MinBalance 2025 Updates

by Jon Sasmor RCPC (Mineral Guide, MinBalance LLC)
Updated January 9, 2025

• Focus on gut microbiome:
  Sugar Shift probiotic sometimes works even when other probiotics don't.
  https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2022/09/should-you-sugar-shift/

• Sugar Shift fermented foods:
  I've been fermenting foods with Sugar Shift: goat yogurt; cooked veggies like Okinawa sweet potato, beet, and carrot; and fruit purees like ripe plaintain, grape, even persimmon. Fermentation in a home yogurt maker may vastly increase microbial count. If you're interested in more details please let me know. I hope to post the recipe on MinBalance in 2025.

• Functional B2-B12 Protocol:
  https://b12oils.com/rnb.htm
  Dr. Russell-Jones has a very interesting theory. Certain components of his RnB Protocol seem very important for restoring energy among certain biotypes that Dr. Russell-Jones has studied.

• Silica Water:
  Amazing book:
  https://www.amazon.com/Silica-Secret-Healthy-Longevity-Aluminum/dp/1727336747/
  Silica helps clear aluminum toxicity from the body.
  Silica is very important to reconnect and heal.
  Fiji water has a lot of silica, but also has arsenic, fluoride, and vanadium, so it's better to filter it before drinking. Some people in the book report amazing results just from drinking Fiji water daily.
  Some also are trying the synthetic "Living Silica" MMST form of silica.
  Eidon silica drops are a convenient option that can be added to water. Eidon silica is an oligomeric colloidal silica. This silica is absorbed at low percentage, but has a definite silica effect.
  I haven't yet tried Dr. Crouse's recipe in the book for homemade silica water.
  A client says that in homeopathy, silica is used to push foreign matter out of the body.

• Water Filtration:
  Clearly Filtered pitcher or Pro-One Gravity Filter are good options for most water.
  https://clearlyfiltered.com/products/clean-water-pitcher
  https://prooneusa.com/product/big-plus/ [Pro-One replacement filters also fit inside Berkey]
  I don't recommend RO (reverse osmosis) water because RO removes almost all the minerals, and it's very difficult to restore minerals to water in a natural balance once they've been removed. The plastic liner from the RO filter also may damage the water.

• Microplastics:
  https://longevitylifehacks.substack.com/p/mitigating-microplastic-risk
  https://longevitylifehacks.substack.com/p/microplastics-are-a-real-problem
  These seem more of a problem than I had realized. Try to reduce plastics in your life. Transfer foods from plastic crinkle bags into glass jars, when possible. If drinking plastic bottled spring water, ideally filter through the Clearly Filtered pitcher or Pro-One gravity filter first to remove microplastics, as well as any fluoride, arsenic, etc.

• Mycotoxins:
  Increase in mold toxins in the modern food supply may explain a lot of confusing food reactions. Susan Gonya gave a great talk about this topic in the Sugar Shift group. Here is more info from Susan about how to avoid mycotoxins:
  https://biotiquest.com/blogs/blog/mycotoxins-the-hidden-danger-in-foods

• IP6 Gold:
  Many are getting excellent results at removing excess iron by taking IP6 Gold supplement, up to 2 scoops total per day, with 16oz water, away from food (wakeup and/or bedtime usually). IP6 Gold is also a calcium-magnesium supplement, with a high Ca/Mg ratio. Some people need a little extra Mg with it.
  The exact product is called "IP6 Gold Unflavored Powder".
  https://www.iherb.com/pr/ip-6-international-ip6-gold-immune-support-formula-powder-unflavored-308-g/104667

• Icelandic Lamb Organs:
  Hunter & Gather Icelandic lamb organ supplements seem to me more energizing than any other organ meats or supplements I've eaten
  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C286PNC9 [liver]
  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C28G7SZD [Perform: 50% liver, 50% heart]
  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C289FKTT [kidney]
  I have been making a pemmican by opening capsules of all three versions (Liver, Kidney, and Perform) and mixing them into melted lamb tallow.
  Hunter & Gather provided this website with info on the lamb source — click around to different pages for more photos — such beautiful photos of Iceland!
  https://www.icelandiclamb.is/the-lamb/

• Manganese:
  An important nutrient to balance with iron. Some who show high manganese need more dietary iron to protect from manganese toxicity. I'm still wondering whether silica and/or IP6 may remove excess manganese.
  Blood donation may worsen manganese toxicity in those with preexisting excess manganese, due to increased absorption of manganese and iron after a blood loss.
  https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/iron-overload-forget-what-you-though

• Lead in natural salt:
  Look for low-lead natural salt.
  I tested Hawaiian Bamboo Jade Salt, the brand that Dr Wilson used to recommend.
  https://spices.com/products/the-spice-lab-no-58-hawaiian-bamboo-jade-fine-salt-kosher-gluten-free-non-gmo-all-natural-premium-gourmet-salt-4-oz-resealable-bag
  The results were excellent at 33 ppb lead,
  https://gosimplelab.com/R7GPY4/all-results
  which places Hawaiian Bamboo Jade in the best choice category on the website linked below. The link also mentions other low-lead salts, as well as ones to avoid:
  https://tamararubin.com/2020/10/how-much-lead-is-in-salt-which-salt-is-safest-to-use-for-cooking-is-himalayan-salt-safe/

