“Which part of a watch keeps time?” 

Dr. Royal Lee used this question to emphasize the nutritional concept that the sum of the parts can never be equal to the whole. He explained that just as individual components that make up a watch cannot perform the function of the whole, neither can an extract from a food in the form of a vitamin or mineral isolate perform the same function as the entire complex. Furthermore, remove one part from the watch, and it will not function. It would be like expecting a few pieces of brass to tell time simply because they are slapped on to the wrist. Nutrients are no different-- they are biological mechanisms.

The role of trace minerals in the body cannot be overstated. They are called “trace” minerals because they appear in miniscule amounts in the bodies of humans and animals, yet their importance cannot be ignored, for without these vital nutrients the body will manifest disease, including congenital and genetic defects. Stephanie Anderson, President of Selene River Press, said it well:

"...the nutritional interconnection of the immune system and the forms of nutrients needed to protect human beings has been and will remain a law of nature."

Yet, due to the mineral depletion of our soils leading to mineral deficient plants which are then processed to produce what is termed as “food” in our grocery stores and markets, a majority of Americans are nutrient deficient. As I have said before, “Just as our children can only inherit what we have to give them in the form of genes or finances, our foods are limited to the nutrient profile of the soils they are grown in. Our foods are depleted because our soils lack the nutrients that they once had.” Likewise, we can only get the nutrients we need from foods if those nutrients are present in our soils, and by extension our foods, in the first place!

In my previous blog, we learned about the importance of the trace mineral copper for maintaining youthfulness, including natural hair color and the elasticity of membranes in the body. Copper prevents blood vessel and capillary fragility, including but not limited to aneurysms. Today we are going to learn about another “youth element” that also promotes tissue integrity: Selenium.

Humans require 15-70mcg of selenium per day, depending on age and stage in life:

Small amounts of selenium are found in heart and skeletal muscles, with four to five times higher concentrations in the liver and kidneys. Without this vital nutrient, the following conditions may result (Sources: Dead Doctors Don’t Lie & The Chemistry of Man):

• Anemia
• Arthritis
• Fatigue
• Premature aging:
  • “Age spots” & “liver spots”-- selenium prevents the oxidation of lipids
  • Wrinkles
  • Gray hair
• Birth defects:
  • Cardiomyopathy (Keshan Disease, “Mulberry Heart” Disease) (1), (2), (3)-- cannot be reversed after birth with appropriate levels of selenium
  • Liver cirrhosis
  • Low birth weight
  • High infant mortality (including SIDS)-- 65% of SIDS deaths occur in children on canned infant formulas, which typically contain little to no selenium
  • Muscular dystrophy (MD, referred to as “Stiff Lamb Disease” in animals) (4)
  • Kashin-Beck disease
  • Cystic Fibrosis (congenital) (5), (6), (7)
    •  “In cystic fibrosis (CF) patients the antioxidative-oxidative balance is chronically disturbed. Free radicals were generated by bronchialpulmonal infection and additionally (there) exists a deficiency of antioxidative substances by enteral malabsorption especially (of) vitamin E and selenium. For CF patients there-fore we recommend a sodium selenite substitution therapy, best in combination with vitamin E.”~ Dr Joel Wallach
    • “Cystic Fibrosis Oldfield, also sighted studies speculating the relationship between selenium deficiency and cystic fibrosis. Wallach, has shown convincing evidence of this relationship. He reported a direct relationship of cystic fibrosis in the rhesus monkey with selenium, and zinc deficiency. Wallach, relates a strong indirect relationship to cystic fibrosis in humans and selenium deficiency, in conjunction with deficiencies of vitamin E, and zinc. Liver analysis of selenium in children with cystic fibrosis showed a significant reduction of selenium compared to normals.” ~Trace Elements.com 
• Infertility
• Muscular disorders:
  • Weakness
  • Myalgia (pain & soreness)
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Cardiovascular disorders:
    • Cardiomyopathy (Keshan Disease, “Mulberry Heart” Disease) (8), (9). The following information was taken from PubMed Health:

1. 1. 1. 1. Dilated cardiomyopathyis a condition in which the heartbecomes weak and the chambers get large. As a result, the heart cannot pump enough bloodout to the body. It can be caused by many medical problems.
         2. Ischemic cardiomyopathyis caused by a narrowing of the arteries that supply the heart with blood. It makes the heart walls thin so they do not pump well.
         3. Restrictive cardiomyopathy is a group of disorders. The heartchambers are unable to fill with bloodbecause the heart muscle is stiff. The most common causes of this type of cardiomyopathy are amyloidosis and scarring of the heart from an unknown cause.
         4. Peripartum cardiomyopathycurs during pregnancy in the first 5 months afterward.
         5. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy(HCM) is a condition in which the heart muscle becomes thick. This makes it harder for blood to leave the heart. This type of cardiomyopathy is most often passed down through families.

“Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common cardiac genetic disorder. But it is best known for its tragic outcomes—the sudden cardiac death (SCD) of young athletes, many of whom are in high school or college.”(10)

Is this really a genetic defect or a selenium deficiency? Often environment and lifestyle habits are responsible for what appears to be genetic. If mama has a selenium deficiency, she and baby may both suffer from cardiomyopathy-- is it genetic or environmental?

According to Dr. Joel Wallach, an athlete sweats more in five years than a couch potato does in 70 years, and because minerals are excreted in sweat, it is CRITICAL that athletes replenish these electrolytes. Selenium is one of the key trace minerals that is depleted during physical exercise, and if it is not replenished, HCM and subsequent SCD can result, even in young athletes!

Traditional treatments for cardiomyopathy include pharmaceuticals, surgery or even heart transplant. But none of these treatments correct the root problem and heal the heart muscle or reverse cardiomyopathy-- they only address the symptoms. To quote Dr. Lee once more:

"We are poisoning people trying to correct the reactions of starvation." ~Dr. Royal Lee

Why not give Selenium a try? Interestingly, the Endocardiograph (EnCG), invented and developed by Dr. Royal Lee, uses sound vs. vibration (like an ECG or stethoscope) to measure rate, rhythm and tone of the mitral, triscuspid, aortic and pulmonic  regions of the heart. Dr. Lee was able to pinpoint specific nutritional deficiencies that affect cardiac function. After a baseline measurement is taken, nutritional deficiencies can be determined, then tested in-office for their immediate effect upon heart function. I have personally experienced and witnessed the changes in heart rhythm by the administration of Vitamins B, C, E & F, Calcium, Phosphorus, trace minerals, or bovine heart tissue. Seeing is believing!

• • • Heart palpitations
    • Irregular heart beat
    • Atrial fibrillation
    • High blood pressure
    • Atherosclerosis (11)-- especially when combined with Vitamin E
• Pancreatic dysfunction:
  • Pancreatitis
  • Pancreatic atrophy
  • Diabetes
• Immune disorders-- selenium possesses immunopotentiating properties, required for optimal macrophage and natural killer cell functions(12)
  
  • Hashimoto’s (hypothyroid) (13):Increased rate of conversion of HIV to AIDS (14), (15), (16) and transmission to fetus
    • Selenium intereacts with iodide and zinc
    • Iodothyronine deiodinases are selenoproteins necessary for the conversion of T4 to the more active thyroid hormone T3
  • ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)-- there are mixed opinions about whether this is an autoimmune disorder, but it is definitely linked to selenium deficiency
  • MS (Multiple sclerosis)
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Cancer-- selenium inhibits replication of tumor viruses in animals and the activation of oncogenes by similar mechanisms. Selenium reduces prostate cancer when taken in proper amounts, but excessive amounts could increase the risk of prostate cancer (more about this later)
• Heavy metal toxicity-- selenium is involved in detoxification. Find out if you have heavy metal toxicity and selenium deficiency through Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA).

Vitamin E is a cofactor to selenium and facilitates absorption, so be sure to consume plenty of this nutrient, especially when supplementing. If you suffer from gastrointestinal problems such as Crohn’s disease or celiac, selenium deficiency can result even if adequate amounts of selenium are consumed through diet or supplementation.

“The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition.”  ~Thomas Edison

For the most part, adequate selenium is easily attained through nutrition, but remember that only 15-70mcg are required per day-- only 1-2 Brazil nuts daily is enough!

Although uncommon, you don’t want to overdo this nutrient which comes with its own set of problems including: 

• Hair loss
• Fever
• Dermatitis
• Paralysis
• Prostate cancer-- adequate amounts of selenium reduce the risk of prostate cancer, but excess amounts of selenium combined with Vitamin E can contribute to prostate cancer. (*) Again, Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis can be used to monitor selenium levels.

Be sure you get the 60 essential minerals that your body needs everyday, including selenium! Very soon, I hope to incorporate the use of the brand new electronic Endocardiograph into my practice! Contact me to find out more about the Endocardiograph and the quality nutritional products I offer for the average Joe & JoAnn as well as for athletes. 

Now you know why "A Brazil Nut a Day Keeps the Doctor Away!"

L’chaim-- To Life!

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