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Germanium - what is it?
I have read about something called Germanium which is being treated as the latest miracle cure. Can you tell us something about it? I know it is not the same as the homeopathic remedy of the same name. What is the difference?
Germanium is one of the less well-known minerals that is found naturally in garlic, chlorella, and the immune-boosting Reishi and Maitake mushrooms. Said to help deliver more oxygen to the body’s tissues, it also works to generate oxygen production inside the cells.
A potent antioxidant, it is used by some American doctors in cancer therapies - since if there is one thing cancer cells hate, it is a rich supply of oxygen. They need an anerobic or oxygen-free environment to multiply, which means germanium has the potential to starve a malignancy to death.
That said, it is not available over the counter here. While there is no official ban and you can get it on prescription, it was voluntarily withdrawn following links to two fatalities and after some researchers suggested it could cause kidney damage. Practitioners who remember it also being used as a popular anti-ageing supplement say the problems were the result of doses that were too high (up to 8g a day). Others suggest the side-effects were caused when people used cheaper forms instead of germanium bis-carboxyethyl sesquioxide-132 (thankfully shortened to Ge-132) which is the very purest version.
There is, as you say, a homeopathic version but this is not something I would recommend you prescribe for yourself. It is what is called a polychrest remedy - meaning it can cover an enormous range of symptoms, both physical and emotional. To investigate its relevance to you, find a qualified homeopath who knows the remedy.
*Germanium is available in cosmetic products here. Higher Nature's germanium face cream costs £21 for 50ml. The re-energising bath oil capsules, which smell wonderful too, are £11.90 for 12. For more details, call 01435-882880