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What if the reason you feel worse on detox supplements isn’t your body failing, but your minerals waving a red flag?

In this episode, I continue my December mineral series by zooming in on a handful of underrated minerals that quietly shape detox, emotional balance, and nervous system support. Instead of obsessing over the usual labs, I walk you through what these trace minerals actually do in your body and why a hair test can reveal patterns that blood work completely misses. There is a connection between seemingly random symptoms like brain fog, mood swings, and sulfur sensitivity to specific mineral patterns, and this episode will help you finally make sense of them.

If you’re pushing detox and still feel anxious, wired, or wiped out, you will soon understand why that keeps happening.

This is part 3 of 4 of my Mineral Series. Tune into episodes 12, 13, and 15 to deepen your knowledge.

You’ll Learn:

[00:00] Introduction
[00:30] Why five overlooked minerals quietly shape detox, mood, and nervous system balance
[02:18] How cobalt and molybdenum reveal hidden issues with B12 activation, sulfur sensitivity, and detox overload
[03:18] What sulfur status shows about glutathione, repair pathways, and why detox may feel “blocked”
[03:52] How micro-dose lithium supports mood stability, sleep quality, and postpartum copper swings
[05:16] Why rubidium uncovers adrenal burnout, stress load, and thyroid regulation issues
[07:33] The right way to interpret highs and lows on HTMA without assuming deficiency or overload
[10:53] How digestive inefficiencies mimic sulfur problems and stall detox progress
[19:05] Why molybdenum should never be introduced early in a protocol and how binders prevent symptom flares
[21:43] When to consider these minerals on a retest to unlock deeper detox and emotional resilience

Resources Mentioned:

Hormone Healing episode on How to do mineral testing | Listen Now
Master your minerals. Harmonize your hormones. Start your mineral journey here.

Find more from Amanda:

Hormone Healing RD | Instagram
Hormone Healing RD | Website
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Hormone Healing RD | YouTube
Hormone Healing RD | TikTok

Find your Healthy Period Starter Guide here.

Transcript:

[00:00:00] Welcome to the Hormone Healing RD podcast, where you’ll get clear, practical guidance for your healing journey. I’m Amanda Montalvo, women’s health, dietician and mineral expert. After helping thousands of women in navigating my own healing, I know how overwhelming the wellness world can be. And this show really aims to cut through the noise with simple research and clinically backed insights on hormones, minerals, and what your body truly needs to heal.

[00:00:23] So let’s dive in to part three of our. December mineral series. This week we’re talking about the nervous system and detox supporters. It fun minerals. Minerals, I feel like don’t really get much airtime, so we’re gonna get into five underrated, but very powerful minerals that play a really big role in detox.

[00:00:44] Emotional balance, nervous system, support, all those things. And that is cobalt, molybdenum, sulfur, lithium, and rubidium. So these are the minerals. They don’t really get a lot of attention, especially even like blood tests or like standard protocols. But when [00:01:00] they’re off, you can feel it. And. They’re not like the first thing we look at.

[00:01:04] Remember we talked about the macro minerals in part one? That’s a very important episode. Listened to to like lay the groundwork. These are the minerals that I tend to look at for detox. Also, like some digestive, um, options. And then rubidium can also indicate. If your potassium is really, it follows potassium, so it’ll give you an idea, is your potassium like truly high?

[00:01:25] Um, or is your potassium more of a loss or is it super depleted? Um, so they’re, they’re kind of minerals that I’m looking to for other things. Uh, but they’re. Really helpful pieces of the puzzle when keeping that whole hair test in context to yourself. So if you ever felt like you take B12, you don’t feel any different, like energy wise, or if you have random anxiety or mood swings, maybe you’re sensitive to sulfur.

[00:01:48] Um, don’t react well to sulfur rich foods or. Any like poor detox reactions, maybe like supplements that increase detox or binders. You’re gonna wanna listen to what these [00:02:00] minerals do and why HGA be the only place you can show you the full picture and how, give you a good understanding. So let’s get deeper into each one of these minerals, what they are, what they do, and then we’ll talk about.

[00:02:14] Identifying them in a hair test. So cobalt is part of the B12 molecule. You can take a methylated B12 supplement and still not feel any different. I see this a lot. If your cobalt levels are off, you need cobalt to absorb and activate B12. So that’s one. Um, looking at this marker on the hair test, I’m also looking at is it high or low?

[00:02:35] This can be an indicator of stomach acid as well. Molybdenum is another important mineral. It’s a detox co-factor It breaks things down like sulfites and aldehydes from like alcohol that come from food, alcohol, bacteria, and even our own metabolism. So when you don’t have enough molybdenum, these chemicals can build up and you can feel reactive, um, when it comes to supporting detox, foggy, or even [00:03:00] inflamed.