• NOW Calcium Hydroxyapatite Caps:
  This brand sources the grassfed bone powder from young cattle so that the caps have less than half as much lead content as Ancestral Living Bone. Unfortunately, the NOW product is processed at higher heat, unlike Living Bone, which is a raw food supplement. I slightly prefer the NOW but recommend trying both if you're taking grassfed bone, to see which you like better. The exact product is "NOW Calcium Hydroxyapatite Caps", not any of the other NOW products with similar name. https://www.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-calcium-hydroxyapatite-caps-120-capsules/459

• Maitake Mushroom as Copper Synergist:
  New article on MinBalance website.
  I have been eating maitake around 6 months and enjoying it very much.  Maitake seems to help sense of determination.
  https://minbalance.com/articles/maitake-mushroom-whole-food-copper-source-including-synergistic-maitake-copper-binding-peptide.html

• Glucose 101 Protocol:
  https://www.amazon.com/GLUCOSE-101-DYSFUNCTION-RECLAMATION-RECOVERY/dp/B09V5TFP91/
  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008GQ2JPO
  I ordered the book and the dextrose to try it. According to Dr. Stephens, dosing with pure dextrose (glucose), but not other sugars, for a period of time, is supposed to help the brain recover from trauma. It's an interesting theory.

• Structured Water:
  Experiments with structured water will begin soon — and may be very important. EMF may interfere with the patterns of water molecules that communicate biological information. Structured water may help restored the patterns and protect from EMF.

• Means Lifestyle Protocol:
  https://www.amazon.com/Good-Energy-Surprising-Connection-Metabolism/dp/0593712641/
  There are some very important suggestions in this book. It doesn't go into details about mineral balancing or microbes, but it does cover aspects of improving sleep, movement, ocular light exposure at the right times of day, spirit healing, and reconnecting with Nature in modern lives.

• Ray Peat:
  An important addition to the Mineral Balancing Giants series:
  https://minbalance.com/articles/mineral-balancing-giants/ray-peat-nourish-your-body-vigorously.html
  I'm still learning about Ray Peat's work and how to apply it.
  The olive oil, red palm oil, and sardines mentioned below may have too much PUFA for those following Ray Peat approach strictly.

• Bariani olive oil and vinegars:
  These are delicious high-polyphenol olive oils at reasonable price.
  The Bariani producers told me they are grown organically, though not certified.
  Bariani or other high-polyphenol olive oil recommended to eat daily, 1-3 Tbsp.
  https://barianioliveoil.com/all-products/

• Wildly Organic red palm oil:
  The Nutiva brand red palm oil was discontinued. Use Wildly Organic brand instead - same wholesale producer, same product, excellent vitamin E source, 0.5-2 Tbsp daily.
  https://wildlyorganic.com/products/red-palm-oil-natural

• Pemmican:
  An amazing ancestral food, with complete nutrition!
  Of commercially available brands I've tried (Frankie's, US Wellness, Steadfast), I prefer the Frankie's.
  Often I melt some pemmican into beef broth for breakfast, sometimes with a little dried fruit.
  https://frankiesfreerangefoods.com/products/pemmican

• Sardines:
  There seems to be a canning manufacturer in Latvia that is canning sardines in round cans with plastic covers. These sardines seem less overcooked than many other brands. I'm not sure if there's increased plastic exposure from the plastic lids, since most metal cans also are coated in plastic.
  Eat any canned foods with fermented foods containing L. plantarum to protect from microplastics.
  The Bar Harbor Foods "Wild Petite Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil" and Brunswick "Wild Caught Gourmet Brisling Sardines Served in Extra Virgin Olive Oil" both seem good so far - but only these exact products are the ones in the round cans, so others by the same brands aren't tried or recommended, and other products may contain bad added ingredients.
  https://www.amazon.com/Brunswick-Caught-Gourmet-Brisling-Sardines/dp/B0CN3XBM9F/
  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SM6GZ25
  Another brand, Polar, had very strong smoke flavor added, and made my urine smell like smoke - I don't trust this product.
  When eating sardines, discard the oil that comes with the sardines to reduce microplastics exposure.
  You may like to add some additional high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil and/or balsamic vinegar, such as Bariani.

• Water Testing:
  More about water testing coming soon!

• MinBalance Philosophy:
  New and updated short articles about the inspiration for MinBalance:
  https://minbalance.com/articles/#minbalance-philosophy

• Mineral Balance:
  The nutrients all have their good sides and bad sides. When any of them go too high or too low, relative to the other components needed, they can slow down the whole system of our metabolism. Then we have less energy, and feel worse. We can observe balance among nutrients on HTMA and blood tests. Better balance among the minerals and other nutrients makes your metabolism work better so you feel better!