from 21 inches to a mere 6 inches. Fueling your body with the sources of minerals and nutrients is essential to help maintain vibrant health.



Magnesium, Health, and Disease Prevention

Magnesium is one of the major mineral nutrients in the human body. Containing approximately 20 to 28 grams of magnesium, 60% is found in the bones and teeth, while the remaining 40% is found in muscle. Serum levels of magnesium range from 1.5 to 2.1 mEq/L; magnesium is the second-most plentiful positively charged ion found within the cells of the body, signifying its importance in the multitudes of physiologic cellular functions. One of the most important metabolic process, the synthesis and consumption of ATP, is directly linked to magnesium. Magnesium-linked ATP processes activate approximately 300 different enzymes which are involved in diverse functions such as DNA and RNA synthesis, glycolysis, intracellular mineral transport, nerve impulse generation, cell membrane electrical potential, muscle contraction, blood vessel tone, and the regeneration of ATP. 1
The adult Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for magnesium is 350 mg per day for men and 280 milligrams for women. The typical American diet provides approximately 120 milligrams per 1,000 calories, meaning that a person that consumes fewer than 1,500 calories is likely to be deficient in magnesium. The absorption rate of magnesium ranges from 24 to nearly 85 percent, while magnesium derived from metallic sources is less absorbable, whereas magnesium derived from plant sources are more easily absorbed. Factors that increase the need for magnesium due to limited uptake or increased losses include excess phosphate consumption (soft drinks) and alcoholic beverages, high stress lifestyles, some diuretics, digitalis, strenuous exercise (high performance athletes lose a considerable amount of magnesium in sweat), pregnant and lactating women, individuals with diabetes, severe diarrhea, or kidney disease. The early signs of magnesium deficiency include vague symptoms such as loss of appetite, stomachache, and diarrhea. Longer-term deficiency symptoms may manifest as confusion, apathy, depression, irritability, arrhythmias, weakness, poor coordination, nausea, vomiting, electromyographic changes, muscle and nerve irritability, and tremors.2

Magnesium has many novel uses for common health conditions. As an antacid, magnesium salts react with gastric acid to form magnesium chloride, thereby neutralizing hydrochloric acid. As a laxative, magnesium acts osmoticaly in the intestine and colon as well as triggering the release of gastrin and cholecystokinin, stimulating gastric motility. The inhibitory effect of magnesium on preterm labor contractions (tocolysis) is attributed to antagonism of calcium-mediated uterine contractions, while the anticonvulsant actions of magnesium in eclampsia may be due to inhibition of neuromuscular transmission, and a resulting depressant effect on smooth muscle contraction.3

Magnesium and Blood Pressure

Magnesium has an important role in reducing blood pressure.4 Magnesium deficiency has been found to allow for increased intracellular concentrations of sodium and potassium, which results in increased peripheral resistance and vasospasm.5 Additionally, some research points out that hypertensive patients with hypomagnesemia usually require more antihypertensive medications than hypertensive patients with normal magnesium levels.6 Diets that contain plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are good sources of potassium and magnesium, are consistently associated with lower blood pressure.7 The effect of various nutritional factors on incidence of high blood pressure was examined in over 30,000 U.S. male health professionals. After four years of follow-up, it was found that a greater magnesium intake was significantly associated with a lower risk of hypertension.8 The Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure recommends maintaining an adequate magnesium intake as a positive lifestyle modification for preventing and managing high blood pressure.9

Magnesium and Heart disease

Magnesium may play a role in reducing coronary vascular resistance, increasing coronary artery blood flow parameters, and prevention of arrhythmias. Further, inadequate intake and absorption of magnesium are associated with the development of disease processes such as hypertension, cardiomyopathy, atherosclerosis, and stroke.10 Evidence exists that indicates low body stores of magnesium actually increase the risk of a person having arrhythmias, which can increase the risk of cardiovascular complications.11 Surveys of the population in general have associated higher blood levels of magnesium with lower risk of coronary heart disease.12 Additionally, dietary surveys have suggested that a higher magnesium intake is associated with a lower risk of stroke.13

Magnesium and Osteoporosis

Magnesium deficiency may be a risk factor for postmenopausal osteoporosis. This may be related to the fact that magnesium deficiency negatively alters calcium metabolism and the hormone that regulates bone-calcium stores.14 Several studies have suggested that magnesium supplementation may improve bone mineral density and low intake and impaired absorption of magnesium have also been associated with the development of osteoporosis.

