Lesson 12: Minerals Copy



Boron is a trace element, which means the body only needs very small amounts of it. Boron is thought to help the body make use of glucose, fats, oestrogen and other minerals, such as calcium, copper and magnesium, in the food we eat. Boron is found widely in the environment, in the oceans, rocks, soils and plants. Food sources of boron include green vegetablesfruit and nuts


Chromium is a trace element thought to influence how the hormone insulin behaves in the body. This means chromium may affect the amount of energy we get from food. Good sources of chromium, Chromium is found widely in the environment, in air, water and soil, and in plants. Good food sources of chromium include lentilsbroccoliapples, bananas, grains and spices.


Cobalt is a trace element that forms part of the structure of vitamin B12 – one of the B vitamins. Good sources of cobalt, Cobalt is found widely in the environment. Good food sources of cobalt include nuts, green leafy vegetables – such as broccoli and spinach and cereals – such as oats


Copper is a trace element that has several important functions. For example, it helps to produce red and white blood cells, and triggers the release of iron to form haemoglobin – the substance that carries oxygen around the body and is thought to be important for infant growth, brain development, the immune system and strong bones. Good sources of copper, include nuts, Spirulina and sesame seeds


Manganese is a trace element that helps make and activate some of the enzymes in the body. Good sources of manganese, Manganese is found in a variety of foods, including tea – which is probably the biggest source of manganese for many peoplenutscereals and green vegetables – such as peas and runner beans


Molybdenum is a trace element that helps make and activate some of the enzymes involved in repairing and making genetic material. Good sources of molybdenum, Molybdenum is found in a wide variety of foods. Foods that grow above ground tend to be higher in molybdenum than foods that grow below the ground, such as potatoes or carrots. Good sources of molybdenum include nutscereals – such as oatspeasleafy vegetables – including broccoli and spinach and cauliflower.


Nickel is a trace element that influences the amount of iron our bodies absorb from foods and may be important in helping to make red blood cells. Good sources of nickel, Nickel is found widely in the environment. Good food sources include nutslentils and oats.


Phosphorus is a mineral that helps to build strong bones and teeth, and helps to release energy from food. Good sources of phosphorus, Phosphorus is present in many foods. Good sources include brown rice, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, brazil nuts and oats

How much phosphorus do I need?

Adults need about 550mg of phosphorus a day, so to take absorption into account you would need about 1100 mg of phosphorus daily. 30g of brazil nuts gives 218mg, 100g of oatmeal gives 500mg and 30g of sunflowers or sunflower cheese gives 198 mg.


Silicon is a mineral that helps keep bones and connective tissues healthy. Silicon is known as the “beauty mineral”, silicon promotes youthful, elastic skin and connective tissue throughout the body.  It also therefore reduces wrinkles, improves the strength and thickness of the skin and gives hair and nails a healthy appearance too. Silicon is an essential mineral that is found throughout the body.  Silicon is known for its ability to combine with CalciumPotassium, and Phosphorus to build strong bones, nails, and teeth.  It is also needed for maintaining a normal rate of hair growth. Silicon-rich foods are nettles, radishes, romaine lettuce, spinach, cucumbers with the peel, bell peppers with the peel, tomatoes with their skin, oats, and baby greens.

Good sources of silicon, Silicon is found in high levels in grains such as oats, barley and rice. It’s also found in fruit and vegetables and herbs such as nettles and horsetail.

How much silicon do I need?

There is no Defined RDA of Silicon, however for someone with Osteoporosis it is suggested to take 40mg per day. Cooking and peeling vegetables can diminish and destroy silicon content level.

