Better Nutrition June 2019

naturalREMEDY/HOLISTIC STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU FEEL BETTER
Ultimate Mineral Guide
Everyone talks about vitamins A through K, but it turns out minerals have a far
more important role in human health than most people imagine /// BY JONNY BOWDEN, PHD, CNS
Minerals are often the gatekeeper
when it comes to your body’s ability to
perform complex, enzyme-dependent
metabolic operations and even to access
important vitamins.
Take iron. “In my practice, I saw [a lot
of] females with anemia,” says Darrin
Starkey, ND. “But now we’re seeing
more boys with anemia as well.” Starkey
points out that the reason for this surge
in anemia may have less to do with iron
and more to do with molybdenum.
“Molybdenum is the gatekeeper for
iron stores in the liver,” says Starkey.
“Without it, your liver won’t release its
iron stores effectively, and you could
wind up with iron-deficiency anemia.”
Molybdenum is what’s known as a
trace mineral (also known as microminerals).
Minerals in your diet come in
two categories: macrominerals such as
calcium and magnesium, and microminerals
such as iron, copper, manganese, and zinc.
The macrominerals are the ones you
need a lot of. Microminerals, aka trace
minerals, are essential, but in tiny amounts.
According to Starkey and many other
researchers, the diminishing amounts
of these minerals in our soil is causing
or promoting a host of human health
problems. Not all minerals (in either
category) need to be supplemented,
though trace minerals as a group
probably should be since they’re
the minerals most neglected in
multivitamins. They’re also the ones
that seem to be disappearing from the
soil the quickest.
Don’t confuse the importance of a
mineral with its value as a supplement.
Some macrominerals, including sodium
and chloride, are so essential that you
would die without them, but they’re
almost never taken as supplements.
Other macrominerals, such as calcium
and magnesium, are among the most
popular supplements in America.
Here’s a basic guide to what you need
to know when it comes to minerals.
The Macrominerals
* Magnesium. Magnesium is needed
for more than 300 different metabolic
operations, but almost no one gets enough
of it. Magnesium lowers stress, blood
pressure, and blood sugar. I recommend
magnesium supplementation for
almost everyone. Like potassium,
magnesium is found in vegetables,
fruits, seeds, and other plant foods.
* Sodium and Chloride. Sodium and
chloride—molecules that are often
combined (as in salt)—are two of the
most important electrolytes in the body,
essential to balancing fluids. Almost no
one needs to supplement with sodium.
* Potassium. Potassium is vitally important
for your heart. And it has a symbiotic
relationship with sodium: you need the
Did You
Know?
Pumpkin seeds are a great
source of magnesium,
which can help lower
stress and control
blood sugar.
*
*
two to be balanced, or to favor potassium.
You need thousands of milligrams
of potassium a day, and it’s next to
impossible to get that amount from
supplements. Virtually every plant food
has a ton of potassium, so eat plenty.
Calcium. The conventional wisdom
on calcium is turning out to be only
partially true. You definitely need
calcium for strong bones, but you need
to make those deposits in your calcium
bank before age 25. It’s no longer clear
that supplementing with calcium in
middle age—particularly when not
accompanied by synergistic nutrients
such as vitamins D and K 2
, magnesium,
and the trace minerals boron and
silica—is very effective at preventing
fractures or osteoporosis.
Phosphorus. Eighty-five percent of the
phosphorus in the body is found in bones
and teeth. Phosphorus helps filter waste
in the kidneys and helps synthesize and
absorb vitamins and minerals from food.
20 • JUNE 2019