Fulvic and Humic Acids: Minerals in Food

Fulvic and Humic acids are present in all living soils, with fulvic being more prevalent in forest soils and humic more prevalent in grassland soils. The foods we eat are grown in soils that have been industrially farmed for decades, over-planted and saturated with synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. They are deficient in both the major and trace minerals. Mineral supplements based on rock powders are not easily assimilated by the body.

Dr. Joel Wallach wrote: “Almost all of the degenerative diseases – arthritis, osteoporosis, dental problems, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, bone spurs, kidney stones, muscular dystrophy, carpal tunnel syndrome, cataracts, Alzheimer’s disease, and the list could go on – are either directly or indirectly related to mineral deficiencies. Our plants cannot manufacture minerals, our soils never had all 60 minerals in them, and soils that were enriched with minerals are now depleted from intensive farming.”

Some scientists are proposing that mineral deficiency causes more disease, sickness and decay than any other factor in your health. Fulvic and humic acids are vital in converting substantial amounts of nutrients from lifeless minerals into water soluble and amino acid chelated compounds that supply life energy to the living cells. 99 percent of Americans were deficient in minerals and trace elements according to a US Senate study published in 1936. The situation has not gotten any better since. Would you believe that most of our foods today are dangerously deficient in minerals? This cannot be remedied until the depleted soils upon which our foods are grown are remineralized.

The Fulvic Acid Phenomenon

Nature has a way of processing and refining minerals which is called the Fulvic Acid Phenomenon. Organic fulvic acids are created by microorganisms in the soil, for the purpose of transporting minerals and nutrients from the soil into a plant. From there, complex photosynthesis reactions produce the components of all the various parts of the plant. Muco-polysaccharides (complex carbohydrate sugars) flow throughout the plant for nourishment. Some of these sugars are returned to the roots where the microorganisms are nourished to produce fulvic acid in order to allow minerals and nutrients to be absorbed by the roots.

In plants, fulvic acid stimulates metabolism, provides respiration, increases metabolism of proteins and activity of multiple enzymes, cell division and elongation, enhances the permeability of cell membranes, aids chlorophyll synthesis, improves drought tolerance and crop yields, buffers soil pH, assists denitrification by microbes, contributes to electrochemical balance as a donor or an acceptor, decomposes silica to release essential mineral nutrients, and detoxifies pollutants such as pesticides and herbicides.

Whenever minerals come into contact with fulvic acid, in a water medium, they are naturally dissolved into an ionic form. These minerals literally become part of the fulvic acid itself. Once the minerals meld into the fulvic acid complex, they become bioactive, bioavailable, and organic. When elemental minerals are transformed into an organic compound through a natural chemical process involving fulvic acid and photosynthesis, they can be readily absorbed by both humans and animals.

Fulvic Acid – Nature’s Detoxifier

The toxic herbicide known as Paraquat is rapidly detoxified by humic substances (fulvic acid). Fulvic acid acts as an important protective agent. Humic substances interact with environmental chemicals, even at concentrations toxic to humans. As the most powerful, natural electrolyte known, fulvic acid restores electrical balance to damaged cells, neutralizes toxins and even eliminates food poisoning quickly. Fulvic acids can even decompose pesticides. When fulvic acid comes in contact with free radicals with their unpaired positive or negative electrons, it supplies an equal and opposite charge that neutralizes the free radical. According to A. Szalay, fulvic acid has the ability to dramatically detoxify herbicides, pesticides, and other poisons that it interacts with – even radioactive elements. This detoxification process likely extends to animals and humans, as we are the end-users of these humic and fulvic acid containing plants.

