Oligotherapy Remedies: Using Trace

Elements to Cure A Cold?

This article on oligotherapy is part of a new series on lesser
known soft or alternative medicines and remedies that are used
as a treatment (In French called a cure) or as a preventive
measure against illness or to treat emotional stress. These
medicines (I use the term medicine, but they are classified as
supplements or remedies) are available in Europe (some by
ordering online) but they are also available in most countries and
probably where you live too. There will be links on where to get
these products at the end of the article. For most of these links, I
have no commercial ties to these soft medicines and receive no
benefit from my suggestions. As with any articles I write, my
disclaimer: please do not accept my health advice as a substitute
for seeking medical treatment.

What Are Oligotherapy Remedies?

Oligotherapy is based on supplementing the diet with trace
elements (trace elements are defined as any chemical element
that is required in minute quantities for physiological functioning)
for reaching optimal health or for treating illness and fatigue.

The human body needs vitamins, minerals and trace elements for
proper nutrition and physical health. Although the physiological
need for trace elements is very low, if the human body is
deficient in one of the essential trace elements, then the physical
health of that person may suffer in the short or long-term.
Common trace elements include essential ones you may be
familar with: copper, manganese, selenium, zinc. And other non-
essential trace elements are: silver, aluminum, gold, lithium. (see
list hereon essential and non-essential trace elements).

Oligotherapy remedies are nutritional supplements, used as

alternative medicines, based on using non-essential and essential
trace elements to give the body a boost from what it may be
missing in the diet.

Using oligotherapy remedies as an alternative

medicine
Oligotherapy is the nutritional alternative medicinal therapy that
believes in giving the body what it nutritionally needs or what it is
lacking, specifically, using trace elements to achieve homeostasis
(equilibrium).

Not familiar with trace elements? Trace elements are necessary

as co-factors in enzymatic reactions. They act as catalysts,
binding themselves to an enzyme, activating it, and then
producing a chemical reaction without them being changed in the
process. Seelink here for more detailed information on
oligotherapy as an alternative medicine.

In oligotherapy, a patient is classified according to

their diathesis, or disposition to get sick
In oligotherapy, a patient is classified into different categories
called diathesis, or a disposition for an individual to get sick. A
doctor (like my homeopath doctor does here in France) or another
trained health professional in oligotherapy, classifies a patient
according four diathesis: hypersthenic, anergic, dystonic,
and hyposthenic. Each diathesis category has a trace element
remedy (or combination of remedies) that are geared towards
treating the bodys symptoms.

The main diathesis we use oligotherapy for is anergic, or a low

defense system. A low defense system can lead to colds and
other winter illnesses.

What are the different oligotherapy remedies for the

common cold and winter illness?
(Source here and for more information on diathesis categories)

Copper-gold-silver (anergic)
 This non-reactive syndrome is caused by a low
defense system. A deficiency in this trace element will
lead to the following conditions.

Recurrent viral and bacterial infection, psychological

fatigue, cancer, loss of coordination, insomnia,
memory loss, suicidal tendencies, polyarthritis,
cardiovascular disease, poor concentration,
depression

This is the therapy we use for common colds.

Manganese-copper (hyposthenic)

This hypo-reactive syndrome is generally found in

people who are physically delicate. A deficiency in
this trace element will lead to the following
conditions.

Upper respiratory infections, seasonal allergies,

asthma, otitis, rhinopharyngitis, bronchitis,
pharyngitis, sinusitis, laryngitis, cystitis, diarrhea,
hives, urticaria, eczema, psoriasis, dysmenorrhea,
atopic dermatitis, physical asthenia, arthritis, anemia,
acne, headache, colitis, hypothyroidism

This is the therapy we use for allergies and upper respiratory

infections.

Read my story for more details.

My French health story on using oligotherapy

On one of my first consultations with our doctor here in France
(who is a general practitioner, acupuncturist and homeopath) he
prescribed a medicine for my young kids, who were toddlers at
that time, to help treat their lingering colds. I looked at the bottle
and never saw this type of medicine before, which was called
Oligosol and was manufactured by a company called Lacatal. But
we tried it, it tasted like water, and it seemed to help. In general,
my childrens colds didnt to last very long so I wasnt sure if this
Oligosol treatment was the reason.