[00:03:00] So molybdenum is a big one. It’s also very important for regulating copper levels. That helps. Take copper and get it into blood and make it so that you can actually use it. Big part of Copper Detox. And so if someone has high copper or worry about copper imbalances, I’m always gonna be looking at that maum as well.

[00:03:18] Sulfur is the third one. This is our repair mineral. It helps build connected tissue, skin joints, and most importantly, glutathione, which is the body’s master antioxidant. You need sulfur to detox, and if you can’t tolerate sulfur rich foods, typically your sulfur status is likely gonna be low or impaired.

[00:03:37] You could have. Really low levels of me too, since that’s gonna, you know, help with sulfur metabolism. And then the fourth one is lithium. Um, this is looking at lithium at trace levels, not, it’s not looking at like the prescription lithium, I think. Um. People kind of get weird. When I talk about lithium, I use it a lot with clients and like micro doses, but it can be very [00:04:00] calming.

[00:04:00] It helps regulate mood, supports restful sleep, and it can buffer the brain from overstimulation, so it can be very helpful. Again, it’s not a first supplement, it is a. Kind of night, like later on down the road. Um, when we are looking at other factors on the hair test, I often will use it more in like a retest as well, but it can be really helpful.

[00:04:23] It’s also another really important one for copper, so, um, I’m thinking like my. Postpartum moms if they, or maybe I’m working with a pregnant mom and we see really high copper in her blood and not her hair tests, and maybe she has history, mental health concerns, or she’s already been through. We’re working with someone right now who’s already been through postpartum depression pretty bad, and we’re trying to prevent that in her next postpartum season.

[00:04:47] So lithium is incredibly helpful for. Buffering copper basically. ’cause you get a really big copper dump postpartum. Um, especially if your copper levels already high. So it help [00:05:00] utilizing, making sure someone’s lithium status is optimal. Helps to avoid that really big shift in copper levels that can contribute to postpartum depression.

[00:05:10] It’s only one piece of the puzzle, but that’s. Obviously we’re, I’m working in women’s health over here, so that’s a big one that we deal with. And then rubidium, this is a lesser known mineral, but it supports emotional balance and how your cells respond to stress. It can also play a role in thyroid regulation and hormone timing.

[00:05:27] So rubidium is one that I like to look at, um, on the HT MA as well. So if you are someone that you’re taking B12 and you’re, you’re still foggy, tired, and irritable, then. When you look at your hair test, really look at cobalt. How do those levels look? This is often missed, um, but it’s, it’s essential to making B12 actually usable in your cells.

[00:05:49] And if you react to things like wine, fermented foods, or foods high in sulfur like eggs, onions, or garlic, then you might be low in molybdenum and/or sulfur. [00:06:00] These two help your body clear out byproducts that trigger histamine symptoms, skin reactions, migraines, things like that. So you’d wanna be. Really looking out for molybdenum and sulfur on your hair test.

[00:06:11] If you feel worse when you take a detox supplement, like you get headaches, fatigue, brain fog, again, that could be sulfur or molybdenum, and your body is probably mobilizing toxins faster than they can clear them because remember, those two minerals have a big role in detoxification and breaking down those, those toxins.

[00:06:30] If you struggle with things like mood swings, anger, insomnia, racing thoughts, um, if you, if you know that you have copper, maybe you have a history of copper imbalances or. Many women who’ve taken the birth control pill, which raises copper levels or had a copper IUD, then I would definitely be paying close attention to lithium and rubidium.

[00:06:48] These are actually on the, they’re not on the main chart. They’re on the first page of the HTMA. I use the trace elements one. Um, but they’re on like the bottom chart, underneath the main green chart, and [00:07:00] that’s what I, I look at those as more like a secondary. Check for everything else. Um, they really do help your nervous system calm down and regulate.

[00:07:08] So I see these out of balance a lot of times. Um, but it can with adults for sure and copper women’s health issues. I also see them out a balance in children that have behavioral or sensory issues, especially if someone’s on the spectrum or has speech delays. So I will tend to review all of these minerals, um, specifically when in those cases as well.

[00:07:33] So what happens if we’re looking at HGA? We see low levels of these. So for cobalt, low levels of cobalt is gonna mean poor B12 absorption. It can be a sign of low stomach acid, be a sign of anemia, possibly obviously crosscheck with blood work. Um, and then fatigue. High cobalt often means that your body isn’t using the B12 correctly.

