Micronutrients

Micronutrients increase the body’s resistance, prevent chronic disease and have an overall favourable effect on the immune system. An adequate supply of essential micronutrients is crucial for maintaining health and vitality. 

What are micronutrients?

Among others, 13 vitamins, approximately 25 minerals and trace elements, endogenous substances such as L-carnitin or co-enzyme Q10 and thousands of so-called secondary plant substances are counted as micronutrients. They are necessary for regulating metabolic processes and must be supplied via the food because the body cannot produce them on its own or only in insufficient quantities.  

The physical and psychological stress caused by cancer puts a heavy strain on the body’s defence mechanisms. This strain is called oxidative stress. Since the human organism lacks the ability to store most micronutrients, oxidative stress quickly leads to micronutrient deficiencies. As a result the levels of these important enzymes and trace elements are too low in almost all tumour patients.

A number of studies could show that specific dosing with micronutrients helped to considerably reduce the side effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Even after therapy a customised nutrient mixture can strengthen the patient’s immune system and improve his physical well-being and quality of life.

How a patient’s required supply of micronutrients is determined

The individual micronutrient needs of patients differ widely because many factors influence how micronutrients are absorbed and processed by the body. Such influencing factors are:

• Eating habits, smoking, amount of exercise Chronic diseases
• Impact of drugs on the micronutrient balance
• The body’s ability to absorb micronutrients and bioavailability of the micronutrients
• Genetic differences.

The individually required supply of micronutrients can be determined by means of a lab test that identifies specific markers in the blood and urine. We take the results to our partner Hepart (www.hepart.com) who co-operates with us in formulating the micronutrient mixture that specifically meets the requirements of your therapy. The quantity of micronutrient mixture will be large enough to last for 60 days. To verify the mixture's efficacy we recommend that your micronutrient status be reviewed after 3 months of treatment. 

Our dietitian Steffen Theobald will be pleased to provide more information about the various aspects of micronutrient therapy.

Steffen Theobald, Dipl. Oecothrophologe