Now we have been using this product for the last decade and it
seems to keep my kids healthier. We use it either in smaller doses
over a month in the higher-risk-for-colds season, (for us in late
Fall). And it can be used in higher doses for a few days if you
have a cold that is set in and wont go away.
This alternative medicine contains non-essential and essential
trace elements called: copper-silver-gold.(Have you heard of it? It
is quite popular here in France).

My second experience with using Oligosol was from another trace

element called Manganese, manufactured from the same
laboratory, which was prescribed to help my son with his (then)
problem with allergies against soy and cows milk. We have also
used the combination of Manganese-Copper to help with upper
respiratory infections.

Over the last eleven years that I have consulted with this doctor,
he has occasionally prescribed other oligoelements to help treat
specific conditions. I cannot say that these products have either
helped a lot or not helped at all, because luckily any of our health
problems seem to recover quickly with other adjunct therapies
that I use, in particular, good nutrition and sleep! But I believe it
is worth a look at, and my doctor, whom I trust, told me that
these products do work.

Do you use over the counter medicines or something

more natural to treat your winter cold?
When you have a bad cold, do you buy over-the-counter
medicines or something more natural?

I cannot specifically pinpoint this product or oligotherapy in

general that helped us recover from being sick. But what I can
say is that using a natural product that may give the body what it
needs, is a better medicine than buying an over the counter
chemical medicine used to treat colds or viral infections. But then
again I try, in general, to use natural medicines to treat illness
and to stay healthy rather than using other Western types of
therapy.

Side effects and dangers of oligotherapy

As with any medicine, plant, herb or essential oils: strict caution
to use these products in pregnancy and breastfeeding women,
infants and young children. The best is to seek a doctors advice
on using these oligotherapy remedies in these populations above.

My professional experience with oligotherapy is also limited.

Personally, I have used Cu-Or-Ar (Copper-Gold-Silver) and Mn
(Manganese) or Mn-Cu (Manganese Copper) during the late fall
and winter months as a treatment or a preventive measure, or in
the case of manganese as a treatment for allergies.
There are unitary (single) oligo-elements available on the market
targeted towards specific health issues. I would caution against
using these without a professionals support. These is especially
true for some non-essential trace elements such as aluminum.
Trace elements are needed in miniscule amounts (extremely
small doses) and by giving one trace element as a supplement
(such as aluminum) you may risk disrupting the cellular
processes in your body and could potentially cause a serious side
effect.

However, as a month-long prevention or as a spot on cure for

colds and a low defense system, I would support the use of
Oligosol made by the lab called Lacatal. Here is a link on Amazon,
but looking for it online or at your local pharmacy might lead to
more products available.

Getting your trace elements from food and water, is it

possible?
There is a challenge in getting all the essential trace elements
you need in your diet. Depending on where you live (trace
elements are also found in the soil), the water you drink, the
fresh food you eat, you may find your diet provides (or doesnt)
all the trace elements you need. Sometime you may benefit from
a supplementation of trace elements, such as provided in the
products I described above.

But the main key to getting good nutrition and all essential trace
elements comes from eating a variety of food from fresh food
sources, ideally eating local.

Do you have a story to tell about your experience with

oligotherapy or just reached the end and want to read more?
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Oligotherapy
Oligos in Greek means "a very tiny quantity". Oligo-elements or trace
elements are very minute doses of minerals. Most minerals come
from metals, except for calcium, fluoride, iodine, magnesium,
phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and sulphur which are metalloids
(non-metallic).

Tiny traces of elements indispensable to the normal function of our

metabolism have been identified in the body. Trace elements are
necessary as cofactors in enzymatic reactions. They act as catalysts,
binding themselves to an enzyme, activating it, and then producing a
chemical reaction without them being changed in the process.

Keeping the right balance of trace elements throughout the organism

is essential for enzymatic function. A deficiency in any element will
lead to a functional disorder - a condition in which body parts signal
abnormality, although no physical cause can be identified. An
individual may not feel well; yet blood tests give no substantial
evidence. The individual's state of health is between imbalance and
morbid pathology. There is always an intermediate period between
the evolution of a simple functional disorder and an established
morbid disease. If the individual is not treated during the transitory
state between health and disease, when something can still be done,
degenerative disease or organ damage will follow.