[00:07:56] So if you’re taking a B12 supplement and you see really high cobalt, [00:08:00] that could be a sign that you’re not using that well. You may need to back off that right now, and you probably need more liver support before adding in any more B12. Um, so that cobalt very helpful, gives us a lot of information, molybdenum.

[00:08:13] When molybdenum levels are low, you can’t clear sulfites or aldehydes well. So this is gonna show up as food sensitivities, rashes, flushing, reactivity, just smells, wine or fermented foods. And it can be al, it can be tricky because a lot of times with molybdenum, like all these symptoms, you think, oh, histamine issues.

[00:08:32] You don’t have to necessarily. It’s not always just histamine. Um, it can, it’s a lot of, it’s more related to sulfur. So, and just like detox in general, whenever someone’s like, I can’t tolerate alcohol anymore, then I think, okay, maybe you, you could have potentially, maybe you had a copper imbalance or weren’t getting enough Mel in your diet or had like a big stressor that used a lot of it up.

[00:08:55] Um, and then that’s affecting your ability to detox. So that’s what I’m typically thinking when [00:09:00] I see a. Low molybdenum levels or those types of symptoms. I also see a lot of high molybdenum on hair tests, and this is often related to using up that mineral. And I think, uh, since similar with high copal, how that can be a sign that your liver is actively stressed and it needs more support.

[00:09:17] Same thing with the high molybdenum, because typically I’m gonna see someone’s using up a laly if their copper is high. And that would make sense, right? Because you need morely to regulate that copper. Um. I often see it a lot too, with high heavy metals that are present. So looking at that chart that’s right next to the main one for heavy metals and looking at, do you have a lot of heavy metal buildup, thinking about that person’s chemical exposure, um, history with alcohol and things like that?

[00:09:44] Uh, those are big ones. I see it with mold too. Not always, but it is a common one that I’ll see elevated. And I think a, again, a lot of it’s that toxic burden on the body. So seeing a high level of a mineral doesn’t always mean that you have too [00:10:00] much, um, and that you’re storing too much. Unless someone was taking molybdenum supplement, then of course it could mean that.

[00:10:06] But oftentimes it’s telling me the body is using it, and then you just wanna think about. Okay for it myself and my test. If I have high levels of molybdenum, does this make sense for me? Do I have a high toxic exposure previously? Do I have a lot of these symptoms and sensitivities and reactions to toxins?

[00:10:23] Um, and just keep it in context with yourself. And that typically helps you figure out is this actually a high level or is it a loss that my body is using up a lot of this mineral? And then sulfur. So low sulfur on a hair chest is gonna indicate slow detox. I often see this with achy joints, dull skin, brain fog, where people can’t tolerate binders.

[00:10:46] Um, it’s ational to the body’s repair systems and antioxidant defense. So it, it’s one, it’s very important. You can get a lot of sulfur from food. Uh, sometimes, and a lot of times if someone is eating a lot of sulfur rich food [00:11:00] and their levels are still low, then that’s. One of the signs that Mc, maybe they’re not breaking down that food well.

[00:11:06] And then I would look at their phosphorus levels and their cobalt to get other signs of a, they also have low levels of these minerals or dysregulation here, and that is telling me that they probably need a lot of digestive support. Um, so they can break down and absorb that, absorb that sulfur from the foods that they’re eating.

[00:11:25] I also love to use like MSM sulfur supplements or trine supplement Trines, like one of my favorite supplements. Um, I was just talking about with a client about how we’ve added in touring for her. Her sulfur levels were initially very low, um, and they have come up and they look so much better. And Tory’s very supportive for bile production.

[00:11:48] It also helps with sulfur, um, which is important for bile and making like bile acids. It can help thin out the bile. Uh, and she had. A history of estrogen dominance, high [00:12:00] cholesterol, high iron, things that like we really needed more bile support for. And Torin has helped her so much. She’s like, my bowel bones are the best they’ve ever been.

[00:12:09] A lot of my estrogen detox symptoms are gone, and she did have quite a bit of stored copper on her hair test. Her last two air tests and now it’s, she’s finally starting to move it. So the chlorine’s been immensely helpful. Um, so I, I often will use that one, whether sulfur is high or low. It just kind of depends on the person.

[00:12:25] But, um, high sulfur often telling me that they’re, they’re detoxing a lot, right? They’re using up that sulfur. And then again, if you were like, why, then you would wanna look at how’s the heavy metals, what’s, what’s my toxic exposure like? If I had a higher burden on my liver, mold, all those things. And then lithium, when lithium is low in a hair test, you could be like, sometimes there’s like really explicit like symptoms of mood, mood issues, like emotionally volatile, anxiety, rage, irritability, panic.

