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Nutrient Interactions
I set out to make this post as a reference but as I kept going, I realized how CRAZY it can be to supplement just one nutrient. You can create so many different imbalances with just one isolated mineral or vitamin. It reminds me of that “Pharma” shirt meme that goes around: ‘I take this drug for this illness, and I take that drug for the side effects of the first drug.” Isolating nutrients is very allopathic in my eyes, especially when most people have around a dozen deficiencies and imbalances.
You can find the full lists and “wheels” of these nutrients on the Trace Elements link here. There are relationships between minerals, vitamins, hormones, and more. It is fascinating, but at the same time I don’t think we realize the damage we can do by pulling these nutrients apart. This link is especially helpful.
Minerals:
Boron: Aids in calcium and vitamin D metabolism, helps magnesium absorption;
Copper: lowers zinc, selenium; synergistic with manganese, iron; lowered by zinc, sulphur, molybdenum (copper and molybdenum are synergistic together, antagonistic seperately); cadmium, silver, and mercury lower copper; relationship with estrogen
Calcium: lowers magnesium and potassium; synergistic with phosphorus; lowers manganese; antagonists with lead
Iodine: Florine, bromine, and chlorine lower iodine; mercury and cobalt lowers it; has a relationship with copper and selenium, as well as magnesium
Magnesium: lowers sodium, potassium, and calcium; lowers manganese; has a balance with calcium, potassium, and sodium;
Manganese: lowers copper, antagonist to magnesium;
Molybdenum: aids in iron metabolism, lowers copper
Phosphorus: antagonists with manganese; synergistic with calcium
Potassium: lowers calcium; synergistic with sodium;
Selenium: antagonistic with mercury and arsenic; Sulphur lowers selenium
Silica: lowers aluminum and lead; synergistic with molybdenum and calcium; mercury lowers silica
Sodium: synergistic with potassium; has a balance with magnesium and potassium
Sulphur: lowers copper, selenium; synergistic with silica, molybdenum
Zinc: lowers copper, manganese; lowered by copper, calcium, iron; relationship with aldosterone, cortisol, testosterone, progesterone;
Vitamins and Proteins:
Vitamin A– helps retain potassium, lowers calcium; synergistic with zinc
Vitamin C, as ascorbic acid: antagonists to copper and ceruloplasmin; synergistic with iron (hence, iron overload!)
Vitamin C, as whole food: helps raise ceruloplasmin and makes copper bioavailable
Vitamin D: makes calcium more absorbable, lowers vitamin A, lowers potassium and magnesium
Ceruloplasmin: lowered by vitamin D, calcium, iron; raised with vitamin A and whole food vitamin C
Thank you for this article, Kristin! I now look at supplements differently and will pay attention to how minerals work together. So glad I found your website!
I’m so glad it helped, Lisa! I hope you find your path to healing 🙂