Germanium: Is A Mineral Deficiency To Blame For Your Sleepless Nights And Lack Of Energy?

Your body contains several 'trace minerals'which, despite being present in minute quantities as their name suggests, are indispensable not only for good health but also for your very existence.

A deficiency in any of these minerals can cause a wide range of symptoms, which would greatly compromise your overall well-being, such as fatigue, loss of energy, insomnia and an increased susceptibility to various infections.

One of the most important of these trace minerals is germanium. A mineral which is not only found in your body but is also present in ginseng, aloe vera, comfrey, and many foods - including garlic, shiitake mushrooms, green leafy vegetables, tuna and oysters.

One of the main functions of germanium is to increase the use of oxygen by your body's tissues, which stimulates your cells to produce energy (Zhonguan Yu Fang 1994,28(6):372-374).

This makes it an important immune system booster, protecting against debilitating immunological diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus (inflammation of the skin, kidneys and liver). It has also produced some truly remarkable results in the treatment of cancer.

Once again, the medical profession jumped to conclusions and got it wrong
You may be wondering, considering the important functions germanium carries out in your body, why you haven't heard of it before now. This is mainly to do with the bad press germanium received several years ago, regarding reports of toxicity and liver damage following its use.

Yet what was not made clear, was that these reports came from people who were irresponsibly given doses that were 20 times the recommended dose for a period of three years without a break - which, in effect, caused them to experience serious overdoses.

Any substance when taken in excessive
amounts can be dangerous and cause severe health complications - even water can be fatal if this theory is taken to the extreme, even though, as we know, water is also essential to our health if drunk in moderation.

Fortunately, the original reports have finally been re-evaluated and certain doctors now admit that the scare stories had been based on misinformation that hadn't explored the full story (Ren Fail 1991,13(1):1-4).

If taken properly at the correct dose (150mg, 1-3 times a day) for short periods (up to two months at a time, followed by a break of a month or two - this gives the body enough time to readjust itself), germanium is in fact both safe and extremely effective (Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 1997, 25(3):211-219).

Germanium has shown no less than 'miraculous' results in fighting cancer
In Japan, germanium has been used to help treat cancer for the past 30 years. Yet it has only been recently that the exact mechanism by which it works to tackle cancer has been uncovered.

Researchers found that germanium reduces the spread of cancer by slowing down the process that causes cancer cells to multiply. At the same time, the researchers observed that germanium didn't interfere with normal, healthy cells, which were left alone to grow and carry out their functions as nature intended (Chun Hua Yen 2000, 36(4):263-266).

Two years ago, a case study confounded many scientists and other members of the medical profession. It involved a patient suffering from a very rare and highly malignant form of lung cancer, called spindle cell carcinoma. Even with radical surgery, combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, only a small percentage of patients with this condition live more than a couple of years.

This particular patient had shown no initial response to any of the conventional treatments, and decided to take germanium supplements as a last resort instead. Doctors were astounded to find that even after four years, X-rays showed that the patient was completely free of cancer and that the disease didn't return (Chest 2000, 117(2):591-593).

Germanium helps protect your body from harmful toxins
Although germanium enhances the action of oxygen in your cells, it also acts as an antioxidant. This means that it is able to reduce the extent of the damage caused by toxic by-products of oxygen metabolism that takes place in your body. So, in effect, it has a double action: both stimulating oxygen use for better health and reducing oxygen's harmful side-effects.

Scientists have also found that germanium helps protect the liver's DNA against toxic damage, in addition to increasing the levels of other beneficial antioxidants, such as one called superoxide dismutase ( J Toxicol Environ Health 1999, 58(5):289-297).

Other research findings have demonstrated that used alongside zinc, germanium has an even greater protective effect against free radical damage (Zhonghuan Yu Fang 1996, 30(4):221-224).

Germanium can even improve the performance of orthodox treatments
Germanium stimulates several components of your immune system. For example, it enhances the activity of macrophages and natural killer cells, both of which are responsible for attacking foreign bacteria and viruses.

It also stimulates the production of gamma interferon, a potent immune molecule (a lymphokine), which is nowadays used by some doctors to fight against severe immune conditions, such as AIDS. Gamma interferon modulates immune reactions particularly against viruses (Biother 1992, 4(1):1-8).

In studies involving patients suffering from immunological diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and myasthenia (progressive muscle weakness), it was found that germanium acts both as an immune system booster and as an antioxidant.

Conventional treatment of these diseases often involves the drug prednisolone (a steroid hormone). When germanium was given alongside this drug, it was found to significantly enhance the actions of prednisolone, making the combined treatment far more powerful and effective against these chronic medical conditions (Biother 1992,4(1):1-8).

How to take germanium safely
It's important to take an organic form of germanium to achieve the best results. A good quality form of organic germanium is Germanium Sesquioxide (the full chemical name, which sometimes appears on the box, is 'bis-beta-carboxyethyl germanium sesquioxide').

The dose is 150mg one to three times a day, taken between meals. As mentioned above, you shouldn't take this continually. Instead, it's generally recommended that you take germanium for about two months, followed by a break of a month or two should you decide to repeat the process.