Heal and Recover with Minerals

Heal and Recover with Minerals

By Daniel Rocha

CMI and SUNM Graduate 

Minerals occur naturally in foods and inorganic sources and are required for human nutrition to maintain health and proper body functioning. The primary reason people use minerals is to relieve mineral deficiencies. Chemical tests are available to detect most mineral deficiencies. Although a hematocrit test can detect iron deficiency, a visual examination of the neck can identify iodine deficiency and densitometry for calcium deficiency. A second reason for mineral treatment is to prevent the development of an expected deficit. An example includes supplementing infant formulas with iron to reduce the risk of iron deficiency anemia. 

Most supermarkets, drug stores, and specialty stores carry minerals for oral consumption. Consumption of minerals does maintain health benefits such as potassium for reducing blood pressure in cases of persons with high blood pressure or calcium to reduce the risk for osteoporosis. Mineral dosage varies per person by age and sex and can be supplemented by multivitamins that contain the recommended Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for children, men, and women. These supplements are available in caplets, chews, gummies, and some liquids.

Mineral Toxicity

Mineral toxicity is a condition where a patient has an abnormally high concentration of one or more minerals. Mineral toxicity is caused by overexposure or overconsumption of a mineral, causing health concerns. Mineral toxicity symptoms vary on the mineral involved.

An increase in sodium concentration in the bloodstream can be toxic, resulting in seizures and death. Increased plasma sodium, or hypernatremia, causes shrinkage of cells in the body, including those of the brain. Shrinkage of brain cells can lead to confusion, coma, paralysis of the lung muscles, and death. Death has occurred in situations with the overconsumption of table salt (sodium chloride) or baking soda (sodium bicarbonate).  Although processed foods contain high levels of sodium chloride, they are not enough to result in sodium toxicity.

Cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac arrest can result due to potassium toxicity. Potassium poisoning can be prevented through the vomiting reflex. Consumption of certain foods can result in increases in potassium concentration in the bloodstream. But potassium levels do not reach toxicity due to the uptake of potassium by various cells of the body and the kidneys transferring the potassium ions from the blood to the urine. However, high doses of injected potassium chloride can be fatal.

Iodine toxicity is caused by ingesting 2.0 mg of iodide per day. This results in the impairment of thyroid hormone, enlargement of the thyroid gland leading to goiter development. The enlargement is known as hyperthyroidism, and the goiter is caused by iodine deficiency. Iodine toxicity also produces ulcers on the skin, or “kelp acne.” 

Iron toxicity is expected due to the availability of iron pills. Iron toxicity causes vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, seizures, and possibly coma. After a latent period of improvement, shock, low blood glucose, liver damage, convulsions, and death occur 12–48 hours after toxic iron levels are ingested.

Nitrite poisoning collaborates with iron toxicity since nitrite produces its toxic effect by reacting with the iron component of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin, an iron-containing protein found in red blood cells, is responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to various tissues and organs of the body. A tiny fraction of hemoglobin oxidizes per day, producing a protein called methemoglobin. Methemoglobin can accumulate in the blood resulting in nitrate poisoning. Infants are sensitive to poisoning by nitrite. Poisoning by nitrite, or nitrate after its conversion to nitrite, inhibits hemoglobin from carrying oxygen throughout the body, manifesting a blue skin color. Methemoglobin accumulation symptoms include cardiac arrhythmias, headache, nausea and vomiting, and in severe cases, seizures.

Calcium toxicity is rare, but overconsumption of calcium supplements causes calcium phosphate deposits in the body's soft tissues. Phosphate toxicity occurs with the overuse of laxatives or enemas that contain phosphate, leading to hypocalcemia (low blood calcium). Moderate phosphate toxicity occurs over months resulting in calcium phosphate crystals in various body tissues.

Fluoride prevents tooth decay and is found in drinking water. Fluoride toxicity causes discolored teeth, an increase in bone density, muscle calcifications, and exostosis. Excess intake of magnesium causes diarrhea and transient hypocalcemia.

Zinc toxicity is rare but occurs in metal workers who are exposed to zinc fumes. Excessive intake of zinc supplements causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Chronic ingestion of excessive zinc supplements induces copper deficiency and inhibits copper absorption. Copper accumulates in the liver, kidney, and brain, causing damage to the liver and nervous system.

Selenium toxicity occurs in countries of the world, like China, where the soil contains high levels of selenium. Early indications of selenium toxicity include nausea, weakness, and diarrhea. Continued intake of selenium causes changes in fingernails, hair loss, and damage to the nervous system. 

Manganese toxicity occurs in manganese mines, where miners breathe air containing dust bearing a high manganese concentration. Manganese toxicity symptoms occur within several months or years of exposure, resulting in a mental disorder resembling schizophrenia, hyper-irritability, violent acts, hallucinations, and difficulty walking.tt

Nutrition was something that Matt Porter, founder of MPA Supps, understood and took pride in. So it is crucial to understand the benefits and toxicity of vitamins and minerals when he was developing MPA PharmaGrade EAAs. The goal is to utilize nutrition to aid the body to heal and recover quickly, eliminating the pain caused by musculoskeletal hypertonicity and possibly joint degeneration. 

Cellular Hydration on Point

The athletes I train and people who follow my methods might have heard that I employ electrolytes for hydration purposes. Matt filled this product full of potassium as its main electrolyte, with sodium, magnesium,  & phosphorus also tagging along. MPA PharmGrade ™ has 3000 mg of coconut water powder per serving, and also 500 mg of all-natural sea salt added, which yields  125 mg of sodium.

Coconut Water Powder + Sea Salt Benefits:

• Great source of Calcium, Iron, Enzymes, Magnesium, Phosphorus, and Manganese
• Contains 5 electrolytes to support rapid hydration: sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus
• Sea Salt contains over 84 minerals & nutrients for cell signaling & bodily functions
• Could alleviate muscle cramps intra-workout and prolong training endurance
• Sodium (Na) + Potassium (K) helps shuttle amino acids to muscle cells for muscle recovery & hypertrophy

 Train hard and recover well. All my best 

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Brody, T., Harmon, A., & Finley, K. (2021). Minerals. In J. L. Longe (Ed.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health: Infancy through Adolescence (4th ed., Vol. 4, pp. 1853-1857). Gale. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX8067400545/HWRC?u=lirn33148&sid=bookmark-HWRC&xid=ca672bf5

Brody, T., & Caffrey, C. (2021). Mineral Toxicity. In J. L. Longe (Ed.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health: Infancy through Adolescence (4th ed., Vol. 4, pp. 1850-1853). Gale. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX8067400544/HWRC?u=lirn33148&sid=bookmark-HWRC&xid=4fea425d