Minerals are like spark plugs–they work as cofactors to help kick off reactions in the body. This means if we don’t have adequate levels of minerals, we can disrupt different functions in the body. This is when symptoms appear. So often, we want to figure out how to get rid of the symptom, and don’t look further for what is causing that symptom. This can lead to you feeling like you’re constantly going in circles on the healing journey, and is why I recommend starting with a hair mineral test to understand better what’s at the root of your symptoms.

Signs Minerals Are Out Of Balance

So what does it look like when our minerals are out of balance? Mineral imbalances can show up in a number of ways. The reason for this is because we can have too little or too much of different minerals. This is what hair mineral testing shows us–whether or not your minerals are high, low, or optimal. And that helps to see how stressed your body is and what imbalances can lead to different health concerns you have.

Here are some of the most common mineral imbalances I see:

First, I will go through the macro minerals or minerals we need in large amounts (calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium).

• High Calcium: high calcium on a hair test can be from having hard water (I have instructions in my course on how to avoid this), but I do see this often from chronic long term stress. High calcium is what slows our metabolism down. It leads to a sluggish thyroid, depression, fatigue, and often muscle/joint pain.
• Low Calcium: low calcium is often seen in fast metabolic types and some of the biggest concerns with this are blood sugar issues (calcium is important for insulin), difficulty sleeping, osteoporosis, and histamine responses from food.
• Low Magnesium: low magnesium can lead to insulin resistance, difficulty responding to stress, high blood pressure, muscle cramps, and PMS to name a few.
• Low Potassium: low potassium also contributes to blood sugar imbalances along with thyroid issues, muscle cramps, and high blood pressure.
• Low Sodium: typically a sign that your body has been under stress for a long time and the adrenals are tired. Common symptoms include low blood pressure, insulin resistance, low stomach acid production, cramping, and a sluggish thyroid.

When it comes to supporting minerals, imbalances in copper, iron, and iodine are some of the biggest concerns.

• Low Copper: low levels of copper are a big concern for hormones since copper helps support our metabolism. Low iron, low energy, high blood sugar, and a sluggish thyroid are often seen with low copper levels.
• High Iron: Excess iron leads to more inflammation in the body, excess estrogen, increased risk of infection, heart disease, and liver dysfunction.
• Low Iodine: Low iodine leads to hypothyroidism, low energy, osteoporosis, and high cholesterol.

These are just some of the most common, but the big thing to remember is that minerals are synergistic (work together) but can also be antagonistic (work against each other). Having high calcium often leads to high magnesium loss and low sodium and potassium. High zinc is often related to a magnesium deficiency. This is why it’s helpful to keep the bigger picture in mind when it comes to your minerals. We don’t want to obsess over individual levels but look at your pattern and see what we can learn from there.

Why Are Minerals An Issue For So Many People?

Now more than ever, we are a population that struggles with minerals. There are so many mineral depleters stacked up against us that it is actually extremely common to see mineral imbalances in most people. In fact, most people are what is called a slow metabolic type (about 80% of the population) because of these depletions.

Here are the major mineral depleters we see:

• Stress–minerals are used up during the stress response–Depletes magnesium, sodium, and potassium–this leads to electrolyte imbalances and confusion in the body.
• Soil is depleted because of conventional farming practices (spraying and tilling)–depleted soil means depleted animals & plants, which leads to depleted humans
• Pesticides like glyphosate deplete our soil further
• Extreme diets reduce many important mineral sources (carnivore/keto/vegan)
• Medications deplete minerals (HBC, blood pressure meds, etc.)
• Supplements like vitamin D deplete magnesium and negatively impact how copper works
• Multivitamins and prenatals (they contain ingredients like zinc and ascorbic acid, which deplete copper)
• Water filters that remove minerals

Just like most health concerns, it is rarely just one thing that is leading to mineral imbalances–it’s a combination of stress, nutrition, movement, lifestyle, etc.

Interested in working on your minerals? Check out my course Replenish Your Minerals to start learning about the basics and Master Your Minerals where you can do hair mineral testing to get a in depth look at your mineral status.

Not ready for a course quite yet? Check out my Mineral 101 Guide.

reminder: i’m currently taking on 1:1 clients. if you’d like to explore what it would be like to work together and if we are a good fit, fill out this form to get more details!​