Multi-Minerals MULTI-BENEFITS

Better Nutrition, Nov, 1998 by James F. Scheer

Many of us grew up with our mothers prompting us to "take our vitamins" and handing us a chewable vitamin supplement in the shape of a cartoon character or jungle animal. Admittedly, this still happens today. You may rarely, if ever, hear the advice: "Take your minerals."

Deficiency dilemma. Those most likely to be deficient (in vitamins and minerals) are those on low-calorie, weight-loss diets, the elderly, pregnant women, people on a variety of medications -- especially diuretics that draw key minerals out of the body -- and those living where soil is deficient in minerals, writes Sheldon Saul Hendler, M.D., Ph.D., in the Doctors' Vitamin and Mineral Encyclopedia.

There's even more to the story. Three commonly used synthetic fertilizers in the giant agro-business -- nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium -- return to the soil only a fraction of the minerals and trace minerals taken out by growing vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes.

In addition, just as inflation invisibly steals value from dollars, so does food processing -- milling, boiling, canning, drying, freezing, thawing, pasteurizing and preserving, slicing, dicing -- remove many of the already low levels of minerals and vitamins in whole foods. And, while there are few enough minerals and vitamins existing in foods, some people unwittingly short-change themselves even more by following restrictive "weight-loss" diets or -- as with many of us, especially the elderly -- failing to eat nutrition-dense, well-balanced meals.

James Privitera, M.D., a long-time nutrition-oriented physician in Covina, Calif., expands on this problem, saying, "Many prescription and over-the-counter drugs bind with minerals and make them unavailable -- penicillin, among them. Diuretics steal potassium and magnesium from the body. Antacids disturb metabolism of calcium and phosphorus."

Why not take individual minerals and vitamins? "It turns out [not surprisingly] that most patients won't consistently take 30 or 40 different supplements daily," Privitera replied. "They start out with good intentions. Then, the hurry-up pace of daily life makes them narrow down the list. That's why I usually recommend a nutrient-dense diet enriched by a multimineral and multivitamin formula."

There is another reason he favors multiminerals over individual minerals for most patients. "In multiminerals, biochemists have worked out ratios of each mineral to others for optimum effectiveness -- better absorption and assimilation." he says.

Why are minerals so important for health? This is answered well by James F. Balch, M.D., and Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C., in their perennial bestseller, Prescription for Nutritional Healing: A-to-Z Guide to Supplements. "Every living cell on this planet depends on minerals for proper function and structure," they say. Specifically, "minerals are needed for the proper composition of body fluids, the formation of blood and bone, the maintenance of healthy nerve function, and the regulation of muscle tone, including that of the muscles of the cardiovascular system," the Balches explain.

All multimineral formulas in health-food stores differ to some degree -- which minerals are included and at what potencies. Let's consider the "average" multimineral and focus on what each mineral can do for us, starting with those needed in the greatest amounts (bulk minerals or macrominerals): calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and phosphorus, and then focus on the key trace minerals: zinc, Cropper, chromium, iodine, and selenium, which are only needed in minute quantities, but, nevertheless, important for good health.

The Macrominerals.

Calcium. Most of us learned early on that calcium is needed for strong bones and teeth. In addition, this mineral is also essential for contraction of muscles and regulation of heartbeat. Many studies show that it can help lower elevated blood pressure, as well. Let's look at the results of two such studies.

James H. Dwyer, Ph.D., and associates, at the University of Southern California School of Medicine, analyzed diets of 6,600 men and women and found that the risk of developing high blood pressure was lowered by an average 12 percent for each 1,000 mg of calcium ingested daily, as reported in the Medical Tribune.

Population studies by biochemist H.J. Henry, reported in the Journal of the American Diabetic Society, indicate that patients with high blood pressure in less calcium than those with normal blood pressure.

Another benefit of calcium is its role in brain function. It would be impossible to transmit nerve impulses without calcium, as it helps trigger the release of certain neurotransmitters. It also sparks enzymes that stimulate the generation of neurotransmitters.

Although calcium is the main component in bones and teeth, it needs teammates, such as vitamin D, necessary for better absorption of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and vitamins A and C.

Calcium is also finding prominence as a key nutrient in helping sufferers of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). One recent study targeting PMS merited front page coverage in major newspapers nationwide. One such newspaper article, in the Los Angeles Times, donned the headline: "Calcium Cuts PMS Effects."