Mineral List and Best Bet Foods

One source of  TRACE minerals is Celtic Sea Salt, but it imbalanced as to the proportion of trace minerals your body needs. Too much sodium–even though it is organic. Best used in replacement of your regular table salt.

Here’s a list of the most common mineral deficiencies and some best bet foods to eat for replenishing them:

Remember: Eating raw foods to replenish nutrients is one thing. You can easily overdose and imbalance our body with supplements, but not with foods. I have not included the signs of overdosing with oversupplementation. Food sources are listed in order of the most often needed foods tested and recommended first and less common last. There are other food sources for these minerals, but they rarely seem to come up as the best replacement during exams, so have not been listed here.

Boron (B): Best Bet Food Sources– Apples, carrots, grapes, other raw fruits (except citrus), nuts, legumes, vegetables in general. Most often used for: Arthritis

Calcium (Ca): Best Bet Food Sources– Blackstrap molasses, salmon, green leafy vegetables, almonds, sesame seeds, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products, broccoli, nettles, burdock root, parsley, raspberry leaves, yarrow, marshmallow root and yellow dock. Most often used for: Osteoporosis, muscle cramps, heart palpitations, arthritis, brittle nails, pregnancy support, eczema, and high blood pressure. Note: There are several types of calcium supplements on the market. You need just the right one for your body or excess can cause high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, and kidney stones. This is why natural food sources are best–because they don’t hurt your system like the supplements can.

Chromium (Cr): Best Bet Food Sources– New Vision Ionic Minerals (see above), blackstrap molasses, beef and other meats/poultry/fish, brown rice, fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, dulse (seaweed), and  mushrooms. Most often used for: Anxiety and nervousness and other serious mental challenges, ADD, depression, Type II diabetes, hypoglycemia, heart diseases associated with coronary artery problems and infertility.

Copper (Cu): Best Bet Food Sources– Blackstrap molasses, parsley, Bod-e ionic Minerals, Standard Process Labs brand Chezyn, almonds, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, oats and other whole grains and legumes, nuts, seafood, sunflower oil and whole wheat. Most often used for: Anemia, baldness, joint problems, improper cholesterol ratios, aneurysms, and retinal degeneration.

Germanium (Ge): Best Bet Food Sources– Ionic Minerals, mushrooms, seeds, vegetables (especially garlic and onions) and bran. Most often used for: Cancer, asthma, arthritis, high blood pressure and osteoporosis.

Iron (Fe): Best Bet Food Sources– Definitely blackstrap molasses (no more than two teaspoons/day maximum!), parsley, leafy green vegetables, sea vegetables such as dulse, kelp and nori wrappers, prunes, black cherries, meat and seafood, nuts, whole grains and legumes, burdock, yellow dock, nettles and raspberry leaves. Most often used for: Iron deficient anemia, decreased stamina and energy, weak immune system, digestive disorders (Crohn’s, Celiac, difficulty swallowing) and irritable nerves.

Note: I’ve noted that the prescription iron supplements are just too harsh on the system and that the body absorbs these natural sources much more easily. Two signs you may need natural iron supplements are ice chewing and a tan chin and cheek area when the rest of the face is a lighter complexion. You may also want to look into a parasite program to get at the core cause of the anemia.

Iodine (I): Best Bet Food Sources– Sea vegetables (kelp, dulse, nori wrappers), sesame seeds, raw spinach, zucchini, asparagus, Celtic Sea Salt, soy and soy products, garlic. Most often used for: Thyroid problems, fatigue, and weight issues. Interesting Note: Some foods block the update of iodine into the thyroid gland when eaten raw and in large amounts. Iodine blocking foods include: Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, peaches, pears, cooked spinach and turnips. If you have an under active thyroid, limit your intake of these substances to 4 cups/week of any of these foods combined.

Magnesium (Mg): Best Bet Food Sources– Blackstrap molasses (no more than 2 teaspoons/day max!), dark green vegetables, potatoes (especially the skin), beans and other legumes, whole grains, almonds and other nuts, meat and fish, soy products, apricots, bananas, coconut (get the organic unsulfited kind!–See handout on hidden sources of sulfites.), dates, figs and avocados. Most often used for: Constipation, hyperexcitability, nervousness, asthma, chronic fatigue, glaucoma and retinal problems, high blood pressure, heart problems (congestive heart failure, valve problems, arrhythmias), insomnia, muscle cramping and multiple sclerosis.

