Trace Minerals
While trace minerals are interactive on both sides of the body, symptoms of excess or deficiency are generally one-sided, depending on their ratios with other elements, and depending which group they
are neurologically assigned to. In the event of calcification, it is not a high calcium level that results in the formation of a stone or spur, but calcium being high in ratio to associated or interactive elements.
For instance, phosphorus and zinc have both left-sided cell receptors, so if either level is low in ratio to calcium, calcification would take place on the left side of the body, whereas the cell receptors of manganese or magnesium are right-sided, as a result, any calcification would subsequently develop on the right side only. At the same time, when treating inflammatory conditions, one can apply the sidedness of any anti-inflammatory nutrients to affect a corresponding one-sided inflammation, which if applied to the opposite side, wouldn’t work, or possibly make it worse.
Common nutritional factors can be as effective as antibiotics in combating everyday conditions such as eye, throat, or urinary infections, etc, provided the anti-inflammatory nutrient is properly matched to the condition by actual measurement, not just symptomatically. Organs located centrally are still sided in respect to the nervous system, so the bladder is considered a right-sided organ neurologically, with
the uterus or prostate being left-sided. Subsequently, with prostatitis, one has to lower elevated zinc, whereas with bladder infections, one has to lower elevated potassium, which would always be high.
Chromium & Copper: These two elements are the most important nutrients next to calcium and magnesium for their anti-inflammatory properties. They share left / right-sided cell receptors and are considered essential to human health.
While neither one – with few exceptions – is generally found to be very deficient level-wise, chromium (Cr) is on average always lower than copper (Cu), with virtually no exceptions. Copper, on the other hand is elevated in the majority of patients, which creates a chronic copper / chromium conflict ratio- wise in these individuals.
In fact, of all the patients I have tested since the mid 70’s, nearly 90% exhibited a chemical profile that in addition to their own unique chemistry, contained an underlying pattern reflecting the effects of high copper on various opposing nutrients, which include chromium, molybdenum, sulfur, nickel, Vitamin C and hesperidin.
There are other copper antagonists such as zinc, but even though zinc is generally documented as such in the nutritional literature, it is not only the weakest of all copper antagonists, but its action on copper takes place only on an intestinal level, so once copper goes into storage, zinc will have no effect on lowering copper any longer, no matter how much is supplemented. The only time zinc could become a threat to copper is when Cu is already on the low side, and massive amounts of zinc were consumed.
Many patients exhibit a high level of zinc and a high level of copper, in which case a common denominator such as Vit C has to be supplemented in large amounts to help lower both, while certain foods such as nuts, shellfish or wheat germ… (containing high levels of copper and zinc), should be avoided. One major reason why some people require a much higher intake of Vitamin C than others, is a high copper level, which in these people happens to interfere with nickel, and subsequently Vitamin C.
Chronically elevated copper levels in most patients may result from one-sided diets that lack co-factors or copper antagonists, or from the fact that many copper-rich foods are somewhat addictive, such as cocoa / chocolate products, colas, coffee, or tea (copper levels are even higher in tea than in coffee). Other sources include seafood / shellfish, seeds and nuts, liver, soy products, foods or beverages that are cooked or stored in copper containers (beer), tap water (copper plumbing), copper IUDs, as well as Estrogen Therapy, which significantly raises copper.
Patients I have tested living in industrialized regions tend to have on average somewhat higher copper levels than those from non-industrialized areas, however the difference has been too inconsistent to be of any significance. The only genetic association to copper overload is found in Wilson’s disease, which however is quite rare.
Copper shares many attributes with calcium, whereby both can become bio-unavailable at high levels and result in symptoms of deficiency! Some practitioners, unaware of the underlying copper excess and lacking the resources to test intracellular levels of copper get temporary results by having a patient supplement more copper. This of course can have disastrous long-term effects on a patient’s physical
and mental health. The correct approach consists of making copper (or calcium) more bioavailable by supplementing the appropriate co-factors, with the best choice being those that exhibit the lowest level in ratio to copper, which, as already mentioned above, may include Vitamin C, chromium, sulfur (MSM), molybdenum, nickel, or (rarely) zinc. A reduction of foods high in copper is of utmost importance as well.
This will take care of the medical conditions a practitioner was originally consulted for, and at the same time prevent the potential development of new medical problems elsewhere – related to excessive copper intake – which may include mood and sleep disorders, depression or psychiatric behavior…,
or conditions such as spinal / joint / organ and vascular degeneration, impaired immune or hormonal functions, and other problems. High copper is also a necessary component to support the formation of new blood vessels in tumors (angiogenesis), so lowering copper reduces the risk for malignant (cancerous) tumor formation.
Chromium is the “Gold Standard” to normalize copper, since it is its associated trace element. More aches and pains, arthritis, slow-healing fractures, sciatica and other back problems, various infections, etc, are relieved with chelated chromium (not GTF), than with most other supplements - provided they conform to the side-specific requirements (see introduction above). Following a close second is sulfur, usually supplemented in the form of MSM, whose main action in addition to helping restore cartilage formation is the lowering of copper! So again, it is the high copper levels which created a need for sulfur to help reverse joint degeneration. Originally, glucosamine sulfate (another copper-lowering sulfur compound) had been the non-drug treatment of choice for joint problems, however its insulin-depressing potential has considerably reduced its popularity in individuals with hyperglycemic (high blood sugar) tendencies, so MSM has become the preferred choice instead.
Osteoporosis in trabecular bone (spine or end-part of bone) is frequently caused by chromium becoming abnormally low in ratio to either copper, potassium, selenium, and/or rarely, vanadium. Chromium is required for proper parathyroid functions, so any of these chromium antagonists can become responsible for bone loss if supplemented needlessly, or if their levels remain too high too long for any other dietary or genetic reason. However, one other major factor that is responsible for bone loss as a result of its chromium-lowering effect – particularly in Western Societies – and which has been totally overlooked is — White Sugar, and all other Simple Carbohydrate sources!
Copper works synergistically with potassium and calcium, so when patients do exhibit low copper levels, then calcium and potassium are frequently on the low side as well. Taking a 3mg copper pill for a couple of months, or less, is all that is needed for an adult to normalize any copper deficiency, and then it should always be discontinued, otherwise copper will go too high – being another reason why most people should avoid multi-mineral formulations containing more than 1 mg of copper.
It is also advisable to never supplement copper on an empty stomach, or with any acidic beverage or other acidic supplements such as Vitamin C, otherwise severe nausea may be experienced.
Updated July 2003