6 reasons your minerals get depleted & how to replenish them
Photo by Tara Winstead
Ever find yourself struggling with brain fog, hair loss, or even muscle twitches that seem to pop up out of nowhere? Or headaches, digestive issues, or mood swings that keep you on a rollercoaster daily?
It’s easy to chalk these up as “just feeling off” or even “just getting older,” but it might surprise you to learn that these symptoms could all trace back to one key aspect of your health.
In this post, we're diving into the world of mineral deficiencies and how they can have a profound impact on how you feel and function each day — from zapping your energy levels to messing with your digestion and even influencing your mood.
We’ll also explore practical ways to identify and address the root causes of these deficiencies, so you can reclaim your vitality and start feeling like your most vibrant self again.
Why minerals are so important
Minerals are like the “spark plugs” that keep your body’s engine running smoothly. They play a crucial role in bodily functions, contributing to better sleep, better energy, robust metabolism, happy hormones, increased stress resiliency, proper detoxification, and so much more.
Unfortunately, mineral deficiencies are more common than ever with our modern lifestyles. When you’re deficient in minerals, it can show up as a myriad of chronic health symptoms:
Fatigue
Brain fog
Muscle cramps or twitches
Headaches
Irregular heartbeats
Water retention/puffiness
Digestive symptoms
Slow metabolism
Sluggish thyroid
Poor stress resilience
High or low blood pressure
Frequent urination or waking up to pee
Excessive thirst or drinking tons of water
Anxiety and depression
ADD, ADHD
Psoriasis, eczema, rashes
Acne
Constipation
Painful periods and PMS
Insomnia
Adrenal fatigue
Infertility
Hair loss
Joint stiffness
...and more
Root causes of mineral depletion
But why are we so deficient in minerals nowadays?
It’s not enough to just recognize that you have mineral deficiencies… it’s crucial to understand the underlying factors that are driving these deficiencies in the first place.
This is where a root-cause approach differs from conventional medicine. To optimize long-term health, it’s essential to identify the root cause(s) because it enables you to address these underlying factors rather than merely managing symptoms for short-term relief. A root-cause approach lays a solid foundation for preventing the recurrence or progression of symptoms over time.
Here are six common root causes of mineral deficiencies:
A diet rich in processed foods: Processed foods, fast food, refined carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats — what commonly make up the “Standard American Diet (SAD)” — are high in calories and poor in nutrients. To get the minerals your body needs, you diet needs to be primarily made of nutrient-dense foods such as animal products, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
Digestive dysfunction: Digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, and leaky gut syndrome can impair your absorption of minerals from food. Even minor digestive issues like low stomach acid or enzyme deficiencies can hinder the breakdown and absorption of minerals.
Stress: When your body is in a state of stress, whether acute or chronic, some of the first nutrients that get depleted are minerals, particularly sodium, magnesium, and potassium. Stress increases the body's demand for minerals while simultaneously impairing their absorption and utilization.
Depleted soils: Modern agricultural practices have led to soil depletion, resulting in lower mineral content in fruits and vegetables compared to those grown in nutrient-rich soil. Unfortunately, even if you’re consuming a healthy diet, you may not be getting an adequate amount of minerals from your food.
Environmental and chemical toxins and pharmaceuticals: We’re exposed to environmental toxins such as heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, etc.) and pollutants through our food, water, air, and soil every day. These can interfere with mineral absorption and metabolism in the body. For example, heavy metals can displace essential minerals from binding sites within the body, leading to deficiencies. When taken regularly, prescribed medications can deplete the body’s stores of minerals, along with essential vitamins.
Life stage: Certain life stages such as pregnancy, lactation, adolescence, and periods of rapid growth or intense physical activity increase the body's demand for minerals. If these increased needs are not met through intentional dietary choices or supplementation, mineral deficiencies can occur.
How to test for mineral deficiencies
If some of the symptoms of mineral deficiencies listed above are all too familiar, it’s important to get testing to understand your mineral levels. As a root-cause practitioner, I believe it’s always better to “test, not guess.” Testing helps you understand the type of support your body needs and allows you to tailor the nutrition and lifestyle recommendations that will have the greatest impact on your health.
My preferred testing method for understanding mineral levels is a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA). Because minerals and heavy metals are deposited into hair at higher concentrations than in the blood, hair testing allows for more accurate detection of deficiencies, imbalances, and exposure.
Sample results of a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA)
What’s unique about a hair sample is that — because hair grows out from within a cell — it can provide a timeline of your metabolic activity over a two to three month window. Unlike a blood sample, which provides a snapshot of a single moment in time, an HTMA allows you to track changes in your mineral utilization, heavy metal exposure, your body’s response to stress, and metabolic patterns over time.
