The human body is unable to make own minerals and must derive from external sources through adequate food consumption. To be easily digested and absorbed, it requires sufficient gastric acid and pancreatic enzymes to extract the minerals from the digested food and good fats to utilize them. Hence, if the pH of the stomach is not acidic enough, the minerals will merely pass through the small intestine and flush out with any undigested food in the stool.
Less than fifty years ago many essential minerals were believed to be irrelevant to human health, including zinc, manganese and chromium. Today scientists recognize that all three are vitally important to proper metabolic functioning and health. Now researchers are devoting their attention to a number of ultra-trace minerals, including cobalt, silicon, gold and germanium. As a matter of fact, mineral imbalance is epidemic these days and can take the body several years to re-mineralize.
What is germanium?
Germanium is a trace mineral element that has received a great deal of publicity for its cancer-fighting properties. Before you start using, differentiate the two forms:
+ Inorganic germanium (which has no nutritional benefits and is mainly used in the creation of computer chips).
The existence of germanium was first predicted by the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev in 1871 who was the creator of the periodic table (a table which groups similar elements together based on their properties) and felt it made sense if he left gaps. One of these gaps was Element 32 which he predicted would be discovered at a later date and have similar properties to silicon.
In 1886 Element 32 was re-discovered by the German chemist Clemens Alexander Winkler when he was sent a new ore from a mine near Freiberg in Germany. The ore contained silver and sulphur but approximately 7% of it could not be identified. Winkler experimented on this new ore and managed to isolate Element 32 which he then named GERMANIUM after his native country.
Note that inorganic germanium is also sold as supplements under the names germanium dioxide and germanium lactate-citrate. Its potency can lead to liver damage and nerves and in critical cases, breakdown of kidney tissue, resulting in kidney damage, kidney failure and even death.
Organic germanium was first successfully synthesized by Dr. Kazuhiko Asai of Tokyo, Japan in 1967. He produced a water-soluble blend comprising germanium, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen that was chemically identical to the form extracted from plants, but much less costly and thus more accessible to the public.
He reported that this organic mineral protects against cancer by stimulating the production of interferon, a substance that stimulates the production of natural killer (NK) cells in the bone marrow to combat cancer cells directly. He also reported its benefits to patients suffering from a wide variety of conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, asthma, stroke and stomach ulcers. Other researchers investigated both animal models and humans in order to understand how one compound could help in so many disorders. concluded that germanium sesquioxide aids the body’s natural defenses against disease and aging.
Hence, the difference between them is that high-purity organic complex has a variety of nutritional benefits and relatively safe to use - with virtually no demonstrated toxicity. As such, it is classified as a food supplement and not a drug.
How does the body uses germanium?
Dr. Otto Warburg, who won the Nobel prize for his cancer research, discovered that cancer cells cannot survive in an oxygen-rich environment. He confirmed that organic germanium carries oxygen across cellular membranes into the cell, which helps fight diseases caused by insufficient cellular oxygenation or oxidative free-radical damage.
- Boosting your immune system (by increasing the number of antibody-forming cells and activating macrophages and natural killer cells.)
- Restoring the function of B cells, natural killer cells and T cells as in auto-immune disorders.
- Stimulating the production of interferon (a protein used by cells for appropriate signaling to other cells and natural killer cells when under attack).
- cancer namely leukemia, sarcomas, Iymphomas and adenocarcinomas, yet protecting surrounding noncancerous tissue from damage.
- AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
- asthma (a respiratory disorder which makes breathing difficult).
- arthritis (inflammation of the joints).
- liver cirrhosis
- depression.
- heart disease.
- neuralgia (a condition which causes pain in the nerves).
- high blood pressure. (does not drop more than normal levels)
- osteoporosis (reduced bone mineral density).
- sinus infections and
- Treating cataracts (In traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the germanium-containing fungus lingzhi is used to replenish qi – the vital energy that flows within the body, lacking which results in symptoms like fatigue, dizziness, poor appetite, pale face and prone to illnesses due to a weakened immune system.)
How to use germanium?
Various studies have been performed to measure the amounts of ultra-traced elements in human diets. For germanium, the typical dietary intake for humans is 0.4 – 3.4 mg per day whilst its constituent in various natural foods is around 1 mg per day for the average diet.
In the thousands of patients who attended Dr. Asai’s Germanium Clinic, there were no reported cases of germanium toxicity. The dosage for several patients was reported as 40 mg per kg of body weight. Thus, a person who weighs 110 pounds would take 2,000 mg (2gm) per day. Even at such high doses, the product appeared to be safe. Pure germanium is not stored by the body and is completely excreted in the urine within 72 hours.
Other comments
In summary, germanium:
-- Helps produce interferon, a protein known to support and promote healthy immune system
-- Enhances the oxygen supply to our cells
-- Boosts the body's repair function and immune system
-- Neutralises free radicals and heavy metal detoxification
-- Retards metastatic spreading of the cancer cells and prevents surrounding non-cancerous cells from damage. Tests with various laboratory cancerous cell lines showed that very low concentrations can significantly inhibit DNA, RNA and protein synthesis at cellular levels.
Interfere with other cancer treatment?
A study published in 2004 in the Nutrition and Cancer journal showed that germanium inhibits the growth of highly invasive human breast cancer cells cultured in the laboratory through controlling abnormal cell proliferation. However, it functions best when used in conjunction with, rather than in place of, traditional or alternative cancer therapy. For advanced cancer cases, it leads to a general overall improvement in the quality of life as it is able to relieve pain.
Source: http://www.freefitnesstips.co.uk/germanium-explained.html
VIVA corner
Owing to the complexity and difficulty of the manufacturing process, the purity of germanium products commonly found in the market is generally low. Most of them contain toxic germanium dioxide which can cause kidney failure and death.After years of intensive research, VIVA Life Science obtained a patent in 1995 for the processing method of organic germanium that ensured 100% purity using a rare breed of yeast. After being absorbed by this yeast, the organic germanium becomes natural germanium yeast that is easily absorbed, assimilated and eliminated by the body, with no fear of toxicity and side effects.
On further research, this G-FeronYeast was formulated, making VIVA the first manufacturing plant in the world to create this advanced invention with the application of high-tech bioengineering techniques. This innovation promises safety and efficacy for cancer patients and those with tough health challenges.
For information, each capsule of VIVA Germanium Sesquioxide contains 100 mg of pure, non-toxic germanium.