A functional disorder is an attempt of the organism to correct a

metabolic imbalance. To reinstate homeostasis, the body requires the
supplementation of the missing element. To understand this better,
image someone driving a car. The car goes out of control and ends in
a ditch. No matter how hard the driver tries to get the car out, he
cannot do it on his own. He calls for aid. A tow truck arrives, removes
it from the ditch, and puts it back on the road.

This analogy is applied to demonstrate the synergistic effects of

catalysts. All the chemical reactions that go on in the cells, anabolic
and catabolic, are made possible with the aid of trace minerals. By
supplementing the body with the missing trace element catalyzes the
enzymatic reaction of the organism, and as a consequence, health
and balance are brought back to the system.

Diathesis in Oligotherapy
A diathesis is the disposition for an individual to get sick. In
Oligotherapy, a patient is classified according to his diathesis. There
are four diathesis: hypersthenic, anergic, dystonic, and hyposthenic.
They are rarely used alone and are usually associated with simple
oligo-elements.

Magnesium (hypersthenic)

This hyperactive syndrome is generally found in middle-age adults. A

deficiency in this trace element will lead to the following conditions.

Allergies, venous and arterial disorders, arthritis, eczema, nervous

disorders of the gastrointestinal system, alopecia, hyperthyroidism,
migraines, asthma, hepatitis

Copper-gold-silver (anergic)

This non-reactive syndrome is caused by a low defense system. A

deficiency in this trace element will lead to the following conditions.

Recurrent viral and bacterial infection, psychological fatigue, cancer,

loss of coordination, insomnia, memory loss, suicidal tendencies,
polyarthritis, cardiovascular disease, poor concentration, depression

Manganese-cobalt (hyposthenic)

This syndrome is generally found in people fifty and over. A

deficiency in this trace element will lead to the following conditions.

Rheumatoid arthritis, chonic eczema, arteritis, edema, leg cramps,

phlebitis, scleroderma, chronic urticaria, colitis, epigastritis, gastritis,
kidney stones, nephritis, duodenal ulcer, hemorrhoids, oliguria, gout,
memory loss, peri-menopausal discomfort

Manganese-copper (hyposthenic)

This hypo-reactive syndrome is generally found in people who are

physically delicate. A deficiency in this trace element will lead to the
following conditions.

Upper respiratory infections, seasonal allergies, asthma, otitis,

rhinopharyngitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, laryngitis, cystitis,
diarrhea, hives, urticaria, eczema, psoriasis, dysmenorrhea, atopic
dermatitis, physical asthenia, arthritis, anemia, acne, headache,
colitis, hypothyroidism

Simple Oligotherapy

Aluminum

Children with scholastic difficulties, attention deficit syndrome, poor

memory, encephalitis, insomnia

Bismuth

Respiratory disorders, tonsillitis

Cobalt

Important for the formation of hemoglobin, cardiovascular disease,

hypertension, anxiety, poor circulation

Copper

Infections and viral illnesses, rheumatoid arthritis, influenza,

pigmentation disorder

Fluoride

Dental caries, bone growth difficulties, tendon and ligament

problems, loss of elasticity in the veins, osteoarthritis, tennis elbow,
infantile scoliosis

Iodine

Hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism

Iron

Iron deficiency, fatigue

Lithium

Helps to distribute water throughout the brain, difficult children,

maniac depression, anxiety, melancholy, nervousness, phobia,
schizophrenia
Magnesium

Helps maintain water balance, colitis, brittle nails, muscle cramps,

rheumatoid arthritis

Phosphorus

Asthma, important in calcium metabolism, circulatory disorders of the

lower limbs

Potassium

Preserves alkalinity of the body, water retention, chronic arthritis,

muscle cramps, polyarthritis

Selenium

Cancer, prevents toxicity of heavy metals, miscarriage,

cardiovascular disease, viral and bacterial infections,
arthritis, fibromyalgia

Silicea

For brittle nails, hair, and skin

Sulphur

Recurrent ear-nose-throat ailments, weak teeth, loss of skin elasticity

Zinc

Skin, hair, and nail conditions, action on gonads for both sexes, low
libido, acne, low sperm count, prevents birth deformities, stimulates
growth, prevents diabetes

Zinc-nickel-cobalt

Hormonal deficiency, pancreatic disorders, obesity, hypoglycemia