Magnesium and Diabetes

Magnesium plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism, influencing the release and activity of insulin, the main hormone that exerts control of blood glucose levels. Elevated blood glucose levels can increase the loss of magnesium in the urine, leading to increased magnesium loss from the body. Commonly, low serum levels of magnesium are often seen in poorly controlled diabetics.

Magnesium and Asthma

Magnesium plays a dynamic role in lung structure and function. Magnesium acts to block the function of calcium, which in the lungs causes bronchial smooth-muscle contraction. The possibility exists that magnesium deficiency may contribute to lung complications. It is interesting to note that the average calcium consumption in the U.S. has increased in the past few years but this is accompanied by little change in magnesium intake, causing an imbalance in the calcium:magnesium ratio.15 This deficiency in magnesium also has an effect on the activity of specific white blood cells (neutrophils) that during an asthma attack can worsen the condition. Researchers theorize that low magnesium content of white blood cells has an important effect on the pathogenesis of asthma.16 It is additionally hypothesized that a diet high in magnesium is directly related to healthy lung function and a reduced risk of airway hyper reactivity and wheezing. Low magnesium intake may therefore be involved in the occurrence of asthma.17

The beneficial health effects of magnesium and its disease-prevention qualities emphasize the importance of this commonly overlooked mineral. As the fields of nutrition and medicine continue to reveal the benefits of magnesium, it becomes more and more apparent that supplementation with this mineral is vital to maintaining our health. Like all supplements, proper supplementation of magnesium must be emphasized by seeking the advice of a qualified, nutritionally oriented physician.


Trace Minerals and Migraines
An increasingly large amount of disease today may be attributable to deficiencies in the supply of trace minerals in our diets.1 How can this be the case when the availability of food in our country is unprecedented, with a supermarket on every corner? These deficiencies do not stem from a lack of quantity of food, rather they stem from the quality of food. Trace minerals can be found mainly in whole, unprocessed foods such as vegetables and fruits. Unfortunately, the large majority of fruits and vegetables found in supermarkets today are nutritionally devoid of these minerals, largely in part to the high-yield farming practices in this and other countries.

The mineral content of food is mainly dependent on the amount of minerals found in the soil in which it is grown. Current farming practices leave soils with less than optimal amounts of these minerals, especially the less common trace minerals. As a result of this, our food supplies leave us at risk for deficiencies of these very important substances. Because of this situation, it is essential that every person now supplement their diet with trace minerals in order to avoid the many diseases that are attributable to this scarcity. A lack of vital nutrients leaves the body unable to function fully, leaving it vulnerable to disease.

