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Minerals Influence Emotional Health
It is absolutely incredible and fascinating when you learn how nutrients can influence our health. It’s even more interesting when you learn that they can influence our personalities! Let’s go over how deficiencies and excesses of certain minerals can affect our emotions.
Calcium and Emotional Health
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body- 99% should be found in the bone (but over consumption is the cause of tissue calcification). The 1% not in the bones is needed for nerve transmission, blood pressure regulation, iron metabolism, proper cell division, plus health skin and teeth.
TOO MUCH CALCIUM can make a person very sluggish, apathetic, indifferent, numb, and it is related to the Calcium Shell (read more here!)
TOO LITTLE CALCIUM can make someone irritable, emotionally unstable, tense, and unable to slow down/ driven
Magnesium and Emotional Health
Magnesium is responsible for thousands of enzyme reactions and proteins in the body. Common symptoms of magnesium deficiency include Anxiety, Depression,PMS, PCOS, Endometriosis, Muscle pain (think Fibromyalgia), Insomnia, Headaches/migraines, Heartbeat irregularities, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, and Constipation.
TOO MUCH MAGNESIUM can make a person sluggish, depressed, and withdrawn from others
TOO LITTLE MAGNESIUM is related to hyperactivity (think “ADD” or “ADHD”), irritability, or being high-strung
Sodium and Emotional Health
Sodium is found in all of the body’s cells, as well as in the blood and other bodily fluids. Sodium (along with potassium) helps to maintain the body’s fluid balance. Sodium plays a huge part in nerve transmission, muscle contraction, and for the creation of hydrochloric acid.
TOO MUCH SODIUM contributes to excess energy so people tend to be on-the-go constantly; it makes people push themselves to the limit in order to burn off that extra energy
TOO LITTLE SODIUM causes the exact opposite- it makes people fatigued, not motivated, and lethargic
Potassium and Emotional Health
Potassium is essential for nerve and cell health, as well as heartbeat regulation, energy production, and the metabolism of carbs and protein.
TOO MUCH POTASSIUM has similar effects as high sodium- people tend to be overactive, driven and pushing themselves to the limit
TOO LITTLE POTASSIUM also has a similar effect as low sodium- the person is lethargic, not motivated and usually depressed
Copper and Emotional Health
Copper is actually present in all of the tissues of the body. It helps make collagen and hemoglobin, plus helps to make oxygen in red blood cells (along with iron). COPPER IS AN ANTIOXIDANT! This is why we want to make it bioavailable and not try to just detox it- please read my post on copper to learn more. Copper is essential for a number of enzyme reactions, as well having roles in bone formation and healing. Copper aids iron absorption- this is why “iron anemia” is not just as simple as adding iron. Fixing a copper or iron deficiency depends on ceruloplasmin production- which I talk about in my copper post linked above.
TOO MUCH COPPER can cause excess sentimentality, OCD type behavior, depression, mood swings, schizophrenia, PMS, any postpartum issues like depression, anxiety, and even psychosis (copper can TRIPLE during pregnancy)
TOO LITTLE COPPER plays a role in mental health as well- it can make a person feel detached, numb, and spacey. Low bioavailabile copper can cause chronic fatigue as well and make someone unmotivated. Copper is needed for serotonin and other important neurotransmitters- which is why too little copper is just as bad as too much!
Iron and Emotional Health
Iron is one of the minerals that we hear so much about- but iron supplements are actually wreaking havoc for a lot of people! Iron is very essential to life but we have to focus on balancing copper as well since they work in tandem, plus ceruloplasmin is the copper and iron binding protein. Our food is over-fortified with synthetic nutrients like iron and this is contributing to a lot of health issues. Iron toxicity is an issue right now. But on the good side of iron, we need it for immune function, energy production, making hemoglobin, and it helps protect cells from oxidative damage.
TOO MUCH IRON can cause a person to become very angry and aggressive most of the time. Consequently, being angry can cause us to hold on to even more iron too!
TOO LITTLE IRON causes extreme fatigue and weakness
Zinc and Emotional Health
Zinc is needed for at least 300 different enzyme reactions in the body. Zinc helps make folate more bioavailable. Zinc is needed to convert retinol (Vitamin A) to retinal. A deficiency in zinc can lead to low levels of bioavailable vitamin A as well. Zinc deficiency signs include chronic and severe diarrhea, immune system deficiencies, impaired wound healing, diminished appetite, impaired taste sensation, night blindness (because zinc and retinol have a direct relationship), swelling and clouding of the corneas and behavioral disturbances (because of its relationship with copper)
TOO MUCH ZINC can cause aggressiveness, or any other emotional instability because of how zinc can antagonize copper
TOO LITTLE ZINC can contribute to indecisiveness, low libido for both men and women, extra feminine characteristics, emotional instabilities
Want to know how nutrients interact with each other to cause these symptoms? Read my post on nutrient interactions here!
High Heavy Metals and Emotions
Mercury- When elevated, mercury can cause extreme mental symptoms. Think “mad hatter”! You can read more on Mercury here.
Aluminum- When aluminum is high, one can experience severe brain fog, and it plays a huge role in Alzheimer’s. Read my whole post on Aluminum here.
Cadmium- When cadmium is high, one can be very stubborn, manipulative, egotistical, and aggressive. Here is my whole post on cadmium.
The body is a whole and we must treat it as such! I have my Bachelor of Science in Natural Health Sciences, certificates in Herbal Studies from Herbal Academy, and I am constantly learning more about health to help my clients and followers.
My goal is to help you unleash your own inner healer! You already hold the power to heal inside you. My role is as a guide to help you realize this potential.
I appreciate your articles! I was wanting to get this info in a good reference list, and there you go and did it 🙂
I’m so glad you find it helpful! 🙂