Fulvic Acid and Organic Tissue Growth

In one experiment, patients who required the replacement or transplantation of bone were treated at the University Hospital in Freiburg, Germany using fulvic acid as part of the therapy. Due to the lack of human donor tissues, animal bone in the form of bovine calcium hydroxyapatite, an inorganic calcium compound, was used. Two problems with such a procedure is that neither animal bones or inorganic calcium are readily absorbed by the human body. However, these problems were circumvented with the use of fulvic acid. When fulvic acid was inserted into the animal bone before replacement, the patients experienced dramatically improved regeneration of the transplanted bones. The fulvic acid was so readily accepted and used by the patients that their bodies became highly osteoconductive. This means that new bone tissue began to form at an accelerated pace, thereby enhancing growth and healing. The inorganic calcium was also absorbed by the body due to the fact that the fulvic acid had transformed it into an organic compound. At the end of the experiment it was noted that, without the introduction of fulvic acid into the bone tissues, healing was not accelerated and regeneration did not take place.

The majority of research and experimentation on fulvic acid has been done with plants. Human beings have been ingesting fulvic acid complexes regularly for thousands of years from natural food and plant sources. Clinical research on animals and humans shows that health problems can be dramatically reduced by supplementation or treatment with fulvic acid or supplements enhanced with fulvic acid.

Just like transfer factor, fulvic acid sensitizes cells, passing on unique information related to immunity. It has been shown to assist in activating protection and defense mechanisms that can remain with the organism for life, even from a single exposure. Fulvic acid acts as a transporter of organic materials and cell nutrients. Minerals can be dissolved into their ionic form in contact with fulvic acid, literally becoming part of the fulvic acid itself. Once the minerals meld into the fulvic acid complex, they become bioactive, bioavailable, and organic.

Warning: Chlorine reacts negatively when mixed with humic substances especially fulvic acid, causing the production of deadly carcinogenic THMs (tri-halo-methane) and MX. 3-Chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone, better known by its historical name ‘mutagen X’ or MX, is a chlorination disinfection byproduct that forms from the reaction of chlorine and humic acids in raw water. The water treatment industry has known about this for many years, and because of this they try to remove humic substances from culinary water before treating it with chlorine. This situation is very well documented. Chlorine is the deadly culprit, not the humic substances. Many companies selling fulvic and humic based products do not know about this problem, and may be extracting their health supplements using chlorinated water. Do not use products containing fulvis or humic acid with chlorinated water.

Chlorine is a deadly chemical that produces dangerous compounds upon direct contact with phytochemicals contained in fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbal extracts. Avoid chlorine as much as possible.

Information Concerning Possible Toxic Minerals

“Poisons in small doses are the best medicines; and the best medicine in too large doses are poisonous.” – Wm. Withering

Consumption of plant derived mineral fulvic complexes by humans for many years has shown that they will not build up in the body tissues as do metallic minerals. The following observations and theories describe the reasons why:

Cells have the ability to accept or reject minerals, including aluminum, lead, arsenic, mercury, etc., at their discretion when presented as organic fulvic acid complexes. It should be considered that these minerals may not necessarily be present to “nourish” cells, but are needed to act as “electrodes” in the fulvic electrolyte solution. In that capacity they are probably most essential for bio-reactions, electron transfer, catalytic reactions and transmutations.

Fulvic acid carries complexed minerals in “trace” amounts only, and should not be confused with metallic minerals. Fulvic acid has the ability to complex and remove toxic metals and other minerals from the system. Fulvic acid mineral solutions have been ingested by people for many years, yet have never been shown to cause toxic mineral buildup in humans.

It is obvious that when metals, minerals and trace elements become complexed into fulvic acid, they take on an entirely new property of availability, unlike their original form. It is when fulvic acid is not present that one should seriously worry about toxic buildup from any source. This could account for the health problems that are causing concern today in our “fulvic starved” society.

Aluminum

Aluminum makes up 12% of the Earth’s crust, and is the most abundant metallic element. Aluminum is found in biological quantities in most plants grown in soil. Most of our food crops contain 20 – 200 ppm or more of aluminum. In crops today this concentration would normally be in the absence of fulvic acid. Known biological function of Aluminum is to activate the enzymes succinic dehydrogenase. It increases survival rate of newborn infants, and according to professor Gerhard Schrauzer, head of the department of chemistry at UCSD, is an essential mineral for human nutrition.

