Vital elements

Fruit and vegetables used to give us all the minerals we need -  but not any more

 

Did you know that if your body becomes deficient in the minerals magnesium, calcium and potassium, you’re more likely to suffer irregularities in your heartbeat? 

And if you have an excess of iron, but insufficient copper levels, this greatly increases your risk of a heart attack, especially after 50?

One in ten people in Britain currently takes a multivitamin, but recent research from America suggests it’s also time to begin taking minerals seriously.

In theory if you eat plenty of fresh foods, including fruits and vegetables, you are ingesting all the nutrients the body needs - but this is no longer the case. 

In 1940 food scientists were asked by the Medical Research Council to analyse the mineral content of UK-grown fruits and vegetables.  In 1991, the duo conducted similar studies for the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Foods.

Then a comparative study was made of the figures and it was found that calcium levels in broccoli had dropped by up to 75% and magnesium levels in carrots had fallen by similar amounts. 

If these figures are correct, why are mineral levels becoming depleted?

Intensive farming methods during the past 60 years, plus acid rain and overuse of artificial fertilisers, have reduced the absorption of minerals, such as selenium and zinc into our fruits, vegetables and grains. 

Mass-produced fertilisers generally contain only three minerals, but there are more than 36 known minerals, 21 of which are vital.  If they’re not in our soil, they’re not going to make it into our foods. This imbalance is having a big impact on our health.

 

Also, pesticides and pollutants such as lead accumulate in the body and prevent absorption of essential nutrients.

When people are given extra minerals, improvements have been noticed in a variety of conditions, including leg cramps, chronic fatigue, hyperactivity in children, migraines and, in some cases, autism.

Trials have been carried out now in China, Tunisia, the United states, France and New Zealand, when people were given a daily supplement of 200 mcg of chromium, which regulates blood sugar levels, instances of late-onset diabetes were almost halved.

Since 1984, when the Finnish government decreed that all fertilisers should contain selenium, sperm motility in men has increased by up to 35%, while incidence of heart disease and prostate cancers have fallen.

During the 1970s, before joining the EU, we imported huge amounts of Canadian wheat, which is rich in selenium, and the daily intake averages 70 mcg, today the average is 29 mcg.  Virtually all farm animals are given minerals in their feed to help prevent disease, perhaps it’s time to do the same for humans.

Mineral boost

• Eat Brazil nuts, walnuts, almonds, pecans, sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds.
• Fresh vegetable juices contain high levels of nutrients. Cabbage and broccoli absorb minerals well.
• Eat more organic fruits and vegetables with the skins and peel left on – peel contains higher concentrations of minerals.
• Avoid adding salt in cooking.
• Minerals in ascorbate, malate or citrate forms are easily absorbed.
• Take a multimineral supplement.