[00:12:57] Um, I definitely see a lot of those, [00:13:00] but I’d also just see a lot of like very depleted, sluggish. Um, lots of brain fog and things like that. You don’t have to outright have those symptoms as well. It’s usually someone that has a lot of their other minerals depleted and their lithium is also low, so it’s not always directly connected to that.

[00:13:22] But I there’s, there’s often some sort of like emotional component because typically if someone has low levels of minerals or they use up lot their detox resources. They’re not gonna feel great and they’re probably gonna have more PMS and more shifts in their mood, maybe even around ovulation and throughout their cycle than other people will.

[00:13:40] Um, but it, it just depends. ’cause sometimes people, it’s like, it’s not their main, main concern, you know, it just depends on the person. But we do see a lot of lithium, I even think of like the roadmap reviews we do inside, um, master minerals for core students. Lots of low lithium. We do tend to use it. When we think detox support is needed, um, [00:14:00] it’s just like very, very tiny amounts.

[00:14:02] Uh, it’s like microdosing, like even one milligram can be so supportive for people. And I do look at this with children as well. It can help regulate sleep in adults too. Um, but kids for sure, and behavior in kids. But again, you, it’s not like a. Oh, this is gonna be my perfect thing that’s gonna help me solve all my problems.

[00:14:24] Because if lithium is low, you know, this is like a very like trace mineral. You would wanna think about, okay, the lots of detox has probably happened. The journals are probably exhausted. There’s so many other things you gotta work on first. But when you have that good foundation in place and if you retest and your lithium levels are still low, detox is maybe still sluggish, then it can be very helpful to do a small amount.

[00:14:46] You just wanna talk when you’re practitioner or your doctor and see like, is this appropriate for me? Um, it can be very helpful in certain instances. Uh, like I said. Very great for clients that are struggling. Maybe they wanna avoid postpartum [00:15:00] depression, copper swings, things like that. Rubidium. Um, when I see low levels of rubidium, this is often connected to nervous system burnout, adrenal burnout, especially when you feel like that feeling of like your stress, you just, you can’t turn off your stress.

[00:15:14] That switch just won’t go off. This is often when low, when thyroid and mood are affected by those stress hormones. So I’m thinking of someone. Who has very low sodium and potassium on their HTMA. They probably have a low adrenal ratio. So low sodium magnesium, and we’re gonna go through the ratios next week.

[00:15:35] And, uh, low sodium potassium ratio depleted, right? And again, rubidium follows potassium. So if you have very high potassium, maybe you’re a fast metabolic type, you’ll often see rubidium as high as well. Um, I will often use rubidium. Through food forms to help support potassium levels when they’re very depleted, um, it can very gently increase them [00:16:00] because the minerals are very synergistic, but it’s one of those that it’s low.

[00:16:05] Like long-term stress burnout, uh, and usually thyroid function is a big concern. And then if it’s high, it’s typically a loss. It’s falling that potassium level. So if we think about some instances where it’s like, when, when are we gonna see this In real life, if you take B12 and you still feel exhausted, foggy, or numb, that’s a huge red flag.

[00:16:26] If you feel worse with detox headaches, puffy wired, flu-like I see that one a lot too. If you can’t tolerate wine, onions, garlic, eggs, or supplements with sulfur, another huge red flag. Remember that’s mostly meum you if you feel emotionally overwhelmed or reactive and you don’t know why. Maybe it happens like very quickly.

[00:16:45] Then that’s a big, um, red flag for just like adrenal stress, lithium. And if you or your child have sensory issues, speech, laser anxiety, again, that can be very connected. Lithium as well. Um, and if you are looking at your HDA and it shows [00:17:00] high or lows in any of these minerals, and no one explained what that means, um, and it’s, you wanna think about, okay, if am is it like one, am I taking the supplement?

[00:17:12] Uh. And if so, then that’s probably explaining the high level or two. Is this more of a loss? Because all of these can also be used up for detoxification. Um, and I think that’s where people kind of get confused on the hair test and how to understand it is they’re like, but it’s not, if something’s high, it doesn’t always just mean it’s high, like blood work.

[00:17:31] It’s showing the pattern. The process, how is the body using it? And it’s really showing the compensation. And that’s why I love using hair testing is ’cause I’m not just seeing if something’s high or low. I’m seeing, okay, these are the symptoms this person has, this is their health history. This is their main concern.

[00:17:49] Now when the hair test, I get to see how is their body currently compensating for the last three months. And I, to me it gives me like a huge, huge wealth of information. Um, [00:18:00] and looking at these like cobalt, bloodstone, sulfur, lithium and rubidium, it’s gonna give you the other kind of piece of the puzzle.

