|
"Copper Iron Nutrition Deficiencies by Dr Wallach, Rare
Earths Book:
RARE
EARTHS:
Their secrets of health and longevity
Excerpt
from the Periodic Table of
Metals, Minerals & Rare Earths
Cu - Copper
is found in igneous rocks at 55 ppm; shale at 45 ppm; sandstone
at 5ppm; limestone 4 ppm; fresh water at 0.01 ppm; sea water
at 0.003 ppm; soils at 2 to 100 ppm (copper is strongly absorbed
by humus; there are known areas of the world with extreme copper
deficiency); marine plants 11 ppm; land plants 14 ppm; marine
animals 4 to 50 ppm ( accumulates in thge blood of annelids (worms),
crustaceans and mollusks, especially cephalopods; land animals
at 2 to 4 ppm with highest levels in the liver.
Copper
is
important to all living organisms and is a universally important
cofactor for many hundreds of metalloenzynes. Copper deficiency
is widespread and appears in many forms (Table 11 -13). Copper
is required in many physiological functions (i.e.- RNA, DNA,
lysil oxidase cofactor, melanin (Fig. 1 1-7) Production (hair
and skin pigment), electron transfer of oxygen subcellular respiration,
tensile strength of elastic fibers in blood vessels, skin, vertebral
discs, etc.).
Neonatal
enzootic ataxia (sway back, lamkruis) was recognized as a clinical
entity in 1937 as a opper deficiency in pregnant sheep. Copper
supplements prevented the syndrome which was haracterized by
demyelination of the cerebellum (Fig. 11-8) and spinal cord.
Cavitation or gelatinous lesions of the cerebral white matter,
chromatolysis, nerve cell death and myelin aplasia (failure to
form).
Famous
people affected or dying of an obvious copper deficiency include
Albert Einstein (ruptured cerebral aneurysms), Paavo Aerola (ruptured
cerebral aneurysms), Conway Twitty (ruptured abdominal aorta
aneurysm), George and Barbara Bush (thyroid disease, white hair)
- four to six of every 100 ericans autopsied have died of a ruptured
aneurysm, an additional 40 Percent have aneurysms that had not
yet ruptured.
The
average well-nourished adult human body contains between 80 and
120 mg of copper. Concentrations are higher in the brain, liver,
heart and kidneys. Bone and muscle have lower percentages of
copper but contain 50 percent of the body total copper reserves
because of their mass. It is of interest that the greatest concentration
of copper is found in the newborn and their daily requirement
is 0.08 mg/kg, toddlers require 0.04 mg/kg and adults only 0.03
mg/ kg.
The
average plasma copper for women ranges from 87 to 153 mg/dl and
for men it ranges from 89 to 137 mg/dl; about 90 percent of the
plasma copper is found in ceruloplasmin.
Copper
functions as a co-factor and activator of numerous cuproenzymes
that are involved in the development (deficiency of Cu in the
pregnant female results in congenital defects of the heart, i.e.-Kawasaki
Disease and brain - i.e.- cerebral palsy and hypoplasia of the
cerebellum) and maintenance of the cardiovascular system (deficiency
results in reduced lysyl oxidase activity causing a reduction
in conversion of pro elastin to elastin causing a decrease in
tinsel strength of arterial walls and rup tured aneurysms (Figs.
11-9, 1 1-10 and 1 1-11) and skeletal integrity (deficiency results
in a specific type of arthritis of the young in the form of spurs
in the bones growth plate); deficiency can result in myelin defects;
deficiency results in anemia; and poor hair keratinization and
loss of hair color. Neutropenia (reduced numbers of neutophillic
WBC) and leukopenia (reduced total WBC) are the earliest indicators
of copper deficiency in infants; infants whose diets are primarily
cows milk frequently develop anemia; iron storage disease can
result from chronic copper deficiency.
