There are many topics about nutrition that are controversial, but mineral deficiency isn’t one of them. It’s widely known and accepted that
our farming soils are no longer rich in required minerals that our bodies need and while synthetic fertilizers help plants to grow, they don’t provide for human nutrition.
In 1936, the
US Senate was presented with the results of a scientific study it had commissioned on the mineral content of our food. The results showed that many health problems could be attributed to the fact that our soil
no longer provided plants with minerals that are essential to human nutrition and ultimately our health. This was reaffirmed this year by another congressional hearing discussing what to do about our still deficient
soils.
Here is part of what was said in the Senate Document 264 of the 74th Congress, 2nd Session 1936:
“… 99 percent of the American people are deficient in … minerals
and … a marked deficiency in any one of the more important minerals actually results in disease.”
“Do you know that
most of us today are suffering from certain dangerous diet deficiencies which cannot be remedied until the depleted soils from which our foods come are brought into proper mineral balance? The alarming fact is
that foods–fruits and vegetables and grains–now being raised on millions of acres of land that no longer contains enough of certain needed minerals, are starving us–no matter how much of them we eat!”
“We know that vitamins are complex chemical substances which are indispensable to nutrition, and that each of them is important for the normal function of some special structure of the body. Disorder and disease result
from any vitamin deficiency. It is not commonly realized, however, that vitamins control the body’s appropriation of minerals, and that in the absence of minerals they have no function to perform. Lacking vitamins,
the system can make some use of minerals, but lacking minerals, vitamins are useless.”
“Laboratory tests prove that the fruits, vegetables, grains, eggs and even the milk and meats of today are not what they were a few generations ago. No man of today can eat enough fruits and vegetables to supply
his system with the mineral salts he requires for perfect health….”
“It is bad news to learn from our leading authorities that 99 percent of the American people are deficient in these minerals, and that
a marked deficiency in any one of the more important minerals actually results in disease. Any upset of the balance, any considerable lack of one or another element, however microscopic the body requirement may
be, and we sicken, suffer, shorten our lives.”
Remember, this was in 1936, nothing has been done to remedy this problem. Instead we’ve ignored it and take medication that allows us to ignore the symptoms of the disease we have from poor nutrition. In addition to deficiency,
modern farming practices add herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, and genetic modification which alters proteins in the plant. Many of these proteins your body rejects, which we call allergies. Maybe we
should refer to these modern foods as foodicides, meaning foods that will kill you, rather than nourish 🙂
Minerals are so important and are used in so many ways in your body, mineral deficiency could literally be the cause or at least contribute to almost any health problem you have. Here are a few problems/symptoms
that mineral deficiency is known to lead to: slow healing cuts, muscle cramps, low energy, foot odor, white spots on fingernails, yeast/fungal infections, hypertension, skin and hair problems, diarrhea, low immune system,
vision problems, stunted growth, hormone imbalance, etc. The list could literally go on and on, but you get the idea.
So everyone is deficient in minerals. Now what? There are three solutions for individuals to remedy their deficiency.
Solution one. You can eat all organic foods grown on land that has not been farmed continuously for decades, as well as eating meats and protein from grass-fed and free-range animals. This option is the most difficult and
expensive to do. I think it will become less expensive over time as more people demand better quality food. In our fast paced society, most families don’t have the time it takes to source these foods and maintain supply.
For now this option would be very difficult and unaffordable for most families.
Solution two. You can supplement minerals back into your body. With this solution you need to be careful as to which supplement you choose. It is important to use a mineral supplement that is chelated, meaning the mineral
is bonded to a protein. The protein, being a charged particle, will attract itself to your cells, bringing the mineral with it. Minerals by themselves have no mechanism to get to the cell. If you get a mineral supplement
that is not chelated it’s no different than eating mineral rich dirt, it will do nothing for you.
Solution three. The best solution is to supplement chelated minerals AND eat more foods that are local or organic. Since the “cides” are used in growing plant foods and hormones and antibiotics are used in animal
foods, getting better quality foods that don’t included these negatives is a better idea. Since minerals are so important, even with organic or local foods you don’t really know the soil content from where they are
grown, its best to be safe and supplement the minerals your body needs. You could think of it as the cheapest insurance policy you’ll ever buy!
It’s important to note that mineral deficiency can take years to re-mineralize, so if you’re not noticing anything, keep going, you need them and they are helping, even if you don’t notice outwardly.
