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The essential foundations of trace elements
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Trace and essential elements are vital for your well being. Without optimal amounts, the consequences may be chronic disease, acute illness and, in some severe cases, death. For instance, we all realise how important stable, optimal iron, zinc and copper levels are for well being. But you may not be aware of more obscure elements such as selenium, nickel, silver and even the impact of trace amounts of gold are important to your well being.
A balanced diet should be sufficient to provide you with the optimal amounts of these essential nutrients. However, in today’s world with compromised eating habits, environmental stresses and nutrient depleted fresh and processed foods, a balanced diet is not guaranteed.
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The modern world brings a range of health compromises
Since the 1940s over 10,000 man-made chemicals have entered our daily lives via manufactured foods, vegetables and fruits sprayed with pesticides, detergents, and antibiotic and hormonal residues in foods such as meats and grains. Many of these chemicals are anti- nutrients, reducing the absorption and utilisation of nutrients, or promoting nutrient excretion from the body.
The onslaught of man made chemicals and pollutants is having, and will have, an enormous repercussion on your health and the environment. Many diseases have now been linked to an excess of harmful chemicals, as well as an excess of antinutrients, and a lack of nutrients in food.
Trace element analysis is essential – TraceSmart makes it accurate, convenient and affordable
No matter how much care or attention you pay to your diet and health, until now only complex, expensive and elaborate pathology tests can determine whether your body has the correct balance and optimal levels of essential and trace elements.
Diakyne’s TraceSmart now offers a simple, comprehensive and relatively inexpensive way to profile your health, telling you whether you have optimal levels of elements essential for your health.
What are trace and essential elements?
Essential elements are derived from minerals. Minerals are classified according to their requirements in the human body. Macrominerals are required daily by humans in amounts greater than 100mg. Trace elements (micro minerals) are required daily in amounts of 1-100mg. Some occur at such low levels (< 1mg daily) they are labelled as ultra trace elements.
Minerals are naturally occurring elements found in the earth, which form the basis of soil. Some of these minerals are important nutritionally as they are necessary for human life – they are known as essential elements.
Essential elements are constituents of bones, teeth, soft tissue, muscle, blood and nerve cells. They have many diverse functions in the body -eg they are necessary for growth, muscle response, health of the nervous system, production of hormones, and metabolism of nutrients.
Other elements are known to cause pathological conditions and are referred to as toxic elements or heavy metals.
We all need trace elements in the right amounts and in the right ratios
The function of each mineral or element is optimal when the body’s concentration of that nutrient falls within a specific range, known as the therapeutic range.
When there is insufficient concentration (deficiency) or excessive concentration (overload or toxicity) of a nutrient, the functionality of that nutrient can be compromised, leading to physical disorders or symptoms of ill health.
Generally, elements are found in specific ratios to each other. When these ratios become unbalanced, a chain reaction leading to illness may develop.
To some extent all minerals compete for absorption. Studies have shown that excesses of particular minerals can result in deficiencies in others; likewise, deficiencies of some minerals promote excesses of others. This mutual dependence means not only are minerals required in optimal amounts but also in relative amounts.
Trace element aberrations are directly causative or associative with disease and ill health. Eg: anaemia, cardiac conditions, depression, digestive problems, high blood pressure, hormone imbalance, impaired growth, infertility, insomnia, learning and behavioural problems, osteoporosis, tumour proliferation and toxic/heavy metal poisoning
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