For example

3 bananas is 13mg

100g oat porridge raw 595mg

100g Dulse is 36.8mg

Other Foods high in Silicon is Nettle tea, Horsetail Tea and kelp seaweed. Read more about Silicia Here

Sodium chloride (salt)

Sodium chloride is commonly known as salt. Sodium and chloride are minerals that are needed by the body in small amounts to help keep the level of fluids in the body balanced. Chloride helps the body to digest food because it’s an essential component of the fluids in the stomach and intestines. Sodium is a very important, but often misunderstood, nutrient. The misunderstanding is largely due to the ill health that can arise from its over-consumption. In the West, a large number of foods are processed with sodium, both for preservation and flavor enhancement. And since Western diets tend to contain a LOT of processed foods, sodium overload is a real concern. On the other hand, whole, unprocessed foods tend to contain relatively low amounts of sodium. So, it’s important that those who consume a raw vegan diet, in particular, know which foods are the best sources of this key nutrient. Despite sodium’s terrible reputation, it is one of the most important nutrients in the human body and crucial to our survival. Sodium is one of the essential electrolytes; it’s required for conducting electrical impulses within cellular fluid and the bloodstream. The human body literally cannot function without sodium. Yes, too much sodium can definitely harm one’s health by causing hypertension, aka high blood pressure. When one’s blood pressure is elevated, the heart has to work harder to move blood throughout the body and there is an increased strain on the arteries and various organs. This is why hypertension often leads to heart attack and stroke. According to WHO (World Health Organization), ischemic cardiomyopathy is the number one cause of death worldwide, and one of its risk factors is high blood pressure; the same goes for the second leading cause of death – stroke. These two ailments have been the top two killers for a very long time now, and it’s almost certain that this has led to sodium being vilified in the West, even while the food industry continues to load their processed products with the mineral.

How much salt do I need?

You should have no more than 4g / 6g of salt (1500mg – 2300mg of sodium/ 1 Teaspoon) a day. When adding pinches of salt to recipes, 1 pinch is about 147mg of salt so there are about 20 pinches in one teaspoon of salt. Use Himalayan Pink salt.

For example 1 Tablespoon of olives is 61.7 mg of sodium, Most Fruit will have about 1mg of sodium.

Best Sodium-Rich Raw Foods

  • Cardoons, 1 cup shredded, 303mg
  • Artichokes, 1 medium, 120mg
  • Celeriac, 1 cup, 156mg
  • Beets, 1 cup, 106mg
  • Turnips, 1 medium, 82mg
  • Celery, 1 medium stalk (7-1/2” to 8” long), 32mg
  • Chard, 1 cup, 77mg
  • Sweet potatoes, 1 cup cubed, 73mg
  • Spinach, 1 cup, 24mg


Sulphur is a mineral involved in many different processes. For example, it helps to make tissues, such as cartilage. Sulfur is a component of all plant and animal cells, making up approximately 0.25 percent of your total body weight. Because of its ubiquity and a lack of scientific research, there is no recommended daily intake for sulfur. However, the National Academies Food and Nutrition Board suggests that 0.2 to 1.5 grams per day should be enough to meet your body’s needs. As most people eat between 3 to 6 grams per day, insufficient dietary sulfur is not a common issue.

Protein Foods: One of sulfur’s most important roles is as part of protein molecules. As such, most of the sulfur in your body and your diet is in protein molecules. Protein foods that contain the sulfur amino acids methionine, cystine and cysteine are particularly good dietary sources. Eggs are among the highest dietary sources of sulfur, with meat, poultry and fish also providing large amounts. For vegans and vegetarians, soy products and other legumes are good sources of the sulfur-containing amino acids. Nuts, seeds and grains are also good vegetarian sources of methionine.

MSM is Another major source of sulfur in your diet is methylsulfonylmethane, or MSM. This sulfur-containing compound naturally occurs in high concentrations in many plants and herbal remedies, such as horsetail. Plant foods that are typically high in MSM include Brussels sprouts, garlic, onions, asparagus, legumes, kale and wheat germ. However, as the sulfur content of soil influences sulfur concentrations in plants, these foods can vary greatly in their MSM content. Foods that come from animal sources are more reliable in their MSM contents, including eggs, meat, poultry, fish and milk.

B Vitamins contain sulphur, Two B vitamins contain large amounts of sulfur. These are thiamin, or vitamin B-1, and biotin, which is also known as vitamin H or vitamin B-7. Thiamin is present in small amounts in a large variety of foods. Some particularly good sources of vitamin B-1 include pork, organ meats, enriched grains, whole grains, legumes, bran and blackstrap molasses. Biotin is present in large amounts in a variety of protein foods, including egg yolks, sardines, nuts and legumes. Other good sources include whole grains, cauliflower, bananas and mushrooms.

