aude-wildflowersIt took me a long time (over 2 years) to go public with my positive account of using nanoparticle (or angstrom-sized) minerals. This is because nanotechnology is experimental and the full ramifications of any application of the technology are yet unknown. Because of this, I didn’t want to unduly influence anyone one way or the other.

That being said, I did feel it was important to share the results and success of my personal experimentation with myself and my family, and also to encourage you to do your own research to make informed decisions for yourself.

What is Nanotechnology & Nanoparticles?

Nanotechnology is the experimental process of manipulating matter on an incredibly minute scale (one thousandth of a millimeter and smaller), in order to create new products and materials, or delivery systems. It is the creation and manipulation of tiny objects at the level of molecules and atoms. At the nano-scale, the laws of chemistry and physics work differently and materials develop unique properties not seen at normal particle size. Opaque materials, such as copper and zinc, become transparent; stable materials, such as aluminum become explosive; and solids such as gold turn into liquids.

There are two types of nanoparticles:

Fine particle – 100 – 2500 nanometers (nm)

Ultrafine – 1 – 100 nm

Angstrom (so named for physicist Anders Jonas Ångström) size is: .10 nm

So 1 Angstrom = 100 picometers = .10 nanometers

To put 100 nm in context: a strand of DNA is 2.5 nm wide, a protein molecule is 5 nm, a red blood cell 7,000 nm and a human hair is 80,000 nm wide.

New consumer products with hidden nanotech ingredients hit the US market in a nearly unregulated fashion each week, including baby toys, personal care products, clothes and countless other products. The nanoparticles in these products are so small, they are rapidly absorbed through the skin and spread to the environment in unpredictable ways.

Scientists are applying nanotechnology to a wide range of industries, including food, food packaging, kitchenware, personal care, medicine, electronics, clothing, sports equipment, fertilizers and pesticides. There are more than 800 consumer products on the market now using nanotechnology.

Examples of Nanotech Products

Nanostars

Vanadium Nanostars

For example, a tableware set contains a nano silver coating that kills bacteria, aiming to prevent food-borne diseases. A toothpaste contains nanoparticles that help remove plaque and provide minerals to protect against tooth decay. A golf club shaft is made from “nano composite technology” to be stronger and lighter weight. This technology could also be used to make chemical and biological weapons.

In food, proponents say nanotechnology can boost and target nutrition, extend shelf life, improve taste and texture and detect bacterial contamination. There are now up to 300 nano food and 400-500 nano food packaging applications on store shelves.

Toddler Health is a nutritional supplement containing nano ion particles that claim to offer toddlers increased bioavailability.

Canola Active cooking oil contains NutraLease, a nutraceutical technology that uses nanocapsules to enhance the delivery of nutrients.

A preservative known as AquaNova contains nano-capsules of water-insoluble substances to increase  absorption in the body.

McDonalds burger packages contain nano-spheres that require less water and less time and energy to dry.

Miller Beer bottles are made from imperm,  a plastic imbued with clay nanoparticles that are as hard as glass but stronger and provide longer shelf life.

Major food companies such as General Mills, Kraft, Nestle, PepsiCo, Cadbury-Schweppes and Uniliver are researching and developing nano food and food packaging applications, building what is expected to be a $6 billion market this year.

There are nano agricultural applications. Syngenta developed a plant growth treatment – PrimoMaxx nano emulsion.

Cornell scientists developed a cloth with saturated nano fibers that slowly releases pesticides and herbicides when it is planted with seed. (Yikes!)

Health Risks

Like genetically modified foods, products of nanotechnology pose unknown risks to human health and the environment. Nanoparticles are more chemically reactive than larger particles. Because they are so small, they have greater access to the human body than larger particles.

They can be inhaled, penetrate skin, gain access to tissues and cells, and cross the blood-brain barrier. Assessing the risks of nanotechnology is lagging far behind development of applications.  “There is virtually no data on chronic, long-term effects on people, other organisms or the wider environment,” wrote  British scientist John Lawton, author of a report from the Royal Commission on Environment Pollution.

