Minerals form the basis of good mental and physical health and support a strong immune system. The interrelationship between the nervous system and immune system has been well documented with high stress having a negative impact on immunity. When people experience mental or physical stress magnesium, zinc and vitamin C are depleted. The psychological result may be intense emotions and the physical impact can be pain, inflammation and a weakened immune system with reduced energy.

Most health practitioners use the disease model today that assumes if a person has no diagnosed health conditions then they have their health. However, there are many people who have signs and symptoms that something is wrong with their health, however, they do not fit into a definitive diagnosis.

Dr Rick Malter has proposed a different model of disease based on the concept that early symptoms of disease result in energy loss. As a person’s energy decreases the immune system weakens resulting in more physical and psychological symptoms until a significant health problem emerges. The model is shown below.

As a person moves along the Health/Energy Continuum from optimum energy and health to disease, nutritional supplements are required to increase cellular energy production and restore health.

Stress can be a major contributor to a person’s loss of cellular minerals. An individual’s ability to deal with stress and their reaction to stress is determined by their “biochemical individuality”. This is a term coined by Dr Roger Williams to describe a person’s individual mineral pattern based on their genetics and biochemical attributes. However, where a person’s biochemical individuality predisposes them to poor health, nutrition (diet and supplements) and the environment may change the outcome.

Two mineral levels, that are a strong indication of the health of a person’s immune system, are zinc and copper. Zinc and copper are antagonists, meaning an excess of one mineral can cause a deficiency in the other. Zinc has been proven to support the antiviral action of the immune system and is involved in the production and differentiation of white blood cells to fight off invading pathogens and inhibit viral replication. In contrast, copper has strong antibacterial and antifungal properties. Therefore, when zinc and copper are in balance, the immune system is able to fight off viruses, bacteria and fungi. However, when there is an imbalance in these two vital minerals, the immune system will have an affinity for fighting off one and be prone to the infection of the other.

Today copper excess is so prevalent that hair tissue mineral laboratories state that approximately 80% of tests present with an excess of copper. There are a number of sources of copper in our recent history that have caused the widespread rise in copper levels, and these include:

Copper water pipes in homes built around 30 years ago or more where small amounts of copper leach into the drinking water and slowly accumulate.
The contraceptive pill has been shown to increase copper and decrease zinc – copper has an association with estrogen and where one is high the other is usually inflated also.
Copper IUDs – leach copper and accumulate in the body over time.

In addition, copper is high in women during pregnancy due to high estrogen levels. After delivery, a mother’s copper levels decrease and her zinc levels increase. With this increased zinc, she balances out her child’s copper to zinc ratio in the first year or so of life through her breastmilk. However, to compound the societal issue of excess copper, where her copper to zinc ratio was high prior to pregnancy, she passes on this imbalance to her child as her breastmilk has insufficient amounts of zinc to balance the child’s copper. Often the children have greater imbalances than the previous generation.

Copper increases the stress response further exacerbating the magnesium and zinc loss. This unhealthy cycle of magnesium loss and increased feelings of stress may continue until further magnesium is supplemented. Magnesium has an inverse relationship with stress, therefore, the requirement for magnesium is likely to be increased with excess copper and stress. Magnesium, along with zinc, is needed for hundreds of processes in the body including supporting a healthy immune response. Sufficient magnesium levels are also required for the absorption and activation of vitamin D.

Even though vitamin D is not a mineral, its impact on the immune system is so paramount that it requires discussion. The impact of vitamin D on the body is so widespread that it has been classified as a hormone and one of its functions is to increase absorption of calcium and bone formation. Therefore, deficiencies in calcium levels or poor bone health may indicate a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D has a modulating effect on the immune system and acts as an anti-inflammatory. Its deficiency has been correlated with increased risk of autoimmunity and susceptibility to disease including upper respiratory tract infections.

There is a synergistic relationship between vitamin D and vitamin A and the immune system requires both to be in balance. Vitamin A has been found to support the mucous membranes associated with our immunity and the lining of our gastrointestinal tracts. Vitamin A is anti-inflammatory and along with zinc, is also required to support the thymus where T cells develop. The health of our thymus is particularly important for autoimmune conditions and allergies. Many people do not consume enough vitamin A in its preformed state (eg from animal products such as liver) and instead consume carotenoids from fruits and vegetables such as beta-carotene that requires conversion to vitamin A in the liver. This process requires adequate levels of zinc and B vitamins for this conversion.

The role of vitamin C in supporting immune function is now well known. Supplementation with vitamin C has been found to both prevent and treat respiratory and systemic infections. In addition, infections can significantly deplete vitamin C levels due to inflammation. This makes sense when you think of a physical illness such as an infection as being a stressor on the body. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant that protects cells from oxidative stress. High vitamin C supplementation can inhibit copper absorption and lower copper levels in the body. However, ascorbic acid has been found to separate copper from its transporter protein and as a result, wholefood vitamin C is recommended.

When assessing the health of your immune system, one of the most useful tools is the hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) test. Firstly, this test provides an assessment of your stress levels and your adrenal health as the adrenals produce cortisol, a stress hormone. The test also provides an assessment of your magnesium levels that are frequently deficient in people who have experienced long term stress (remembering magnesium has an inverse relationship with stress). Calcium imbalance may be an indication of vitamin D and potentially vitamin A deficiency. Finally, the most important ratio is the zinc to copper ratio. Where a person’s zinc is deficient, there may be dietary malabsorption, insuffient zinc in the diet, a history of stress or simply an excess of copper. An excess of copper may also indicate a vitamin C deficiency. Our immune system requires a balance in these vitamins and minerals to function efficiently and therefore, this test is a recommended first step when there are symptoms associated with an imbalance.

Mineral Balancing and Immunity