Measuring the ratio of minerals to trace elements via a hair mineral analysis is a good start and something most people can benefit from doing. A mutual imbalance between the minerals can often be seen before an illness manifests itself. Minerals work together and influence each other in their tasks in the body.
Enzymes are the basis of life
Morley Robbins, the founder of The Root Cause Protocol used to say this:
"In enzymes, minerals are united with the metabolism."
Morley Robbins.
With it, he wants to show how fundamental minerals are for life on earth. Enzymes are the basis of all life, since long before man was created. We have incorporated enzymes from a kind of pre-bacteria that we still use to create the energy our body needs. I tell you more about that in a lecture about natural light and our light-driven enzymes here
Enzymes are the basis for the processes in the body and for all genes to be expressed. Enzymes are proteins that drive reactions that must take place within us: digestion, nutrient metabolism, healing, blood sugar regulation, blood pressure, cell renewal.
Formation of hormones and signaling substances, energy production, reproduction, breakdown of waste products in the cell also require enzymes.
Minerals charge enzymes
Minerals must also be built into the proteins that our genes code for. It can be different minerals depending on the enzyme. It can be iron, zinc, copper, manganese and more. If the mineral is not available and in the right form to be built into the enzyme, it loses its function.
Toxic metals disrupt nutritional minerals
That said, the lines between toxic action and nutrition can be fluid. It's often about the right ratio between the minerals, rather than actual amounts, as I've mentioned so many times before.
A trace element that is crucial for our well-being can become inhibitory for certain processes in the body if the levels are too high without the other minerals it interacts with being present in the right amount. The same goes for many vitamins. (Vitamin A and D work together)
Chemistry, biochemistry and electronic charges are the basis of how the minerals can affect each other. Excess or the body's inability to clear out a toxic metal can block a nutrient mineral's place in enzymes.
When the minerals are packaged in the right forms and in the right mutual amounts in relation to each other, the enzyme-driven reactions can take place optimally.
Major or foot soldier?
Another metaphor from Morley Robbins illustrating the role of copper in relation to iron. The body contains far less copper than iron.
Nevertheless, copper controls how the iron is used in the cells:
- Copper ensures that the iron can retain its role as an oxygen carrier
- Protects iron from being oxidized and becoming unusable
- Ensures that iron can be reused in the blood and is not stored and interferes with energy production.
Thus copper is the major and iron the foot soldier.
The iron becomes unusable, "rusty" when copper in its correct forms cannot be bound into the important antioxidant systems.
Oxidized iron can accumulate in mitochondria which slowly lose their function: to form energy. We can notice that we get less energy as these energy factories turn into shadows, so-called senescent organelles. They stop in their work but don't die either. A bit like zombies…
How do I know I have the right levels between my minerals? The blog here describes what different samples can reflect in terms of minerals in the body.
In order to get a completely accurate picture, a blood test, for example, is not enough. A hair mineral analysis combined with several selected blood samples can provide a picture to start from, together with an evaluation of symptoms and energy level. An evaluation + a hair mineral analysis will get you some way.
The Root Cause Protocol has excellent further information on this.