Benefits and Other Sources

Dietary sulfur helps to improve the health of your joints, skin, hair, nails and connective tissues. It can also slow nerve impulses, potentially helping to reduce pain. According to the National Academies Food and Nutrition Board, sulfur-containing foods typically contribute 3 to 4.5 grams of sulfur to your diet each day — well above a sufficient daily intake. Your body adds to this by producing approximately 1 gram of sulfur per day. The remaining sulfur in your diet comes from beverages, with most people obtaining between 0.26 and 1.3 grams from the small amounts of sulfur in drinking water. As such, you can obtain large amounts of dietary sulfur even without eating foods that are high in MSM, B vitamins or sulfur-containing amino acids.

How much sulphur do I need?

There is no specific RDA for sulfur other than the amino acids of which they are part are needed to meet protein requirements. Our needs are usually easily met through diet. About 850 mg. are thought to be needed for basic turnover of sulfur in the body. For example 6 dried dates is 50mg, 5 brazil nuts is 290mg, 1 raw onion is 200g, 25g of dried apricots is 160mg,

Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, turnips, bok choy and kohlrabi, are rich sources of sulfur-containing substances known as glucosinolates, which impart a pungent aroma and slightly bitter taste. During food preparation, chewing and digestion, glucosinolates break down into compounds known as indoles and isothiocyanates, which are being studied for possible anti-cancer effects, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Onions are also a great source of sulphur containing 200mg per onion raw.

*Some Info about Red and White Onions (powerful medicine) *

Antioxidant Properties, Overall, red onions contain a higher amount of antioxidant compounds. They are higher in total flavonoids than white onions and yellow onions are considered to be in the middle. Red onions contain 415 to 1917 mg of flavonols compared to yellow ones, which only contain 270 to 1187 mg.

One of the most beneficial compounds in red onions is quercetin, which is a polyphenol compound. Quercetin is a powerful compound which is beneficial for scavenging free radicals in the body. Red onions are also richer in anthocyanins which give them the red/purple color. Red onions were found to contain at least 25 different anthocyanins.

Cancer Fighting, Due to the high amount of antioxidant properties contained in red onions compared to white, red onions provide stronger protection against cancer.

The quercetin and allicin in red onions have been shown to reduce inflammation and be beneficial for both the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Studies have shown that the consumption of onions reduces the risk of stomach, colorectal, oral, laryngeal, esophageal and  ovarian cancer. According to one study, the risk of stomach cancer was reduced by 50% when half an onion was eaten daily.

Blood Thinning, Both types of onions have blood thinning properties as they contain a high amount of flavonoids and sulfur compounds. However, red onions are an even more effective natural blood thinner as they are richer in flavonoids, which helps thin the blood.

How To Get The Most Benefit

The level of antioxidant flavonoids has been found to be much higher in the outer most layers of the onion. So make sure not to over peel, those outer layers have the most nutrients. According to a recent study peeling the first two layers of the onion removes 75 % of the antioxidant anthocyanins. Make sure to get enough servings of onions into your diet, it is recommended that individuals eat at least 3 onions every week to get optimal benefits for preventing cancer. For most benefit, make sure to include a variety of onions in your diet, but especially make sure to have at least one red onion a week!

Onion is also a great source of prebiotics 

Prebiotics are a dietary fibre that trigger the growth of bacteria having favourable effects on the intestinal flora. A prebiotic effect occurs when there is an increase in the activity of healthy bacteria in the human intestine. The prebiotics stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in the gut and increase resistance to invading pathogens. This effect is induced by consuming functional foods that contain prebiotics. These foods induces metabolic activity, leading to health improvements. Healthy bacteria in the intestine can combat unwanted bacteria, providing a number of health benefits. The most common type of prebiotic is from the soluble dietary fibre inulin.

Inulin is common in many plants containing fructan. Furthermore, many of these plants are frequently eaten as vegetables – asparagus, garlic, leek, onion and artichokes are an excellent source of inulin. Dr. David Perlmutter in his fantastic Brain Maker book suggest we should consume 12 grams of prebiotic daily. To get 12g of prebiotic you would need for example 140g of raw onion , a small onion is 70g, medium is 110g and large is 150g. One Raw Onion per day is a great way to ensure prebiotic intake.