What About Minerals?

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The topic of minerals comes up over and over again. There are many misunderstandings about minerals in general, like why we need them, what makes them so important for the body, and the different forms or qualities of minerals. In all the years that I have worked with people, first in health food stores and in more recent years working privately with clients, this seems to be the big gray area. Most people are seriously “mineral deficient.” We don't understand much about minerals, how to get them in our daily diet, what supplemental forms are more desirable than others and what they can do for us. In my practice in recent years I have seen some health conditions respond beautifully to the right quality and formulation of minerals. I have personally seen cases with improvement of fatigue, muscle cramps/tenseness, stress/anxiety, sleep problems, the list goes on...

Question: How do we get minerals in our daily diet?

Minerals are in the Earth. They exist in the soil and in everything which grows out of the Earth. All plants contain minerals to some degree, especially the chlorophyll-rich green plants. In our daily diet, eating vegetables, especially dark green leafy ones, are the best way to get the minerals we need. Eating a whole-food-based diet which includes plenty of vegetables, greens, fruits, legumes (beans) and grains is one of the healthiest things we can do for ourselves. Other mineral-rich vegetables include root vegetables such as carrots, which contain a good amount of calcium along with other minerals. I have known people who consumed no dairy products, but drank carrot juice (with spinach or parsley added) each day to supplement calcium to keep their bones strong. Also, eating raw vegetables instead of cooked, will assure you of getting a higher mineral content in most of your food.

If the soil is depleted of minerals, then the plants which grow in it will also be depleted in minerals. The tendency by producers of mass-produced, “industry-grown” produce to spray a multitude of chemicals on crops, along with using other unnatural growing techniques, is believed to lessen the amount of nutrients in the foods, especially minerals. I have known people dedicated to organic gardening who speak about “growing the soil” so that the soil can grow their crops to their fullest capacity of purity. The healthier the soil, the healthier the foods which grow in the soil. Hence, organically-grown produce is the best, providing the most nutrients, especially minerals and antioxidants.

Question: What are some causes of mineral depletion?

Minerals can be depleted from various causes. One possibility is that we simply don't eat enough foods which contain a good mineral content. Another possibility is consumption of too much caffeine, which literally flushes minerals and antioxidants such as vitamin C right out of the body. The more coffee, tea or soft drinks with caffeine which you drink, the more mineral depletion you may be headed for. One of the worst things post-menopausal women can do is to drink large amounts of coffee each day. But, thinking preventively, we want to start to be aware of these things earlier in life so we can keep our bones strong as we near menopause. Smoking also is also believed to deplete minerals out of the system. Eating too many acid-causing foods can deplete minerals, especially calcium. Acid-causing foods include: white sugar, white breads, caffeine, soft drinks, sweetened juices, processed foods, fast food, dairy products, meats, jam & jelly, sweets and alcohol. Acidic foods are believed to be a major cause in chronic illnesses. Acidic foods need to be buffered as they transit through the digestive tract, and the body can pull calcium (very possibly from the bones) to buffer an acidic pH. Minerals are known to be excellent alkalinizers to balance hyper-acid situations.

Question: Why are minerals so important?

Minerals are necessary for life. They are vital in assisting in a multitude of physical processes. They can work with vitamins, they can support hormonal balance, and they can help to move or carry nutrition to the cells. Minerals are important in the healthy functioning of the nervous system, supporting muscular balance (excellent in muscle spasms or cramps), protecting the heart, providing energy support (one of the first things Naturopaths look at in cases of fatigue is the very real possibility of mineral-depletion) and they activate enzymes which control healthy metabolic function (governing how efficiently we burn calories and how well our body runs).

Question: What are some more herbs and other plants with a higher mineral content?

As far as cooking herbs are concerned, the following contain healthy amounts of minerals, especially calcium and potassium: Basil leaf, Cinnamon, Cumin seed, Dill seed, raw Garlic, Oregano, Paprika, Cayenne pepper, Poppy seed, Rosemary, Savory, Tarragon leaf and Thyme.

Seaweeds are especially rich in minerals and trace minerals, especially wakame, kombu (kelp) and nori. In natural medicine and in macrobiotic cooking, seaweeds are highly respected sources of these nutrients which are so essential to life. The next time you go to a Japanese restaurant, see if they have Seaweed Salad on the menu of appetizers. You can also cook with seaweed in a variety of dishes. Any good macrobiotic cookbook by Aveline Kushi will provide you with plenty of ideas.

Medicinal herbs which contain higher mineral amounts include: Red Raspberry leaf, Burdock Root, Dandelion Root and Stinging Nettle leaf (one of my favorites for minerals and chlorophyll, alkalinizes the blood, and provides energy – a wonderful herbal tea for women to drink each day).

In the next column, we will talk about some of the different forms of minerals available in supplement forms and why some can be more effective than others. There are “high-quality calciums” and there are “low quality calciums,” for example, and we will talk about how we can tell the difference.

Reading List:

Diet and Nutrition; Rudolf Ballantine, MD.
Nutrition Almanac; G. Kirschmann and J. Kirschmann
Aveline Kushi¹s Introducing Macrobiotic Cooking; Wendy Esko
Macrobiotic Home Remedies; Michio Kushi
Healing with Whole Foods; Paul Pitchford
The Book of Herbal Wisdom; Matthew Wood

©Copyright 2002 by AlternativeApproaches.com

Susie Cooper, ND earned her Doctor of Naturopathy degree at the Southern College of Naturopathic Medicine, and is Board Licensed and Certified. She has continued most of her study in Classical Homeopathy with the New England School of Homeopathy. Dr. Susie has taught workshops in homeopathy, herbal medicine and nutrition in North Carolina for many years. She now teaches all her workshops in her shop, Blue Mountain Herbs & Supplements, in beautiful Pilot Mountain, NC, where she also takes private appointments for herbal, nutritional and homeopathic assessments. (336) 368-5955.

