Brent Kearney

The over mineralization theory of aging holds that the build-up of calcium, iron and copper in the body is responsible for age-related chronic health problems such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and many other ailments. The theory seems compelling, as it seems to explain why humans age in different stages — something that the oxidation theory does not account for.

This video explains the theory in 8 minutes. The video was created by a company that has a patent-pending “nutraceutical” supplement for chelating excess minerals from the body.

I mentioned resveratrol in an earlier post, and after looking into it, I think it’s worthwhile. This website has dozens of links to and summaries of peer-reviewed, published scientific studies that support the over-mineralization theory of aging and the efficacy of resveratrol. For example, this summary discusses findings from Cornell University showing that oral doses of resveratrol reduces brain plaque, due to it’s ability to chelate copper. The accumulation of brain plaque is associated with senility and Alzheimer’s disease.

The over-mineralization theory of aging is new to me, and I look forward to researching it more. If you have any comments or links to other information about the theory, especially to any opposing voices, I would love to hear from you.

One thing I’m particularly curious about is appropriate conclusions that one can take away from this theory in regards to diet, in light of athletic performance. Calcium is a critical mineral for muscle contractions, and iron is necessary for muscle growth and recovery. From a performance perspective, what is one to do if these minerals also contribute to the dysfunction of cellular processes? Chelation would seem to be one answer, but what other advice is prudent?