Nutritional Minerals and Toxic Metals

Anyone who is interested in achieving optimal health will need to learn how to test and treat mineral deficiencies and excesses and how to get rid of toxic heavy metals. This is particularly true if you have been exposed to heavy metals or have symptoms associated with any of the heavy metal listed below (see Table 1).
Table 1. Sources of Heavy Metals and Symptoms Associated with Toxicity

What do minerals do in the human body?
Minerals function as components of body enzymes and are also needed for proper composition of bone, blood, and the maintenance of normal cell function. Nutritional minerals are classified into two categories: major and minor. What determines if a mineral is a major or minor one depends upon the level not the necessity? If a mineral is required at a level greater than 100 mg per day it is considered a major mineral. The major minerals include calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, and sulfur. The minor, or trace minerals, include boron, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, sulfur, vanadium, and zinc. Another category for minerals in human health is the heavy metal category. This category consists of minerals that are toxic to the body such as lead, mercury, aluminum, cadmium, and nickel.
What are some of the key roles of specific minerals?
Everyone knows that we need iron for our red blood cells and calcium for strong bones, but the importance of the other essential minerals is largely unknown to most Americans. Let me briefly describe the key functions of the most important nutritional minerals.
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. It constitutes 1.5 to 2% of the total body weight with more than 99% of the calcium being present in the bones. In addition to its major function in building and maintaining bone and teeth, calcium is also important in the activity of many enzymes in the body. The contraction of muscles, release of neurotransmitters, regulation of our heart beat, and the clotting of blood are all dependent on calcium.
Phosphorus functions along with calcium in making our bones strong as well plays a role in the activities of calcium. Phosphorus is found in good quantities in most foods. The problem in most cases is not a dietary lack but an excess. Too much phosphorus in the diet (from over consumption of soft drinks, meat, and other high phosphate foods) can deplete body calcium stores.
Potassium, sodium, and chloride are electrolytes – mineral salts that can conduct electricity when they are dissolved in water. The reason why these nutrients are so intricately linked is that electrolytes are always found in pairs; a positive charged molecule like sodium or potassium is always accompanied by a negative charged molecule like chloride. Most Americans have a sodium-to-potassium ratio of more than 2:1 This 2:1 ratio means most people ingest twice as much sodium as potassium. Researchers recommend a dietary sodium-to-potassium ratio of less than 1:5 to maintain health as well as to prevent cancer, high blood pressure, and strokes. In other words, we should be consuming at least 5 times as much potassium as sodium. A natural diet rich in fruits and vegetables that avoids table salt and prepared foods can easily produce a Na:K ratio less than 1:10, as most fruits and vegetables have fifty times the amount of potassium as sodium.
Magnesium is second only to potassium in terms of concentration within the individual cells of the body. The functions of magnesium primarily revolve around its ability to activate many enzymes. Most Americans consume a low magnesium diet because their diet is high in refined foods, meat, and dairy products.
Iron plays the central role in the hemoglobin molecule of our red blood cells (RBC) where it functions in transporting oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues and the transportation of carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs. Iron also functions in several key enzymes in energy production and metabolism including DNA synthesis.
Zinc is found in virtually every cell in the body and is a component in over 200 enzymes. In fact, zinc functions in more enzymatic reactions than any other mineral. It is also required for proper action of many body hormones including immune system hormones, insulin, growth hormone, and sex hormones. Zinc is extremely important in the functioning of the immune system.
Boron is a very important trace mineral for maintaining healthy bone and joint function. Boron is necessary for the action of vitamin D – the vitamin which stimulates the absorption and utilization of calcium – and the hormone estrogen.
Chromium functions as the “glucose tolerance factor (GTF).” Chromium works closely with insulin in facilitating the uptake of glucose into cells. Without chromium, insulin’s action is blocked and blood sugar levels are elevated. Chromium key beneficial effect is to help insulin work properly.
Copper is an essential trace mineral involved in several key enzymatic reactions in the human body. It is the third most abundant essential trace mineral after iron and zinc. Copper plays a critical role in the enzyme super-oxide dismutase, one of the key antioxidant enzymes in our cells.
Iodine is a trace element required in the manufacture of thyroid hormone. Specifically, the thyroid gland adds iodine to the amino acid tyrosine to create the thyroid hormones. In addition, iodine appears to modulate the effect of estrogen on breast tissue.
Manganese functions in many enzyme systems including enzymes involved in blood sugar control, energy metabolism, and thyroid hormone function. Like copper (and zinc), manganese also functions in the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase.
Molybdenum functions as a component in several enzymes including those involved in alcohol detoxification, uric acid formation, and sulfur metabolism.
Selenium functions primarily as a component of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase which works with vitamin E in preventing free radical damage to cell membranes. Low levels of selenium has been linked to a higher risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory diseases, and other conditions associated with increased free radical damage including premature aging and cataract formation.
Sulfur is an essential nutrient for joint tissue where it functions in the stabilization of the connective tissue matrix of cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. Sulfur is also important for healthy hair, skin, and nails.
Vanadium was named after the Scandinavian goddess of beauty, youth, and luster. Vanadium appears to be very important for proper utilization of glucose, maintenance of proper cholesterol levels, and mineralization of bones and teeth
How common is mineral deficiency in the United States?
Mineral deficiencies are extremely common. While vitamins seem to get all the attention, minerals are equally as important to good health. It is estimated that somewhere between 20-80% of the American population do not consume sufficient levels of minerals, particularly the trace minerals. Particularly susceptible to mineral deficiency are the elderly due to decreased intake coupled with decreased absorption. Certain disease states also increase the risk for mineral deficiencies; most notable are diabetes and inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. People on certain drugs, especially diuretics, also have higher needs for certain minerals.
A severe deficiency is extremely rare, in most cases the deficiency is termed “subclinical” signifying that levels are low but not severe enough to produce a classic deficiency sign or symptom. In many instances the only clue of a subclinical mineral deficiency may be fatigue, lethargy, difficulty in concentration, a lack of well-being, or some other vague symptom. A hair mineral analysis can be quite helpful in identifying these sorts of subclinical deficiencies.
Why are heavy metals such a problem?
The toxic metals aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and nickel are often referred to as “heavy metals,” to distinguish them from the nutritional minerals. Heavy metals tend to accumulate within the brain, kidneys, immune system and other body tissues where they can severely disrupt normal function.
The typical person living in the United States has more heavy metals in their body than is compatible with good health. For example, it is conservatively estimated that up to 25 percent of the U.S. population suffers from heavy metal poisoning to some extent.
Where do heavy metals come from?
Most of the heavy metals in the body are a result of environmental contamination due to industry. In the United States alone, lead from industrial sources and leaded gasoline contribute more than 600,000 tons of lead being dumped into the atmosphere to be inhaled or – after being deposited on food crops, in fresh water, and soil – to be ingested. Other common sources of heavy metals include: lead from the solder in tin cans, pesticide sprays, and cooking utensils; cadmium and lead from cigarrette smoke; mercury from dental fillings, contaminated fish, and cosmetics; and aluminum from antacids and cookware. Some professions with extremely high exposure include: battery makers, gasoline station attendants, printers, roofers, solderers, dentists, and jewelers.
What are the signs and symptoms of heavy metal toxicity?
Early signs of heavy metal poisoning are usually vague. It also depends upon the level of toxicity. Mild cases of toxicity may be associated with headache, fatigue, and impaired ability to think or concentrate. As toxicity increases so do the severity of signs and symptoms. A person with severe toxicity may also experience muscle pains, indigestion, tremors, constipation, anemia, pallor, dizziness, and poor coordination.
Numerous studies have demonstrated a strong relationship between intelligence, childhood learning disabilities, and body stores of lead, aluminum, cadmium, and mercury.3–5 Basically, the higher a child’s level of heavy metals the lower their IQ. The same sort of relationship exists with blood pressure as high blood pressure is also associated with higher levels of lead and other heavy metals.6–8 Heavy metals have a very strong affinity for body tissues composed of fat like the brain, nerves, and kidneys. As a result, heavy metals are almost always linked to disturbances in mood and brain function as well as neurological problems (including multiple sclerosis) and high blood pressure (the kidneys regulate blood pressure).
How do I interpret the results of a mineral analysis?
The bottom line is that since the interpretation can be quite complicated it is best to see your health care professional for an interpretation and treatment plan to correct the deficiencies or excesses. For most minerals, the results are pretty straightforward. Low levels signify low body stores; high levels signify high body levels.
Source: Dr. Michael Murray, ND
Key references:

1. Bass DA, Hickock D, Quig D, Urek K. Trace element analysis in hair: factors determining accuracy, precision, and reliability. Altern Med Rev. 2001;6(5):472-81.
2. Muir M: Current controversies in the diagnosis and treatment of heavy metal toxicity. Altern Comp Ther June:170-8, 1997.
3. LeClair JA, Quig DW. Mineral status, toxic metal exposure and children’s behaviour. Orthomolecular Med 2001;16:13-32.
4. Tuthill R: Hair lead levels related to children’s classroom attention-deficit behavior. Arch Environ Health 1996;51:214-20.
5. Moon C and Marlow M: Hair-aluminum concentrations and children’s classroom behavior. Biol Trace Elem Res 1986;11:5-12.
6. Cheng Y, Schwartz J, Sparrow D, etal. Bone lead and blood lead levels in relation to baseline blood pressure and the prospective development of hypertension: the Normative Aging Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2001;153(2):164-71.
7. Hertz-Picciotto I, Croft J. Review of the relation between blood lead and blood pressure. Epidemiol Rev. 1993;15(2):352-73.
8. Vivoli G, Bergomi M, Borella P, Fantuzzi G, Caselgrandi E. Cadmium in blood, urine and hair related to human hypertension. J Trace Elem Electrolytes Health Dis. 1989;3(3):139-45.