[00:18:09] Especially if someone has already started supporting their macro minerals and like they’re eating enough and they’re working on stress. These can be incredible add-ons and it could be. Adding a food in like more sulfur rich foods and some digestive support. I love using digestive bitters or apple cider vinegar if someone tolerates it.

[00:18:27] Or even digestive enzymes. Sorry if you can hear my children. Um, it’s been a day, but, um, those are all very supportive things. Uh, and it could also just mean, hey, my mobile s really low and I have high copper. I’m concerned here. Uh, I’m gonna really try to add in more molds and rich foods or a very low dose when it comes in.

[00:18:51] Mel Liptum. Uh, because I, I know that I know a lot of people like DIY their, their hair mineral test, and I understand, you know, you get the [00:19:00] test done, you’re like, I’m just gonna try to like, figure it out. Um, what I should do next. I hope you’re listening to the podcast episodes and following along, but molybdenum is so not a first.

[00:19:11] Phase of a protocol mineral. It is like, ’cause it will detox copper, right? So you don’t wanna add that in even at like 20, 25 micrograms until you’ve already been supporting other things. Um, and just like always, you need binder support. You know, and this could be more food form kind of binders. We love to have clients work in like more fiber rich foods.

[00:19:34] Those act like a binder in the gut and remove, um. They’re also fibers really helpful for bile and removing bile. And we get rid of excess copper and iron and heavy metals through our bile. So great support there. A lot of times we do often need an additional binder so that we can really get more into binding specific minerals or heavy metals if [00:20:00] they’re in excess, uh, and making sure you have that support.

[00:20:03] ’cause when you start to support your minerals. Like the one, of course, the ones I’m talking about today. These are, they’re very important for detox, but supporting any mineral helps support detox, like we talked about with the sign, the acro minerals. Supporting those helps kick off heavy metals from those receptors and that can detox.

[00:20:21] So mineral support in general. Detoxifying, and that’s why I typically like to use binders with clients, even if it’s just for a few months when they’re first starting that mineral support, even if it’s mostly foods because. They will detox. Um, and it’s just meant to help avoid symptoms. I should do a colon episode for Patreon on binders, um, Patreon members.

[00:20:44] Let me know if you want me to do that. Uh, but they’re incredibly important. So that’s really, and, and you know, hq MAI just think it’s so helpful. You could do blood work for some of these minerals, but a lot of them you can’t. So if you’re listening to this and you’re like, I wanna learn more about these for myself, I do [00:21:00] really struggle with detox.

[00:21:00] I don’t feel any different on certain B vitamins. Maybe you have sleep or mood issues. Hair testing is the way to go. I like trace elements. They do not wash the hair sample. Um, so you just wanna make sure it’s a lab that does not wash the hair sample ’cause that will make it inaccurate. Um, and I think I have a whole little on YouTube if you’re like wanting to learn more about HTM a and minerals and stuff.

[00:21:23] I have like a really short playlist that talks about this stuff too, if you’re wanting to see a hair test and all that kind of stuff. Um, but. That’s what I use to assess these. They’re, these are, you know, they’re not like extra minerals. They’re definitely essential. They just aren’t things that we wanna start with initially.

[00:21:41] Um. These five minerals are some of the most critical when it comes to detox, emotional regulation, nervous system repair. And if you have been working on minerals, maybe you’ve done a hair test and some protocols and or tried to dig into things and you’re not, not, you notice like maybe I’m, I still don’t feel like I’m [00:22:00] detoxing as well, or I’m, I’m still dealing with, um, mental emotional concerns.

[00:22:04] And you haven’t looked at these or done anything specific for them. It could be a really good time. It’s, I don’t like to do it mostly on the first test, but on a retest. Absolutely. And they can really help you move the needle. So if you’ve been feeling like something’s off, it might be time to address these.

[00:22:20] Um, and in the next part of the series, we’re gonna talk about the significant ratios. I’m so excited Dig into this. These, this is really gonna bring together. How HTMA testing specifically shows you what the different systems of the body are doing. So that’s what we’re gonna get into next week. If you’re in my Patreon, you’ve already got this episode ’cause you guys get ’em a week early and.

[00:22:47] That is really it. So if you guys wanna continue to follow along with me, consider joining My Feminine Periodical newsletter Goes out every Sunday at 6:00 PM Eastern Time. You can get the link for that in the show notes. Um, and [00:23:00] I think that’s it. Thank you for being here. Thank you to all my Patreon members for supporting me.[00:23:04] If you wanna join Patreon, you can go to patreon.com/hormone Healing Rd, and I will see you in the next episode.