Your Body's Need for Copper

Copper is an essential nutrient. It's found in many tissues and organs of the body and is a vital component of numerous key cellular enzymes. A copper deficiency can disturb these enzyme functions. Too much copper, on the other hand is toxic.

Have you ever worn a copper bracelet, or know someone who has? Maybe you noticed that it made you feel better. If so, you were likely deficient in copper and the copper absorbed through your skin was helping to reduce the deficiency. Conversely, if you didn't notice any improvement, your body probably didn't need additional copper to affect the symptoms that were causing you discomfort. You may even have been contributing to a build up of copper beyond the levels needed by your body.

Some situations related to copper imbalance include:

• iron-deficient anemia that doesn't improve with iron supplementation
  
• chocolate cravings
  
• moodiness or depression after you eat particular foods
  
• premenstrual frontal headaches
  
• increased susceptibility to flu or colds premenstrually

More on copper deficiency mext time...

Remember, rarely do mineral deficiencies occur with a single mineral. Generally there is an imbalance involving a number of minerals. Learn more...

Vitamins and Minerals Associated with Magnesium

Magnesium, like all minerals, is important for your health. Your body uses magnesium extensively in many of its biological processes. But magnesium doesn't work alone. It works in conjunction with other minerals and vitamins, both synergistically (working together) and antagonistically (working against each other).

The vitamins and minerals that work with magnesium - synergistically - include:

• calcium
  
• potassium
  
• phosphorus
  
• zinc
  
• chromium
  
• manganese
  
• vitamin A
  
• vitamin B1
  
• vitamin B2
  
• vitamin B3
  
• vitamin C
  
• vitamin E

The vitamins and minerals that work against magnesium - antagonistically - include:

• calcium
  
• potassium
  
• phosphorus
  
• sodium
  
• iron
  
• manganese
  
• cadmium
  
• lead
  
• vitamin B1
  
• vitamin B6
  
• vitamin B10
  
• vitamin B12
  
• vitamin C
  
• vitamin D
  
• vitamin E

Take a look at these lists carefully. You'll notice that there are some of the same minerals and vitamins that are both synergists and antagonists.

How can this be?

It depends on the amount of the nutrient present in your body. If you get too much magnesium, too much calcium, too much iron, too much of any vitamin or mineral, it can have an adverse effect rather than beneficial. According to Dr. David Watts, author of Trace Elements and Other Essential Nutrients, "maintaining mineral content in the body is like walking a tightrope."

If you really want to feel good, not catch every cold or flu that goes around, and protect yourself from the modern diseases that are rampant in our society today, then you need to maintain an optimal vitamin and mineral balance in your body.

Learn more here...

Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency

• anxiety
  
• short temper
  
• hyper-irritability
  
• muscle tremors
  
• memory loss
  
• inability to concentrate
  
• depression
  
• hyperactivity in children
  
• excessive perspiration
  
• foul body odor
  
• muscle cramps
  
• fluid retention
  
• high cholesterol
  
• high triglycerides
  
• toxic shock syndrome
  
• insomnia
  
• PMS
  
• depression

These are only some of the symptoms that may occur when there is a magnesium deficiency. These symptoms may also occur in situations other than magnesium deficiency. So just because you have some of these symptoms does not definitely mean that you have a magnesium deficiency. And rarely is there a deficiency of a single nutrient. Most commonly there is a mineral imbalance involving a number of minerals.

So, don't run to the health food store and stock up on magnesium if you have a number of the symptoms in the above list. First read this...

Magnesium - An Important Companion For Calcium

Your body needs minerals in the proper balance. Some minerals work together. They're called synergists. Some minerals work against each other. They're antagonists. Some minerals are both synergistic and antagonistic to the same mineral, depending on the amount available in your tissues.

Calcium and magnesium work together so that your muscles can function properly. Calcium causes your muscles to contract. Magnesium causes your muscles to relax.

If you don't have enough magnesium in your tissues, your muscles will not be able to relax normally. You'll have chronic muscle tension or tight muscles. You may also get muscle cramps with slight exertion.

Too little magnesium will cause excess calcium to build up in your tissues.

Other nutrients synergistic to calcium include phosphorus, sodium, copper, potassium, selenium, vitamins A, C, D and E.

Of these nutrients that are synergistic to calcium, besides magnesium, the following are also antagonistic: phosphorus, sodium, potassium and vitamin A.

If you're thinking that this is really complicated, you're right! That's why it's important to know what nutrients your body needs before you start feeding it a lot of supplements off the health food store shelf. Not taking any supplements isn't the answer either. Find out what is...

Blood Calcium vs. Tissue Calcium

If you have a blood test and the calcium level in your blood is measured, it tells you how much calcium was circulating in your blood at the time of the test. It doesn't tell you anything about the level of calcium stored in your tissues. The level of calcium stored in your tissues may not match the level that shows up in your blood. In other words, you could have a normal or high level of calcium in your blood and your tissue calcium can be low.

How can this be?

Your body needs to maintain a certain range of calcium in your blood. If the level drops too low, calcium will be drawn from the tissues in order to maintain blood levels. If there is too much calcium in your blood, it will be deposited into your tissues.

Your blood gives you the levels of minerals in your body for a moment in time. Your tissues tell the story of mineral levels in your body over a period of time.

Learn more here...