In a study that appeared November 5, 1992 in the science journal, NATURE, Frank Watt, et al (University of Oxford) used a highly accurate laboratory technique to quantify the levels of aluminum in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. To their great surprise, they found the same levels of aluminum in the brains of the non-Alzheimer’s control as they did in their Alzheimer’s patients. Watts believes that aluminum contaminated stains gave faulty results in the early studies that highlighted aluminum as a health risk.

Science is just learning about other supposedly toxic minerals

Arsenic

It is now generally accepted that arsenic in trace levels, is an essential element for optimal health and longevity. The levels of arsenic that most people ingest in food or water are not usually considered to be of health concern. Despite all the adverse health effects associated with arsenic exposure, there is some evidence that low levels of exposure may be beneficial to good health. Test animals maintained on a diet deficient in arsenic did not gain weight normally, and they became pregnant less frequently than the control animals maintained on a diet containing a more normal (but low concentration) of arsenic. Arsenic has been found to be essential for survivability of newborn babies and also neonatal growth. Arsenic has been shown to promote the growth rate in animals and prevent carpal tunnel syndrome in humans

Smokers and Cadmium

Like most plants, tobacco contains trace amounts of cadmium and lead. It is interesting to note that people that smoke tobacco have about twice as much cadmium in their bodies as do nonsmokers. Higher levels of lead are also found in smokers. It would stand to reason that burning converts the natural organic plant forms to a metallic or toxic form causing buildup in the body. This also could be direct evidence proving the safety of natural organic plant forms of these metals.

Mercury and Selenium

The metabolic antagonism between mercury and selenium results in the protection from selenium poisoning by mercury, and the protection against mercury poisoning by selenium.

Zinc

Taking too little zinc is at least as important a health problem as taking in too much zinc. Without enough zinc in the diet, people can experience loss of appetite, decreased sense of taste and smell, slow wound healing, and skin lesions. In severe cases in children, too little zinc can cause poorly developed sex organs and dwarfism.

References

  1. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Public Health Statements: Arsenic, Aluminum, Mercury, Zinc, Selenium, Cadmium, Lead.
  2. Kehoe, R.A., et al.: Manganese, Lead, Tin, Aluminum, Copper and Silver in Normal Biological Material. J. Nutr. July 1940. Pages 85 – 98.

Human Experiments With Fulvic

The Healing & Regenerative Influences of Low Molecular Weight Humic Substances (Fulvic Acid) On Human Tissues and Cells

Tests 17 were conducted by Dr. W. Schlickewei (18.) and five associates (19.) at the University Hospital in Freiburg, Germany, on human patients requiring transplantation or replacement of bone during surgery. The transplantation of bone tissue is required in about 15% of all cases of replacement surgery of the locomotor apparatus, and it is generally applied to reconstitute and repair actual defects in bone.

Human donor tissues have become scarce due to special legal requirements and necessary additional testing because such tissues have a high danger of transmitting the HIV virus and hepatitis. There are also obvious disadvantages to using bone grafts from other areas of the same patient’s body because they require a second operation and prolong the length of time in surgery. The only other known substitute source available in large enough quantities for clinical use, was animal bone in the form of inorganic calcium compounds (bovine calcium hydroxyapatite), and although these were well tolerated by the body, they showed no signs of being resorbed.

Remarkable bone regeneration and reabsorption characteristics were identified when the animal bone implants were impregnated with a low molecular weight humic substance (fulvic acid) prior to transplant into patients. The bone implant then became highly osteoconductive, and served the host tissue as a “guideline” for the deposition of newly developing bone tissue. The same transplant procedure without the fulvic acid showed no signs of regeneration during the course of the experiment.