Menkes'
Kinky Hair Syndrome is thought to be a sex-linked recessive defect
of copper absorption. The affected infants exibit retarded growth,
defective keratin formation and loss of hair pigment, low body
temperature, degeneration and fracture of aortic elastin (aneurysms),
arthritis in the growth plate of long bones, and a progressive
mental deterioration (brain tissue is totally free of the essential
enzyme cytochrome c oxidase).
Serum
and plasma copper increase 100 % in pregnant women and women
using oral contraceptives. Serum copper levels are also elevated
during acute infections, liver disease and pellegra (niacin deficiency).
Accumulations
of copper in the cornea form Kayser-Fleischer rings.
Fe - Iron
is found in igneous rocks at 56,300 ppm; shale at 47,200 ppm;
sandstone at 9,800 ppm and limestone at 3,800 ppm; fresh water
at 0.67 ppm; sea water at 0.01 ppm; soils at 38,000 ppm (iron
content is responsible for most soil color); iron is most available
in acid soil and vailability is greatly determined by bacterial
activity in the soil; marine plants at 700 ppm(very high in plankton);
land plants at 140 ppm; marine animals at 400 ppm (high in the
blood of annelids (worms), echinoderms, fish and in eggs of cephalad
mollusks); essential to all land animals.
Boussingault
in the 1860's was the first to regard iron as an essential
nutrient for animals. During the 1920's an animal model for iron
deficiency research was created by feeding rats on an exclusive
milk diet.
In
a healthy adult human there is 3 to 5 gms of iron. The newborn
infant has nearly double the amount of iron per kg than adults.
Sixty to 70 percent of tissue iron is classed as essential or
functional iron, and 30 to 40 Percent as storage iron. The essential
iron is found as an integral part of hemoglobin, myogobin (muscle
oxygen storing pigments - particularly rich in deep diving animals
such as whales, walrus, seals, etc.) and respiratory enzymes
involved with intracellular oxidation-reduction processes.
Functions
of iron include cofactor and activator of enzymes and metallo
enzymes; respiratory pigments (hemoglobin - iron is to hemoglobin
what Mg is to chlorophyll)and electron transfer for utilization
of oxygen.
Iron
is stored in bone marrow and liver (i.e.- hemosiderin and ferritin).
Heme iron from meat is 10 percent available for absorption while
iron from fresh plant sources are only one percent available
because of phytates. Absorption takes place primarily in the
duodenum where the intestinal environment is still acid.
Experimental
evidence shows very clearly that "pica" is a specific
sign of iron deficiency. Pica can drive children and adults to
eat ice (pagophagia), dirt (geophagia) or lead paint.
Iron
deficiency results from pregnancy, menstruation, chronic infections,
hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid from salt restricted diets),
chronic diarrhea, chronic bleeding (i.e.- cancer, ulcers, parasites,
etc.) and impaired absorption (i.e. high fat diets, celiac disease,
etc.).
Symptoms
of iron deficiency include listlessness, fatigue, heart palpitations
on exertion, reduced cognition, memory deficits, sore tongue,
angular stomatitis, dysphagia, hypochromic microcytic anemia.
Stomach
hydrochloric acid is required for optimal absorption of iron,
ascorbic acid increases absorption of iron, clays and phytates
decrease absorption of iron, The RDA of 18 mg per day as metallic
iron is very low if one is a vegan eating high fiber, high phytate
plant material.
Iron
can cause cirrhosis of the liver, fibrosis of the pancreas, diabetes
and heart failure - these diseases are not direct affects of
iron per se, but rather the increased iron causes increased needs
for selenium, copper, zinc, etc.
Minerals are essential
to life itself!
FULL TIME SERVICE
CENTER
For personal service
Call:
True Health
ORDER HOT LINE TOLL FREE
: Phone: (888) 249-4464
Phone center hours 10:00 am till 10:00 pm EST
Colloidal Minerals
The answer for Trace Mineral Nutrition
|