Note: Potatoes grown on magnesium deficient soils (like Washington) are susceptible to the Potato Scab Virus. This virus is thought to be linked with the same virus that causes Multiple Sclerosis in humans. If you have neurological signs of any kind, don’t eat potato skins that are scabby.

Manganese (Mn): Best Bet Food Sources– Definitely parsley (1-2 tablespoons/day chopped and raw), green leafy vegetables, oats, pineapple, nuts, spinach, peppermint, apples, apricots, blueberries, celery, egg yolk, and whole grains. Most often used for: Tendon and ligament problems (these are the problems I find most often when associated with manganese deficiency by far.), tinnitus, skin rashes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, memory problems, diabetes, and breast problems.

Molybdenum (Mo): Best Bet Food Sources– Beans and other legumes, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, whole grains and wheat germ. Most often used for: Asthma and gout.

Oxygen (O): Best Bet Food Sources– A diet that contains a minimum of 1 1/2 cups of raw fruits and 1 1/2 cups of raw vegetables daily will keep your body producing nice, healthy red blood cells stocked with hemoglobin. Exercise or deep breathing exercises are essential to keep oxygenated.

Self-test: When looking at the little white moons at the base of your fingernails, you should see the moons on every fingernail except the little finger. If you don’t see these, then your body is not getting enough oxygen to all the different organs of your body. Oxygen fights off cancer because cancer can’t grow in oxygenated tissues.

Phosphorus (P): Best Bet Food Sources– Eggs, beans and other legumes, almonds, pumpkin seeds (great for prostate and normal hormone function in both males and females), sesame seeds (great for seasonal affective disorder and other forms of depression), bran and whole grains. Most often used for: Bone pain, nosebleeds, and trembling.

Note: People who often drink soda pop (more than 4 per week), can easily imbalance the system so that there is too much phosphorus and not enough calcium and magnesium. This is a common and frequent (in my practice) cause of kidney stones and osteoporosis/osteopenia.

Potassium (K): Best Bet Food Sources– Fresh fruits and vegetables of all kinds, blackstrap molasses, fish, dates, bananas, beans, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, brown rice, and nettles. Most often used for: Heart disease, muscular fatigue and weakness, dry skin, depression, edema, insomnia, and counteracting acid bodies and replenishing the alkaline reserve.

Selenium (Se): Best Bet Food Sources– Parsley, blackstrap molasses, mushrooms, nuts, salmon and other seafood, sesame seeds, vegetables, wheat germ, chicken, nettles, yarrow, raspberry leaf, garlic and whole grains. Most often used for: Immune system stimulation, asthma, thyroid disease, heart disease, high cholesterol, macular degeneration (Standard Process brand Chezyn is an awesome product for this containing chelated zinc, copper and selenium in a natural food-based formula), abnormal pap smears, cancer and liver diseases.

Silicon (Si): Best Bet Food Sources– Horsetail, radishes and other root vegetables, New Vision Ionic Minerals, whole grains, brown rice, soy and soy products and green peppers. Most often used for: Weak nails that break and tear easily, healthy skin and hair, pliable blood vessels, Alzheimer’s disease, and osteoporosis.

Sodium (Na): Best Bet Food Sources– Celery, kale, sesame seeds, Celtic Sea Salt, apples, carrots, and hot peppers are all good sources of organic sodium which replaces the inorganic molecules we get from salted and prepared foods. Most often used for: High blood pressure, glaucoma, dehydration, and brain dysfunctions such as memory, depression, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, and poor coordination.

Sulfur (S): Best Bet Food Sources– Eggs, garlic, onions, dried beans, cruciforms (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale) and soy. Most often used for: Arthritis, asthma, back and joint pain and skin disease.

Vanadium (V): Best Bet Food Sources– Parsley, snap beans, mushrooms, radishes, soy and soy products, olives, whole grains, seafood, corn and gelatin. Most often used for: Diabetes, bone and tooth development, and dental health.

Zinc (Zn): — This is the most common mineral deficiency I see in my practice. Best Bet Food Sources: Pumpkin seeds and other nuts, oatmeal, eggs, parsley, wheat germ and Standard Process brand Chezyn.  Most often used for: Prostate health, healthy immune function, impotence, menopause and perimenopausal health, memory, skin disease, pancreas and thyroid health, macular degeneration and other eye disorders, and bowel dysfunction.

Note: A significant amount of zinc is lost through perspiration.

After I test these main minerals that a person can be deficient on, I test the entire periodic chart to see if the body is harboring any excesses of minerals including heavy metals and gasses.