While on the lookout for a new group of active agents with the ability to promote wound healing, the doctors came across the humic substances. The doctors said that the bone resorption is most easily explained by the known ability of humate to induce the activation of leucocytes. They said that previous experiments had established that the humic substances are able to bind to calcium-containing compounds, stimulate granulocytes, and block the infectivity of the HIV virus.

Summary: In this clinical test and previous experiments, fulvic acid has been shown to activate and stimulate white blood cells, promote healing, turn inorganic calcium into an organic bioactive cellular regenerative medium conducive to new bone growth, stimulate cellular growth and regenerate, and inhibit the HIV virus.

Animal Experiments with Fulvic

Early studies with livestock animals were conducted by Dr. Charles S. Hansen, D.V.M. in the state of California from the early 1960’s through 1967 on an experimental basis. Dr. Hansen’s test included a blend of fulvic and humic acid used as a feed additive. He also used fulvic acid alone as a treatment for specific ailments in livestock. The results of supplement feeding and treatment included:

Dairy Cows

After 2 months of supplement no bacterial or viral infections

  • Herd (over 300) after 3 months on supplement increased butterfat production of 15%
  • Herd on supplement cut back on high protein rations with no decrease in production
  • All cows on supplement experienced more complete digestion
  • Cows with bacterial infection (mastitis) treated with 1 pint fulvic acid solution recovered to full production in 12 to 24 hours
  • When using antibiotics to treat mastitis the recovery was only 50% – 70% after 2 to 3 weeks.

Hogs

  • Animals on the supplement experienced better and more complete digestion
  • The free choice supplement in 36 hrs acted as an excellent vermifuge (de-worming agent)
  • The supplement completely eliminated Necro, a bloody diarrhea in hogs

Mink

  • Animals on the supplement experienced more complete digestion
  • When on the supplement were less vicious, more docile
  • Supplemented animals ceased fur chewing
  • Successfully eliminated most diseases common to mink herds

Poultry

  • Supplementing to feed acted as a vermifuge
  • Pullets given supplement were free of most diseases
  • Pullets on supplement experienced more complete digestion of other feeds in diet
  • Pullets on supplement produced eggs of superior shell hardness and quality

The results of these early tests support the known benefits which fulvic acid provides to all living systems, plant or animal. They indicate that fulvic acid may very possibly become the most important factor in health management in the future.