Trace minerals have numerous roles. Oftentimes, because these minerals are found in such small quantities in the body, scientists and physicians have paid little attention to their importance in health and disease prevention. However, with the advent of improved science and the recognition of the efficacy of natural medicine, we are beginning to understand how vital these elements are to our health. Trace minerals, in a sense, are akin to the numerous tiny nails, nuts, and bolts that hold a house together. At first glance, a home is made of much more than these items. However, if they are slowly removed and never replaced, the house will continue to sag and finally fall apart. So it is the same with the smallest building blocks of our bodies. Trace minerals are important in the proper functioning of enzyme systems, nerve conduction and muscle function, assisting with transfer of nourishment into cells, providing the framework for tissues, and regulation of organ functions. These ‘behind the scenes’ functions are not possible without a constant, adequate supply of minerals. Even with the many multivitamin and mineral supplements available, most of these products fall short because they do not contain large enough amounts of the trace minerals that are so important to health.
Physicians that specialize in natural medicine are some of the biggest proponents of trace mineral supplementation. This type of physician is attuned to the many subtleties of the functions of the human body, and oftentimes addresses health issues with nutritional therapeutics in an attempt to bring the body’s health back into balance. This process of balance, also known as homeostasis, occurs quite wonderfully all by itself, as long as the body has the proper fuel and building materials. Unfortunately, physicians are seeing more and more diseases, which can be attributed to the body’s inability to achieve this balance. This trend towards ill health is directly related to the dearth of nutritional value in our diets today.
However, practitioners of natural medicine are very excited with the many dramatic turn-arounds toward health that many of their patients have experienced with the use of mineral supplementation. A common example of this is the treatment of migraine headaches with magnesium. Recent statistics suggest that 18 percent of women and six percent of men suffer from migraine and those numbers are increasing.2 The Centers for Disease Control reported a 60-percent increase in the disease from 1980 to 1989.3 Migraine headaches occur when the blood vessels in the brain spasm and constrict. Soon after this constriction occurs, the blood vessels then reflexively open, or dilate. When the vessels become dilated, they occupy more space in the brain, activating nearby pain receptors. It is speculated that an imbalance of mineral stores in the body can lead to this spasm of the blood vessels. Many researchers have suggested magnesium plays an important role in migraine attacks. The activities of magnesium in the body include preventing blood vessel spasm, inhibiting blood clotting, and stabilizing cell membranes, all of which are involved in migraine develoment4. Magnesium concentration exerts an effect on neurotransmitter production and receptors, pro-inflammatory molecules, and other migraine-related chemicals in the brain.5 Recent evidence suggests up to 50 percent of migraine patients have lowered levels of tissue magnesium during an acute migraine attack.6 Another study discovered brain magnesium concentrations were 19 percent lower in patients during migraine attack compared to healthy controls.7 Because recent research strongly indicates a magnesium deficiency in migraine headaches, natural medicine practitioners prescribe magnesium along with other trace minerals as a primary treatment for this condition with great success.

Because of their widespread distribution throughout the metabolic workings of the human body, trace minerals are integral to the functioning of one of the body’s largest organ systems, the muscles. Mainly, magnesium plays a large role in the relaxation of muscles following their contraction. Without this vital nutrient, it would be impossible for the muscles of the human body to function. Muscle cramps are prevalent in western society due to lack of intake of an appropriate amount of minerals. One easy, straightforward cure for muscle cramping is supplementation with magnesium and other trace minerals, as they allow the muscles to function smoothly and correctly. The role of magnesium in relieving cramped muscles also makes it a highly appropriate therapy for the muscle pain associated with fibromyalgia, a condition that is often treated successfully by practitioners of natural medicine. These practitioners often use high doses of magnesium and other trace mineral combinations to reduce the painful and tender muscles that are so common in fibromyalgia patients.
Another condition that is successfully treated with magnesium and trace minerals is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. People with this condition often experience profound muscle aches and weakness. It has been shown that in order for proper muscle contraction and relaxation to occur, magnesium and calcium need to be present in proper amounts in the body, which can be difficult to achieve even on a standard healthy diet. Additionally, magnesium and mineral supplementation may decrease the pain involved with sports-related injuries and excessive physical activity. As we use our muscular system, it is slowly depleted of these minerals, making replacement a top priority. Others signs of magnesium deficiency include disorientation, depression, tingling, numbness, seizures, abnormal heart rhythms in addition to muscle spasms and cramps.8,9

A minimum of at least 60 trace minerals has been demonstrated to be vital to health and well-being.10 This article has covered only a small fraction of the multitudes of health benefits of trace minerals. As science and natural medicine continues to uncover the many roles for all of these trace minerals, doctors are finding exciting solutions to several maladies that may be successfully treated by replacing these nutrients in the body. Unless we begin replacing these minerals early on in life, we put ourselves at risk for the many diseases of mineral deficiency that are becoming more and more prevalent in society today.