By Dr. Maile Pouls

According to Dr. Linus Pauling, winner of two Nobel Prizes in Medicine, "You can trace every sickness, every disease, and every ailment to a mineral deficiency." In addition to acting as "building blocks" for our bones, teeth, muscles, nerves, connective tissues, and body fluids, minerals serve as co-factors to the enzymes that speed up the biochemical reactions required for our bodies to function optimally. In absence of specific minerals, our bodies compensate for these nutritional deficiencies by following less efficient, alternative biochemical pathways. Eventually, these specific deficiency states will cause measurable body chemistry imbalances. If left unattended, these body chemistry imbalances will cause a loss of vitality and efficiency in related organs, glands and interrelated body systems- eventually leading to poor health, symptoms of degenerative health conditions and ultimately a diminished life experience and shortened lifetime.

Minerals support the Body's Natural Processes Directly Related to:

• Every biochemical process and activity of the body.
• The acid-base balance (pH) of the body.
• Proper cellular metabolism, nerve conduction, muscle function, organ function, hormonal secretion of glands, digestive competence.
• Activation and utilization of amino acids, carbohydrates, enzymes, fats, oils, phytochemicals, proteins, sugars, and vitamins.
• Delivery of nutrients into, and removal of wastes from every cell and tissue, fluid, gland and organ.
• Proper structure and function of the hair, skin, nails and five senses.
• The anti-oxidation process, which protects against aging, degeneration and disease.
• Protection against toxic heavy metals.

One of the most important keys to supporting and preserving human health is by maintaining balanced levels of trace and electrolyte minerals present in all cells and tissues of the body. Current research shows that underlying most health conditions are nutrient and mineral deficiencies or imbalances that are eventually expressed by the body as symptoms of disease.
Minerals are Protective Agents Against the Effects of Toxic Metal Elements:
When non-essential toxic metal elements, such as aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury enter the body they can 'compete' with minerals and other nutrients for bonding sites in cells. If the body is already sufficient in these minerals and nutrients and these bonding sites are continuously filled, these minerals and nutrients provide a protective effect against the accumulation of toxic elements in the cells.

Toxic Element - Protective Minerals:
Aluminum - Magnesium
Arsenic - Calcium, Iodine, Selenium, Sulfur (from amino acids), Zinc
Cadmium - Calcium, Sulfur (from amino acids), Zinc
Lead - Calcium, Iron, Sulfur (from amino acids), Zinc
Mercury - Selenium

"It becomes increasingly evident when studying the relationship of minerals to human health that keeping the level of minerals in balance in every tissue, fluid, cell and organ, in the human body may be the key to maintaining human health." Alexander G. Schauss, Ph. D., "Minerals, Trace Elements & Human Health"