Boron
Overview Boron is a trace mineral that has been recognized as an essential nutrient for plants for more than fifty years, but its essentiality in humans was not discovered until the mid-1980s. Since boron is a newly discovered essential nutrient for humans, some of the information about its metabolic activity and function is somewhat speculative. […]
Manganese
Overview Manganese is a co-factor that aids in the activation of a wide variety of enzymes. Manganese-containing enzymes influence many biological activities, including the synthesis of collagen, protein, mucopolysaccharides, cholesterol and fatty acids. It is also necessary for normal bone growth and the metabolism of amino acids. The average human body only contains approximately 20mg […]
N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)
Overview N-acetylcysteine is an effective mucolytic agent for treatment of chronic bronchitis and other pulmonary diseases that are complicated by the production of viscous mucous. It is also used as an antidote for acetaminophen poisoning (1) and found to be effective for the prevention of cardiotoxicity by doxorubicin. N-acetyl cysteine is the acetylated form of […]
Chloride
Overview Chloride is one of the body’s three major electrolytes (the other two being sodium and potassium). They exist as fully dissociated ions and are the main particles responsible for osmotic pressure in body fluids. The osmotic pressure is very rigidly controlled, primarily by regulatory mechanisms that determine the rate of resorption of ions and […]
Copper
Overview Copper is an essential trace mineral that is a cofactor in cuproenzyme systems. After being absorbed, it is carried on transcuprein and albumin to the liver where it is incorporated into liver enzymes. These are secreted into the blood as ceruloplasmin, which is a copper-carrying protein that is an important blood-based antioxidant. Dosage Info […]
Vitamin D
Overview Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that was isolated in 1930 and named calciferol. Since then more metabolites have been found, and the two major forms of this vitamin are now known to be vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Vitamin D is actually a hormone precursor, which can be manufactured by the […]
Vanadium
Overview In the late 1960s, vanadium was found to be an essential trace mineral for plant nutrition, and in the early 1970s it was discovered to be an essential nutrient for animals. There is still some debate on whether vanadium is essential in humans. Nonetheless, interest in vanadium as a nutritional substance has been steadily […]
Zinc
Overview Zinc is necessary for the functioning of over 300 different enzymes and, as such, it plays a vital role in an enormous number of biological processes. Zinc is widely distributed in microorganisms, plants, and animals. In humans, the highest concentrations of zinc are found in the liver, pancreas, kidneys, bone, and muscles. Zinc is […]
Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA)
Overview Gamma linolenic acid (GLA) is derived from linoleic acid, which is the parent omega-6 fatty acid. GLA is the precursor for dihomogamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), which is the precursor to the PGE1 series prostaglandins, and arachidonic acid, which is the precursor to the PGE2 series prostaglandins. Because GLA (and its metabolite DGLA) are the precursors […]
Sodium
Overview Sodium is one of the body’s three major electrolytes (the other two being potassium and chloride). They exist as fully dissociated ions and are the main particles responsible for osmotic pressure in body fluids. Sodium is the primary extracellular electrolyte in body fluids. These substances are called electrolytes because they carry an electronic charge […]