Minerals

I make my own minerals from a chemistry set. I use an electronic balance with and accuracy of 0.1g to weigh samples. This is not sufficient accuracy for the micronutrients. For this reason I prepare enough for 100 days which I adde to 8 litres of distilled water

Therefore I take 1/100 of this a day which is 80ml. The quantities are based more or less on the rda, and I found that having the whole lot is actually quite an ordeal, as nothing tastes nice. Taking 40 ml a day is a good dose.

There are some minerals which I take separately, because of their solubility. This includes ferrous sulphate which rusts immediately it gets wet.

I make my own calcium citrate from a bag of lime and citric acid from the supermarket.

The reaction is as follows:

3Ca(OH)2 + 2C6H8O7.H2O -> Ca3(C6H5O7)2

( 74g of lime combine with 210g citric acid)

I haven't checked this recently, but it's not a chemistry lesson. The point is that it is an acid base reaction, and if you have an excess of citric acid it will dissolve your teeth.

An excess of lime could be even worse. I used anthocyanin as an acid base indicator. If you want to use this you might find that red cabbage juice works. I found that the reaction was invariably incomplete, so you have to keep testing and adding citrate or lime until the anthocyanin is purple. The problem is that lime is sparingly soluble in water. Anthocyanin turns green or blue in lime and pink in acid.

Basically the two components are combined in a sufficient quantity of water. The water is then boiled of in a saucepan, and the dry calcium citrate harvested. Calcium citrate is a highly absorbable soluble form of calcium. If you don't like the grit from the lime then you could dissolve you daily spoon of calcium citrate in a litre of water, let the grit settle and drink the water.

According to the MSDS for the lime it contains over 80% lime, and the rest is basically fine sand.

No doubt you think that I am crazy to do this. However just a reminder that it has been proven in studies that women who take their calcium citrate have a lower incidence of osteoporosis, not to mention the fact that calcium removes toxins from the body, and can alleviate depression.

Calcium requires vitamin d to be absorbed - cod liver oil is ideal. It has been said the magnesium assists in the assimilation of calcium too.

Below are the minerals. Aren't they pretty? Selenium is highly toxic, and many of these minerals are needed in trace quantities, and yet are toxic in higher doses. Don't even think about following the instructions on this page unless you are in a sane frame of mind, and are competent in using a scientific balance, and are competent at calculations. Nor woud you trust my values. You would research the rda of each mineral, do your calculations and perhaps compare with my results. You can't afford ever to make one mistake, so unless you are trained and responsible, don't do it.

Also you did wash the outside of the selenium bottle, and your hands before eating didn't you? And you would keep the selenium and all the others from children too. I read a story about a child who died and smelled of onion from ingesting selenium. Why would you take selenium? Well it is required by the body for glutathione peroxidase - a super antioxidant which has been shown to prevent prostate cancer, be good for the eyes, the immune system and balances thyroid function (converts t3 to t4).

Boron

Boron is required for bone formation and sex hormone balance. Supplementation at 3 mg a day was found to slow calcium loss in older women by 40%.

Calcium

Calcium is not just required for bones and teeth, the prevention of periodontal disease (when the jaw bone becomes thinner) and osteoporosis. Calcium is also necessary for blood clotting, wound healing and muscle contraction. It is essential for cell maintenance and connective tissues. It is required for enzymes for digestion, energy and fat metabolism.

Calcium can lower blood pressure and help prevent heart disease.

Chromium

Chromium is important for the burning of carbohydrates and fats in the body. It lowers blood sugar levels and reduces stress. It works with insulin to make blood sugar available for the cells. It has been shown that only organic chromium is readily absorbed unless it is taken with niacin. An example of the organic from is chromium picolinate and the chromium acetate described on this page. Of course becase chromium is required in small quantities you would not be taking the acetate solution unless you were competent to administer the correct dosage.

Cobalt

Cobalt is found in the vitamin b12, which can only be obtained from eating meat. It also increase the levels of the hormone erythropoietin from the kidneys. This can increase the red blood cell count. When too much is ingested this can result in blood clots, strokes and heart attacks. Cyanocobalamin or vitamin b12 can reduce tumor growth, and promotes nerve regeneration. Vegans can suffer permanent nerve damage from a vitamin b12 deficiency.

Copper

Copper is required for red and white blood cell maturation, iron transport and bone strength. It is also required for the proper function of the heart muscle, the immune system and tyrosinase (required for hair and skin pigmentation). Copper supplementation has been claimed to reduce premature graying in some cases.

Iodine

Iodine is a precursor to the thyroid hormones T3 and T4. These regulate our metabolism. A lack of iodine in the diet can cause hypothyroidism and goitre a swollen thyroid gland. It can also cause severe stunting of the brain in infants. It is quite possible to become iodine sufficient in areas remote or elevated from the coast.

Iron

Iron is required for red blood cells and to produce dopamine in the brain for mental alertness. It is good to combine red meat with vegetables for optimum absorbtion. Vitamin c is also required to absorb iron. Generally speaking most people are somewhat deficient. Ferrous sulphate is probably a practical way of supplementing iron. According to my table I was taking 50mg of ferrous sulphate a day. If you have an accurate balance and know how to use it correctly this should not be a problem. After a while you can see how much it is. It is perhaps the volume contained in a match head or perhaps a bit more. Also when added to an inch of water in a glass, stirred and drunk immediately, you will realize that it tastes absolutely vile, and one would assume that poisoning by overdose would be difficult, as taking the rda daily is an ordeal as it is. It will also blacken the teeth. This can be easily removed by brushing with bicarbonate of soda (which tastes vile also). Why would I suggest all this? Well it's cheap, and if you aren't a wimp you can enjoy good health - and you can't wish for more than that.

