Oligotherapy is divided between major elements and trace elements, and is an important source among natural remedies. It works particularly well when combined with phytotherapy.
Trace elements are chemical elements present in very small traces in living matter. In the human body their concentration is approximately 0.01% of dry body weight, and their use for therapeutic purposes is known as oligotherapy.
Among the major elements, in addition to hydrogen, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen — which in their chemical combinations make up the vast majority of human body weight (approximately 96%) — we find magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, chlorine, sodium, potassium and sulphur.
The second group — that is, those present in smaller quantities — includes manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, bismuth, lithium, silicon, selenium, iron, fluorine, aluminium, nickel, molybdenum, germanium and vanadium. The two groups differ not only quantitatively but also qualitatively, precisely because their roles are different and specific.
The first group plays a fundamentally structural role, as components of bones, teeth, blood, bodily fluids and more, while the second group plays both structural and functional roles depending on the molecule to which they bind. If it is an organic substance, its function will be structural — for example, iron in haemoglobin or iodine in thyroxine. If, on the other hand, the trace element forms an integral part of an enzyme, its role will be functional: it will act as a catalyst in a specific biochemical reaction, thereby becoming vitally important to human life.
We can therefore say that trace elements are indispensable for the correct progress of chemical reactions within our bodies, and thus for human metabolism.
It was Jacques Ménétrier, a French physician and pioneer of oligotherapy, who divided his patients into four groups, giving rise to the famous diatheses (allergic, hyposthenic, dystonic and anergi), that is, the characteristic of a person's constitutional terrain and their tendency or predisposition to contract a disease.
It follows that even today a skilled therapist, when faced with a patient presenting a specific illness, must first identify the relevant diathesis in order to try to correct the diseased terrain — not to act on the symptoms but on the underlying cause of the illness itself.
In conjunction with this, for the aspect relating to symptoms, phytotherapeutic products can be used, which will complete the therapeutic treatment in a remarkable way.
There are many physiological conditions that contribute to a deficiency in trace elements. Low-calorie diets of various kinds, whether for health reasons or personal choices, can lead to a reduced intake of trace elements through food. Pregnant or breastfeeding women often need supplementation, and adolescents — boys and girls alike — find themselves in a similar situation, albeit with different requirements, especially when their diet is poor or lacking in variety.
During periods of intense physical activity, trace elements are lost through sweat, making it essential to compensate for those losses. Certain cooking methods or food preservation techniques can also significantly reduce the quantity of trace elements, by a percentage ranging between 50 and 80 per cent.
We have the option of taking them individually or as pre-assembled mixes in single-dose ampoules, which greatly simplify treatment across a range of conditions. For example, if you have a severe sore throat, in addition to the specific phytotherapeutic product you can add bismuth, which is ideal for all problems related to the oral cavity; or if you are suddenly struck by cystitis, a dose of copper and sulphur in the acute phase provides remarkable support to symptomatic therapy.
During periods of intense stress, taking magnesium even over an extended period is essential. It can help us avoid insomnia, nervousness, fatigue, irritability and tachycardia.
For occasional or chronic anxiety, it is better to administer several trace elements such as manganese, cobalt, magnesium, phosphorus and lithium; a ready-made mix containing the various elements is therefore ideal, perhaps combined with good doses of linden mg or passionflower in drops or tablets.
Trace elements are absorbed sublingually, so it is very important to take them, where possible, away from meals and to hold the liquid under the tongue for at least two minutes. And, as always, the advice is to consult a specialist who can guide you on the best course of therapy to follow.