In addition, due to homeostasis, your body’s tendency to maintain an internal state of equilibrium, your body is always working to maintain mineral levels in the blood within specific ranges. Because mineral levels in the blood are tightly regulated, mineral imbalances can actually be detected in a hair sample before they’re reflected in the blood, making HTMA a valuable test for early detection and prevention.
3 tips to replenish your minerals
Since there can be several factors contributing to your mineral deficiencies, replenishing your minerals often requires a multi-faceted approach. Here are three foundational ways to support your mineral balance:
1. Find supportive ways to manage stress
Because stress quickly depletes minerals, it’s important to understand the stressors that are “filling up your stress bucket” — and possibly causing it to overflow — to prevent further mineral depletion.
First, make a list of all of the stressors in your life, and then consider which ones are in your control and which ones aren’t. For those within your control, seek ways to reduce them. This can look like getting comfortable with saying “no,” setting boundaries, delegating tasks, and having open conversations with others to better balance shared obligations.
For stressors beyond your control, explore stress management practices that can enhance your resiliency and improve your ability to respond effectively. This might include incorporating nourishing activities like yoga, meditation, music, gratitude journaling, or regular movement (walking, hiking, exercising, dancing, etc.) into your daily routine. It can also be helpful to find support from those around you, surrounding yourself with a like-hearted community or finding a therapist who resonates with you. To support your nervous system, somatic practices, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), and yoga nidra can be beneficial.
2. Prioritize a nutrient-dense diet
One of the best ways to enhance your resiliency to stressors, whether within your control or beyond, is to nourish your body with nutrient-dense foods that are rich in minerals. Your nutrition lays the foundation for overall health and provides the minerals that build and fuel every single cell in the body.
By minimizing processed foods and opting for nutrient-dense foods, you’re increasing the abundance of essential minerals in your diet and minimizing your exposure to harmful ingredients. With a nutrient-dense diet, every meal can be an opportunity to improve your health.
Some foods rich in minerals include: beans, lentils, leafy greens, nuts and seeds (almonds, brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.), bone broth, salmon, shellfish (scallops, clams, oysters, mussels), pastured animal products, organ meats (liver, heart, kidney, etc.), organic and grass-fed dairy products, organic tofu, avocado, and whole grains (oats, quinoa, buckwheat, etc.).
Additionally, don’t overlook the importance of mineralizing your water with electrolytes and trace minerals. Plain water alone can flush essential mineral from your system. You can easily enhance your hydration by adding a pinch of high quality salt (like Celtic, Redmond Real, or Maldon) or incorporating a clean electrolyte mix, such as Redmond Re-Lyte (get $5 off your first order with my referral link), to every glass of water. This simple step ensures that your hydration supports your overall mineral balance and optimal cellular health.
3. Incorporate targeted supplements, as needed
When considering supplements, it's important to first understand your individual mineral status through lab testing. Minerals have synergistic and antagonistic relationships with one another, meaning they can work together or work against each other. Because of these relationships, blindly supplementing can have unintended effects.
For example, supplementing with zinc can, over time, deplete your copper, which is important for making red blood cells, regulating iron levels, and supporting your immune system. In another example, magnesium is a common supplement to reach for, but without the necessary synergistic minerals, your body may not be able to properly utilize it or you may even feel worse from supplementing with it.
Testing allows you to select supplements that complement your specific needs and ensures that your body can properly absorb and use them. Invest in a tailored approach so you can effectively support your health (and save your money in the long run).
To address other root causes such as digestive dysfunction or toxin exposure, working with a skilled practitioner can provide personalized support in a safe and effective manner to help you address these underlying issues and optimize your mineral balance for improved well-being.
Conclusion
Day in and day out, minerals are quietly working behind the scenes to keep you feeling your best. From maintaining optimal health to ensuring you have the energy to tackle whatever life throws your way, minerals play a crucial role in your well-being.
The key to addressing and preventing mineral deficiencies lies in identifying and targeting the underlying root causes and incorporating supportive nutrition and lifestyle habits. By doing so, you can effectively replenish your mineral stores and support your body's cellular functions.
If you’d like to delve deeper into your mineral status, consider my Wellness Jumpstart program, which includes a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA). Combined with a comprehensive assessment of your health symptoms and current nutrition, personalized coaching sessions, tailored nutrition & lifestyle recommendations, and educational resources, it’s a great way to gain a holistic understanding of your health and any imbalances that could be contributing to your symptoms and jumpstart your path toward better health.
This information is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation. For my full Disclaimer, please visit www.alisonkeiper.com/disclaimer.