Magnesium

Magnesium is the second most common positive ion in the body and affects about 300 different enzymes. Most people are generally deficient. Taking the 4 grams of epsom salts daily is safe and a really good idea. It tastes very bitter, and is not easily disguised in foods. You would be better off taking 2g a day rather than none. I either put it in my mouth with a teaspoon and wash it down with water or dissolve it in a little warm water. I guess you get to taste less the first way. Of course magnesium is found in chlorophyl and all green vegetables. You could eat spinach religiously instead.

Manganese

Manganese is required for healthy skin, bones, and cartilage formation. It is a trace mineral. As you can see in my table I measured out 1g of manganese chloride for 100 days. You can't just take too much because it is poisonous. So if you aren't very skilled you'd be better off just getting it from food.

Selenium

Selenium is a very toxic substance. So why would you take it? Well in many parts of Australia, China and elsewhere there is none in the soil. Selenium is required by the body to produce glutathione peroxidase a super antioxidant which works with vitamin c and e and a to fight free radicals implicated in aging. Selenium supplementation is believed to increase telomerase which can repair the frayed ends of dna. This is a key to longevity, and it has been found that the telomeres (ends) of the dna molecules are more frayed (shortened) in women with problem children. In other words their biological age can be 10 years more. In theory the telomere gets shortened every time a cell divides. Some crank 50 years ago calculated that after 50 cell divisions you die. Telomerase is found abundantly in sex cells like in the gonads. In fact sex cells are immortal, and the dna does not fray. That is why when you have a baby at age 50 it is not born 50 years old.

Selenium has been used to fight prostate cancer. It removes heavy metals like lead from the body. It assists in thyroid function as it converts T3 to T4. It is also good for healthy vision.

I bought the sodium selenite below while I was a truck driver's offsider. We stopped at an agricultural supplier. I saw the bottle in a cage (it is a registered poison). I said "I want it". I walked up to the counter, and asked for it. "What do you want it for?" "Oh for my girlfriend's horse." I stammered. So I signed in triplicate. Next time someone gets poisoned by selenium I expect a visit from the federal police.

It is of great benefit to me to use these chemicals because I have at least a first year university training in chemistry, and I am careful and disciplined in all my procedures. Also is I develop any sort of health condition I cease supplementation just in case.

Zinc

I forgot to take a photo of the zinc sulphate, but it is just white crystals like sugar. Zinc is used by over 100 enzymes in the body, and is required for energy production. It is found is semen and it can make her feel on top of the world for a week afterward. But what about you my friend? Are you replenishing your reserves. Zinc supplementation is a good idea. As you can see my table shows that you can take 7g of zinc sulphate in 100 days. As explained earlier I would add the 7g to 8 litres of water along with the other salts in Table 2. Then I make sure that I have no more than 80 ml of that water a day, shaking before pouring, and avoiding the scum at the bottom of the bottle, as you can't be sure exactly what is in it. I guess most people are capable of doing this, but you can't afford to make a mistake.

Molybdenum

Molybdenum is a trace element required for tooth enamel. You need less than half a gram of molybdenum chloride in 100 days. This is a rather exciting part in the preparation, because when I bought the bottle for $100 it contained argon. As soon as you open it it reacts with air. Next time you open it there is pressure under the lid, and you are greeted with a puff of smoke.

Potassium

You should have vegetable soups to maintain your potassium intake. I bought some pottassium chloride once but because you need quite a few grams a day I quickly ran out. It is just a white crystalline substance. Pottassium moderates high blood pressure

Other essential minerals

There are other essential minerals than I have listed above. They are sodium, which we get from salt, nickel, phosphorus, sulfur and vanadium, nitrogen, carbon and oxygen. It is likely that we get too much sodium and phosphorus. All food contains carbon, and you get nitrogen from protein. Most of us could get more oxygen. Exercise and yoga are best. Oxygen supplements cannot supply anywhere near as much oxygen, although there are useful in reaching places like the intestines where bacteria live.

Conclusion

The most important thing that you need to know about minerals and their relationship with food, herbs and antioxidants is that there is constant competition for assimilation. One of numerous examples is that foods like broccoli when eaten raw block the absorbtion of iodine. Similarly all the minerals listed on this page are in competition. So for example an excess of copper can cause a zinc deficiency. It follows that what is more important than exactly how much you have is that you have everything in balance. Another thing that you may have to consider is that you might be deficient in only one mineral, which may or may not show up in blood samples. It seems to me that as a consequence of what I have just said, that taking all these minerals at once - say half the rda of all should cover this scenario reasonably well don't you think? Unless there is some other imbalancse causing the problem.

I have taken my minerals in this manner for about a year on and off. My body always responds differently. In the past I have usually experienced an increased appetite and increased sexual desire. Yesterday I took them. I am currently on a course or chinese medicine to cope with a skin rash abound my eyes (it is working). I found that my mind was very clear and calm, and I had a good flow of energy.

When I take them on an empty stomach with 100g of niacin I have vomited on two occasions. Because they are inorganic minerals they are a bit rough on the stomach and should be taken with meals. The purveyors of chelated, colloidal and organic minerals point out that inorganic minerals are less easily absorbed. I read one study on the absorption of selenium. It was found that organic selenium was absorbed 20% better. However I must point out that my bottle of selenium which I bought for $12 contains enough selenium for the rest of my life, and it does get absorbed and it does have profound effects.

A final word of warning. Don't do any of the crazy things that I have described on this page unless you are sane and competent. It is not hard to prepare your own minerals, but any error of judgement could prove fatal.