Alison Odey

Originally, we depended for our continuing good health, on the nutrients found within the soils that our foods grew on. We once fertilised these soils, by putting back much of what we took out as compost and animal fertilisers, rotating crops and using legumes as a
‘dig-in’ crop etc.

Now-days, with modern farming methods we often use imbalanced fertilisers
(mainly consisting of phosphorous, potassium and nitrogen without other essential elements). These initially give greater yields but eventually imbalances the soil and the nutritional content of the foods grown on these soils becomes deficient.

To compound the problem NZ soils are deficient in many minerals to start with, specifically Zinc, Selenium, Boron and in many places Magnesium.

To make matters worse much of the food we eat is even further depleted of its original vitamin and mineral content by picking, processing and cooking. When picked before being fully ripe the flavour and nutritional content of a fruit or vegetable is not fully developed.

The coating of foods with things such as mineral oils and sulphur dioxide to enhance the customer appeal of a food product will further destroy vitamins, as will freezing, refining, micro-waving, over-cooking and preserving. Micro-waving in particular is known to cause total loss of enzymes and a diet consisting of a high level of micro-waved food will bring about a greatly depleted immune system.

Refining grains (removing the bran and germ) means we lose approximately 98% of manganese, 80% iron, 70% phosphorus, 65% copper, 50% calcium and potassium,
80% thiamine (B1), 75% niacin (B3), 65% riboflavin (B2), 50% pyridoxine (B6) and
pantothenic acid (B5) from these foods.

Refining sugar has the same result as all the minerals are lost and concentrated into  the production of molasses. Better to eat molasses than it is to eat refined sugar!.

Also every time we are stressed, take medications or fight infection, our bodies use more minerals which need to be replaced.

Some examples of mineral use in the body are:
The sodium/potassium balance can influence how well your adrenals work.
Potassium is a key mineral for adrenal health.
Copper is essential for iron & zinc utilization. It is also necessary for the production of haemoglobin.
Cobalt is necessary for the formation of red blood cells.
Molybdenum also plays a part in preventing anaemia.
Zinc/copper ratio can influence hormone balance. (Studies have indicated that an elevated Zinc/copper ratio may indicate a dominance of progesterone, while a low zinc/copper ratio may indicate oesrogen dominance).
It is also related to abnormalities in HDL/LDL ratios.
Zinc is needed to maintain health cells in the entire body.
Chromium is a trace mineral necessary for the production of cholesterol and glucose as well as insulin production & regulation.
Sulphur is critical for protein metabolism. It s necessary for healthy joints, hair, skin, nails and production of collagen.
Copper also is needed in the production of collagen.
Boron is important in the uptake of calcium & other minerals into the bone.
Strontium has been shown to be involved in the utilization of calcium.
And so on, all minerals & trace elements are inter-related and work in conjunction with one another—not separately.
ALL are essential in the body for not just one but many actions.

It is totally unacceptable to think that we can obtain all the elements necessary for good health from the food we eat. Even more importantly,
there is no doubt that degenerative disease is due to trace mineral deficiencies.

The problem can be remedied to a degree if we grow our own foods and make all possible attempts to use natural fertilisers such as sea weeds, worm juice, animal dung or compost made from or garden and kitchen wastes.
Also, by buying as many organic foods as possible.

This is feasible for some of us but not all and even where these efforts are made, mineral levels in the body tend to remain too low. This can be due not only to insufficient minerals in the diet but also to the fact that the body uses many more minerals when stressed, when fighting ill health (this includesfighting off the common cold), when attempting to eliminate toxins or simply repairing a wound.

You must supplement in order for the body to reach optimum mineral
levels and therefore enable the body to maintain optimum health.

The best type of mineral supplement I have found on the market are Colloidal minerals.
See page on ‘ Minerals – facts’.

The term Colloidal means ‘in suspension’, so don’t confuse colloidal Silver (which is silver only, in suspension) with colloidal minerals (which have at least 70 plus, minerals in suspension). Colloidal minerals are liquid, 100% bio-available and have no toxic build up.

There are several different brands out there but most are diluted quite considerably from the concentrate and many will have fruit flavourings and extra amino acids added. Nothing wrong with that except you pay more than you have to.

A ‘good’ Colloidal mineral product will taste ‘terrible’, as the predominant taste is Zinc (a strange sweet, sour, dry sensation), but can be mixed in your favourite juice. In this Clinic I recommend concentrated liquid minerals that are not diluted, of excellent quality and are well packaged.
Go to On-line shop for  ‘Liquid minerals’.

Up-dated April 2019