Sunscreens are the most widely used consumer product containing nanoparticles.  Tests on mice in the US have shown that sunscreen nanoparticles over-stimulated brain cells, which could lead to brain damage over time. Studies at the University of Toledo, Utah State University  and the University of Utah found that nano particles, including nanotitanium dioxide, found in sunscreens killed beneficial bacteria and soil microbes. So these are yet more reasons why sunscreens are bad for your health. Why do they make nanoparticle-sized sunscreens? Because the tiny size also means that the product/color is not visible on the skin – and people don’t want white stripes of zinc on their nose or body.

Articles of clothing (commonly socks and underwear) contain nanosilver particles marketed as “bacterial guards”. Unfortunately, these nanoparticles wash out in your laundry and are carried into our groundwater where they are changing the ecology of lakes and rivers by killing bacteria and algae. As you can well imagine, mucking with an ecosystem in this way is not likely to be a good idea.

Some initial studies raise red flags. A recent study published in Nature showed that carbon nanotubes may exhibit the same cancer-causing potential as asbestos. Keep in mind though, that nanoparticles don’t just exist through scientific manipulation, they have also been around a long time as the pollutants given off by cars and trucks. The president of the National Institute of Ecology (INE) in Mexico City, Adrian Fernandez says:

“Ultrafine nanoparticles are the most hazardous because they penetrate and lodge themselves in the deepest part of the respiratory system also accessing the cardiovascular system. They are generated by vehicular combustion processes, particularly of buses with diesel engines”.

In tests on rats, nanosilver has also been shown to be toxic to liver, brain and stem cells and may harm beneficial bacteria.

The Positive Side of Nanotechnology

However, there are also dozens more tests that show nanosilver kills pathogens like HIV, herpes, and other viruses which are very difficult to eradicate – so there is also a positive side to the application of the same technology.

And although nanoparticles have been present in vehicle exhaust fumes for decades, they have also been present in plants which we have been consuming for thousands of years. Plants absorb mineral ions from the soil – they actually convert rock soil particles to atom-sized minerals in the soil before absorbing them – which we then automatically absorb when we eat the plants. Keep in mind that an ion is an atom or group of atoms. And an atom is one third the size of a nanometer. Scientists have even realized that this natural conversion ability of plants may be a better way to produce nanoparticle-sized metals for industrial use, rather then chemical processes which produce pollutants.

Nanoparticles were also used by artisans as far back as the 9th century in Mesopotamia for generating a glittering effect on the surface of pots.

My Conclusion

So, when I looked at the fact that plants naturally produce nanoparticle-sized minerals, thus indicating that our bodies have been safely absorbing minerals in this form for millenia, that gave me a base of confidence to try nanoparticle and angstrom-sized minerals.

As well, I looked at people/groups who have been consuming nanoparticle minerals for years already – athletes and children with autism. One manufacturer I spoke with told me that he and his family have been consuming his nanoparticle minerals for over 20 years. A good friend of Dr. Carolyn Dean MD ND – veterinarian Terry Wood – has been using nanoparticle minerals and electrolyte blends with animals and athletes for over 5 years. There were no accounts of adverse effects from using nanoparticle minerals from any of these groups.

I also found a number of studies showing clear benefits to nanoparticle or angstrom-sized mineral supplementation for osteoporosis and tooth decay. I go into my research in a lot more detail at LTYG Wellness Circle.

Lastly, I sat with all my research and “head knowledge” for few months and then plugged in to see what my gut said. Based on my intuition, I started taking a blend of nanoparticle minerals, that support bone and tooth formation and strengthening, I also took a blend of trace minerals (many of which have disappeared from our soil since the advent of pesticides and monoculture crops in the 1930’s) and atom-sized Iron. After taking them myself for numerous months, I started my kids on them too – and over time, ALL our tooth decay disappeared.

