What am I missing?
We live in a time that in many ways our ancestors could not even dream of. Science and technology are constantly bringing many new discoveries, everything is becoming more interconnected, diseases are being treated more successfully, mental health is being given more attention and there is recorded advice for almost everything. So why do I feel so confused, distracted and not happy with myself, body and soul?
Finding order in chaos
One of the reasons may be information overload. We find information everywhere, but its relevance varies greatly. Each of us lives in a bubble of "truths" and self-confirming illusions. What is the objective truth, the Holy Grail of all people, and where can we even find it? It probably doesn't exist, not now, not later. We are all different. Our genes vary, as do our epigenetic marks and the context in which we grew up and live. Even though our bodies and minds generally require similar material and intangible necessities, the way and execution will be different for everyone. As a species, we share the same biology, but as individuals, we differ. We can't be sure which path to choose, because there are just too many paths, and there is no one right choice. Certain physical and mental health problems are on the rise, such as: B. Diseases of civilization or chronic diseases, stress, sleep and digestive disorders, sudden mood swings, skin diseases and irregular bowel movements... These problems are so common nowadays that we take them for granted as a natural part of daily life. We no longer see them as problems, but simply accept them. We have forgotten (or perhaps we never knew) that this does not have to be our status quo, a stable point in our lives that accompanies us day and night.
We are far below the optimal level of functioning of our bodies. This is caused in part by an excess of stress and stimuli, and in part by the lack of healthy food, fed with high-quality feed or grown on high-quality substrate consisting not only of inorganic but also of living microorganisms and organic compounds. We eat food produced in intensive agriculture, the soils are over-exploited, fruits and vegetables have no aroma and taste, although our senses are there for that. Some may object: "But I buy healthy food, lots of legumes, fruits and vegetables from local farmers, most of them organically grown." However, if you feel fluctuations in your energy levels and still suffer from chronic problems, read on. The core of the problem may lie on a different level than we are addressing.
Anyone interested in a healthy lifestyle knows how important it is to eat foods rich in minerals. Although these have no nutritional value in themselves, they serve as essential cofactors for important enzymes in our body and transport things like water. Therefore, they control most of the processes in the body - regeneration, growth, nervous impulses, metabolic regulation and digestion. They are absolutely indispensable.
All minerals are irreplaceable in our organism:
- Magnesium, phosphorus and manganese are necessary for the production of ATP – a source of energy in the body;
- The immune system needs copper, zinc, iron and selenium;
- We need iron, manganese, zinc, copper, magnesium, potassium or iodine for hormonal regulation;
- Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese and boron are important for healthy bones;
- Cobalt, zinc, copper, potassium, manganese, magnesium, iron, calcium and molybdenum are necessary for vitamin and enzymatic metabolism;
- Our bloodstream needs iron and copper;
- Potassium, sodium, calcium, zinc, selenium, magnesium, iron, chromium, copper, iodine and lithium are essential for the nervous system.
Do dietary supplements actually work?
When we realize that we are deficient in a mineral, we start taking supplements. Unfortunately, often to no avail. The amount consumed orally does not matter so much; what matters is bioavailability – the amount that gets to the organs and cells to be absorbed and used. The same goes for medications – not always the entire dose is absorbed by the body and this is something to consider when planning dosing. Bioavailability is influenced by many factors – our health, our microbiome, the epigenetic environment, stress levels, the ability to transport the compound through the intestinal epithelium... So the expensive supplements often become "expensive poop" without the desired effect.
Let us now take a closer look at the transport of these compounds in the organism. Most minerals need help to be absorbed. Such help can be in the form of Chelation Chelation is the process of binding an organic compound to a cation, usually metal, resulting in a complex chelate. In other words, it is a process of decomposition, binding and transport of minerals in the digestive tract. This way, the minerals pass through the intestinal epithelium into the bloodstream and can be transported to their destination - to a specific organ and its cells. It is important that the resulting chelated complex is not too large, because then its bioavailability decreases significantly. It has also been found that, unlike vitamin absorption, the absorption of chelated and mineral substances in our body is very inefficient and many minerals simply pass through us unused (remember the expensive poop?). As you probably know, any kind of nutrient, vitamin or mineral deficiency causes a variety of health complications and can lead to illness, in extreme cases even death.
So how can we improve mineral absorption? You'll find out more in my next article.
Original text: https://www.systers.bio/magazin-systers/proc-jsem-paf-z-black-stuff-vol-1/
Bibliography:
- Bielik, V.; Kolisek, M. Mineral bioavailability and bioavailability in relation to a healthy gut microbiome. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22, 6803. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22136803
- Judith R. Turnlund (1991) Bioavailability of dietary minerals to humans: The stable isotope approach, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 30:4, 387-396, DOI: 10.1080/10408399109527549 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408399109527549
- https://www.systers.bio/en/why-im-such-a-black-stuff-buff-vol-1/