References

  1. Scenecsi, N (1990). Analytica Chmiica Acta, 232, 51-75. Amsterdam, The Netherlands Elscvier.
  2. Powerful electrolyte – Jackson, William R (1993) Humic, Fulvic and Microbial Balance: Organic Soil Conditioning, 329. Evergreen, Colorado: Jackson Research Center.
  3. Acidity of fulvic acid – Schnitzer, M 91977). recent findings of the characterization of humic substances extracted from soils from widely differing climatic zones. Proceedings of the Symposium on Soil Organic Matter Studies, Braunsweig (117-131)
  4. Environment with adequate oxygen – Schnitzer, M 91977). recent findings of the characterization of humic substances extracted from soils from widely differing climatic zones. Proceedings of the Symposium on Soil Organic Matter Studies, Braunsweig (117-131)
  5. Low molecular weight – Aiken, G.R., McKinght, D.M. & MacCarthy, P (1985). Humic substances of soil, sediment and water, New York: Wiley-Interscience.
  6. Absorption by cells – Azo, S. & Sakai, I (19630. studies on the physiological effects of humic acid. Part I. Uptake of humic acid by crop plants and its physiological effects. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 9(3), 1-91. (Tokyo)
  7. Effect on total Earth environment – Buffle, J. (1988). Complexation reactions in aquatic systems: An analytical approach. Chichester: Horwood.
  8. Transmutate or synthesis of new minerals – Schnitzer, M., & Dodama, H. (1977). Reactions of minerals with soil humic substances. In J.B. Dixon & S.B. Weed (Eds.), Minerals in soil environments (Chap. 21). Madison, WI: Soil Science Society of America.
  9. Duplicates itself – Williams, Dr. Roger J. (1977). The Wonderful World Within You. Bio-Communications Press. Wichita, Kansas.
  10. Other nutritional factors – ibid.
  11. Extremely different types – ibid.
  12. Amino acids that attract insects – Chaboussou, F. (1980) Les Plantes Malades des Pesticides – Bases Nouvelles D’une Prevention Contre Maladies et Parasites. (Plants made sick by pesticides – New basis for the prevention of diseases and pests). Paris
  13. Catalyst to vitamins within the cell – Williams, Dr. Roger J. (1977). The Wonderful World Within You. Bio-Communications Press. Wichita, Kansas.
  14. For complete metabolism – Williams, Dr. Roger J. (1977) The Wonderful World Within You. Bio-Communications Press. Wichita, Kansas.
  15. Maximum stimulation of enzyme development – Jackson, William R. PhD. (1993) Humic, Fulvic and Microbial Balance: Organic Soil Conditioning. Evergreen, Colorado free radicals, Scncsi, N. (1990). Molecular and quantitative aspects of the chemistry of fulvic acid and its
  16. Interaction with metal ions and organic chemicals: Bari, Italy. Analytica Chimica Acta, 232, 51-75. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier.
  17. Schlickewei, Dr. W., (1993). Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 112:275-279, influence of humate on calcium hydroxyapatite implants
  18. W. Schlickewei, Dept. of Surgery (Traumatology), University Hospital, Freiburg, Germany
  19. U.N. Riede, Dept. of Pathology, University Hospital, Freiburg, Germany, J. Yu, Dept of Pathology, University Hospital, Freiburg, Germany. W. Ziechmann, Ground Chemistry Research Group, University of Gorrinfen, Germany. E.H. Kuner, Dept. of Surgery (Traumatology), University Hospital Freiburg, Germany. B. Seubert, Weyl Chemicals, Mannheim, Germany.

Bibliography to Fulvic Free Radical Data

  1. Mowrey, Daniel B., PH.D. (1993), p. 34, Herbal Tonic Therapies. Keats Publishing, Inc.
  2. Todd, Gary Price, M.D., (1985)., p.20-24, 113-118. Nutrition Health & Disease. Whitford Press.
  3. Steelenk, C.A. & Tollin, G. (1962) p. 59, 25-34. Biochimica Biophysica Acta
  4. Senesi, N Chen, Y. & Schmitzer, M. (1977). Soil Biology and Biochemistry.
  5. Vaughan, D., Malcolm, R.B. & Ord, 13.G (1985) Soil Organic Matter & Biological Activity. Dordriecht, Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff.
  6. Jackson, William R., Ph. D. (1995). p. 261-282 Humic, Fulvic and Microbial Balance: Organic Soil Condition. Evergreen, Colorado

The Colloidal Myth

Definition of Colloid

A colloid is: “A state of matter in which the matter is dispersed in or distributed throughout some medium called the dispersion medium. The matter thus dispersed is called the disperse phase of the colloid system. The particles of the disperse phase are larger than the ordinary crystalloid molecule, but not large enough to settle out under the influence of gravity.1

Colloids as defined in physical chemistry are:

A. A colloidal system, one in which a finely divided solid is suspended in a liquid: such colloids range from solutions to gels.
B. A colloidal suspension.
C. A substance that when suspended in a liquid will not diffuse easily through vegetable or animal membrane. 2

According to Remington’s Pharmaceutical Sciences: “colloidal mineral particles each consist of many aggregates, and each aggregate contains many molecules.” Thus it stands to reason that colloidal minerals exist in particle sizes many time larger than some other mineral forms. Because of their size, true colloidal minerals are not absorbed by the body.3 Remember, fulvic acid is the key to outstanding health benefits … not colloidal minerals.

  1. definition of a colloid – Dorland’s Illustrated Dictionary, 24th Edition
  2. definition of colloids – Random House Dictionary of the English Language
  3. colloids and their size – Max Motyka, M.S.. Albion Laboratories
Author: Life Enthusiast Staff