Since then I’ve formulated my own line of atom-sized/angstrom/nano-sized minerals, called QuikPlus, which my family and I use. QuikPlus Bone Matrix contains atom-sized ionic minerals in ideal forms and ratios to support healthy bones and teeth. My 75 year old mother takes this to guard against osteoporosis and my whole family takes it for bone and tooth health. We all use it after brushing out teeth and we swish for 1-2 minutes before swallowing.

In my family, we take one capful of Trace Minerals in the morning. At night, we take our Bone Matrix minerals last thing before bed so they will stop decay by re-mineralizing our teeth and also shifting the pH of our mouths to an alkaline state (it is often the acidic pH in the mouth that causes tooth decay). We take 1 tablespoon for adults, 1/2 for young kids. After brushing and flossing, we hold and swish the Bone Matrix around our teeth for about 2 minutes, then swallow. Both the kids and I have noticed that using these alkaline minerals right before bed also helps ensure a deep, uninterrupted sleep.

If you are suffering from, or concerned about osteoporosis, then you will likely need to take more of the Bone Matrix for a period of time. You might want to take 1 tbsp, 2-3x/day for 3 months, then get re-tested. Also, you may want to take 1 tbsp. of the Trace Minerals each day. And don’t forget your daily Vitamin D – also crucial for bone formation.

The nanoparticle iron is especially exciting for people with gut disorders, since normal iron is quite irritating to the gut and can trigger intestinal bleeding and result in constipation. This lead to quite a multi-step process in Listen To Your Gut for taking iron in order to boost absorption and guard against adverse effects. All of that becomes unnecessary with angstrom or nanoparticle-sized iron since it does not require digestion and therefore does not irritate the GI tract. I even tested it by taking 8x and then 16x the dose on one day – as I was concerned by research on nanoparticle ferric oxide in mouse models (but they tested the iron in the mice’s lungs!) – but there were no adverse effects.

About 70% of the body’s iron is in red blood cells called hemoglobin, which is vital for transferring oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues. I used nanoparticle iron myself to raise both my hemoglobin and my ferritin (iron stores). It works really fast and there are no intestinal effects as it does not require digestion. For this reason, it should be safe to use whilst bleeding – but go slowly and test it to be sure. The iron particles are angstrom-sized = .10 nm, very tiny nanoparticles, which are absorbed instantly into the blood and cells. Take 50 drops per day in 2-4 ounces of water or juice, drink quickly, then follow with 4-8 ounces of water.

If treating anemia, ideally, you should take one dose of QuikPlus Iron in the morning and one dose in the evening, washed down with lots of water. For severe anemia (hemoglobin less than 7 or 70) , I would take one dose, 3 – 4 times per day, washed down with 4-8 ounces of water. It tastes only faintly of iron, but mostly just like metallic water. I suggest you consume additional water because we did have a few people experience some constipation, that quickly disappeared when they drank a cup of water.

If you are using the nano iron for maintenance, then I would think one dose every other day (or even just twice a week) should be sufficient.

You can get your hemoglobin tested (to track your progress) within 30 – 45 days since this product builds hemoglobin so fast. For best results, make sure you are also getting adequate B12 and folic acid – co-factors needed to utilize iron properly.

Whilst I feel good about taking nanosized targeted minerals from a trusted supplier, I do NOT feel good about being unwittingly exposed to all kinds of nanoparticles in food, clothing, packaging materials, etc. – as outlined above. We definitely need (as is the case with EMR – electromagnetic radiation) a non industry-influenced regulatory body to test and research these new technologies before they are unleashed en masse on all of us, without our knowledge or consent.

I’m not going to advise you on what you should do with your body, since this is a new technology. But I wanted to share my experience and research (as I said, lots more in-depth research results at LTYG Wellness Circle). As it stands now, these nanoparticle minerals are the best thing for myself and my kids – since we had previously tried everything to cure our tooth decay, with no success.

Soar higher,
Jini

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Original post April 2010. Most recently updated April 2020.