Important note: The information contained in this column is not meant to diagnose or prescribe for specific ailments, but is intended for educational support only. Please seek the advise of a licensed health practitioner for specific illnesses and emergency situations.

In the last column we talked about some of the basics of minerals, such as: how we obtain minerals in our diet, what causes mineral depletion in our body, why we need minerals and what makes them so important, and which herbs and other plants can have a high mineral content.

As a Naturopath, I talk about minerals all the time with my clients. Minerals are vitally important to life, and those who have a mineral depletion can develop many weaknesses. Minerals can be considered “carriers and builders” for healthy cellular processes, vitamin absorption, and can even influence hormonal balance. When we deprive our bodies of healthy minerals, we can really effect much, much more than just our bones. We can deprive some of the deepest nutritional needs of our body on all levels without high quality minerals. When our diet consists mainly of processed, refined and chemicalized foods, then we surely are not getting the minerals we need daily. Remember, if you eat a natural, whole food diet and eliminate as much of the “junky” foods as possible, you will be increasing not only minerals, but all other vitamins as well. Taking a good, high quality mineral supplement can assure you of filling in any missing gaps in your diet with the necessary minerals your body needs.

Question: How can I be sure I am getting a high quality mineral supplement? Is there a difference from one to another?

Yes, there can be a difference from one mineral supplement to another. It is very important to know what the forms of the minerals are in your vitamins. (This means the source material, or type, of the calcium itself, for example.) If no source material of calcium or magnesium is specified, I would not use the formula. Only use mineral supplements which list the type of calcium or type of magnesium. There are different source materials for minerals and some are better than others, according to most naturopaths. Some of the standard types of calcium, for example, are carbonate, gluconate and lactate. The most common of these is calcium carbonate, which is derived from limestone or “chalk.” The carbonates can be more difficult to absorb due to the fact that they are derived from rock, and basically our human bodies have a difficult time digesting rock. It is commonly known among most naturopathic practitioners that we need a certain amount of hydrochloric acid (HCl) to digest, breakdown and absorb carbonates. When we get older, especially over the age of 50, we may lose some of the HCl capacity in digestion. Therefore, we won't be able to utilize the carbonates. Unused calcium carbonate in the body may build up as bone spurs or kidney stones in certain people. I, therefore, will never recommend any mineral which contains the calcium carbonate as a single type of calcium. There are much better options.

One of the best types of calcium is the microcrystalline hydroxyapatite (MCH), which is actually an organic, bone source material derived from freeze-dried bovine bone of naturally raised animals. It is certified clean and free of any contaminants and is derived only from Australian or New Zealand bovine sources. MCH calcium shows a high rate of absorption, despite a lower HCl digestive rate in certain individuals.

Other good sources of calcium are citrate, malate, chelate or lactate (in liquid form only). All these forms show a higher level of digestibility which, to naturopaths, will offer a higher potential absorption rate for their clients.

Question: Is is beneficial to take calcium by itself, or should it have other minerals with it?

Naturopaths know that it may be more beneficial to take a mineral formula containing calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, boron, and other trace minerals, all in the same formula. Calcium by itself has not been observed to give the same results as calcium with all the other minerals, especially magnesium. The magnesium and vitamin D are acknowledged with helping the body to utilize calcium better and more efficiently. As with so many things, the more complete the formula is to nature, the better. When we eat food, we get a mixture of many different nutrients all together, not just one. So, when we take minerals, we may benefit by taking a range of necessary nutrients all in the same formula.

Question: What is the best time of day to take calcium/mineral formulas?

It is best to usually take high-quality mineral supplements containing calcium or magnesium in the evening or before bedtime. The minerals can help relax muscles and promote more peaceful sleep, and they absorb into the body much better during rest at night. So, you will sleep much better and mineral absorption will increase at the same time.

Remember, dark, green leafy vegetables and supplements containing green foods, such a spirulina, alfalfa, chlorella, barley grass, wheat grass and blue green algae, all contain more minerals naturally. The best overall herbal tea to drink for extra minerals is nettle leaf tea. It tastes great and will fill in as a wonderful plant-source mineral formula because it contains a variety of the main minerals and trace minerals we need daily.

Reading List:

Diet and Nutrition; Rudolf Ballantine, MD.
Nutrition Almanac; G. Kirschmann and J. Kirschmann
Healing with Whole Foods; Paul Pitchford

©Copyright 2002 by AlternativeApproaches.com

Susie Cooper, ND earned her Doctor of Naturopathy degree at the Southern College of Naturopathic Medicine, and is Board Licensed and Certified. She has continued most of her study in Classical Homeopathy with the New England School of Homeopathy. Dr. Susie has taught workshops in homeopathy, herbal medicine and nutrition in North Carolina for many years. She now teaches all her workshops in her shop, Blue Mountain Herbs & Supplements, in beautiful Pilot Mountain, NC, where she also takes private appointments for herbal, nutritional and homeopathic assessments. (336) 368-5955.

Important note: The information contained in this column is not meant to diagnose or prescribe for specific ailments, but is intended for educational support only. Please seek the advise of a licensed health practitioner for specific illnesses and emergency situations.