Ever feel like you’re trying to improve people’s mineral levels but you’re not getting the results you should? Does it seem that despite making good product choices and doses, there’s something that keeps derailing or rerouting where these minerals end up? It could be you’re doing battle with what I call, rigorous and relentless regulation.
As one of the many goodies from our recently wrapped-up Nutrient Prescriber’s Program, we went where nobody in nutrition seems to want to go…into the misty mountains of micronutrient regulation!
Think about it, outside of iron, regulation is rarely discussed and therefore often we’re failing to factor it in which can explain why some prescriptions fail, but all essential micronutrients are subject to some degree of regulatory control. The body’s ability to adjust all the ‘dials’, turning ‘up’ or ‘down’ absorption, changing the distribution of a nutrient (that’s the re-routing!) or its metabolism, increasing or reducing its elimination, is a cornerstone feature of nutritional homeostasis. It enables the individual to respond moment by moment to their changing intakes and needs. But to what extent each individual micronutrient is regulated – which covers the whole spectrum from ‘loose and limited’ to ‘like your life depends on it!’ – and the ‘hormonal housekeepers’ responsible and nature of this narrative, is as individual and weird and quirky as all the nutrients themselves!
‘Back up there!’ I hear you shout!
‘Some minerals are regulated ‘like our life depends on it?!’
You heard me and yes. This is indeed a massive bit we’ve been missing in our understanding of prescribing minerals. Are we protected equally against deficiency and excesses? What’s the ‘cost’ to our health if we are constantly responding to an imbalance on either side? To our thyroid? To our adrenals? To our cardiovascular system? Well I am delighted you asked and happy to answer all those questions and more…join me in the latest Update in Under 30 episode complete with another kick-arse clinical desktop reference! 🤓💪
Working with Micromanaged Minerals
Striking differences in our regulatory control over each essential micronutrient reveals a lot about their provision in the Palaeolithic diet (scarce vs abundant), as well as their importance (or not) for our short-term survival. This is especially true for our most micromanaged minerals or the “big 4”: iron, iodine, calcium and sodium. Whose regulatory design was perhaps purpose-built for the paleo period but now battles with our contemporary context. This presents us with a range of challenges but also some opportunities to be better able to ‘read the regulatory signals’ and in turn, personalise and perfect our prescriptions. This episode includes a great desktop reference for ease of use in your clinic
You can purchase Working with Micromanaged Minerals here. If you are an Update in Under 30 Subscriber, you will find it waiting for you in your online account. You can become an Update in Under 30 Subscriber to access this episode and the entire library of Update in Under 30 audios and resources here.