Course
18

Minerals

Overview
Understand the synergistic and antagonistic relationships between key minerals, while checking interactions with medications and essential cofactors.
Format
Online
Units
11
Recommended for
  • Hypertension
  • Anaemia
  • Thyroid health
  • Nutrient deficiencies
  • Digestive health
Minerals

The learning framework

1
Why mineral imbalances are central to chronic dysfunction
Minerals play essential roles in cellular communication, enzyme activation, fluid regulation, nerve transmission, muscle contraction, bone structure, immune function, antioxidant defence, hormone synthesis, and tissue repair, making them central to every aspect of metabolic, cardiovascular, neurological, and structural health, yet widespread mineral imbalances persist due to modern dietary patterns, agricultural soil depletion, impaired digestion, chronic stress, and medication interactions.
2
The limitations of isolated mineral assessment
Most practitioners learn about minerals as isolated nutrients with basic RDA values, without understanding their intricate interrelationships, how absorption is affected by stomach acid and gut integrity, how chronic stress depletes magnesium and zinc, how medications disrupt mineral status, or how mineral imbalances manifest clinically, leading to missed deficiencies, inappropriate supplementation creating imbalances, and failure to address the digestive, dietary, and lifestyle factors determining mineral absorption and utilisation.
3
A functional framework for mineral balance and resilience
The Minerals module trains you to understand macro-minerals and trace minerals comprehensively, their physiological roles, absorption requirements, functional assessment, interrelationships, and clinical implications, equipping you to identify root-cause contributors to imbalance, evaluate mineral status within the context of digestion, electrolyte regulation, and nutrient synergy, and design practical, evidence-based interventions that restore balance and enhance systemic resilience.

What you'll learn

By the end of this module, you will be able to:
Understand the classification and roles of minerals
Differentiating between macro-minerals and trace minerals, recognising minerals as enzyme cofactors, structural components, electrolytes, antioxidants, and signalling molecules.
Assess mineral absorption and bioavailability
Understanding that absorption depends on adequate stomach acid, intact intestinal mucosa, absence of binding factors, presence of absorption enhancers, and competitive interactions.
Recognise mineral interactions and antagonisms
Understanding critical balances including zinc-copper, calcium-magnesium, sodium-potassium, and iron-zinc-copper competition.
Assess magnesium's roles and deficiency patterns
Recognising magnesium as cofactor in over 300 enzymatic reactions including ATP synthesis, muscle function, nervous system regulation, blood pressure control, and bone structure,identifying muscle cramps, anxiety, insomnia, heart palpitations, and fatigue as signs of inadequacy.
Understand calcium-magnesium-vitamin D-vitamin K2 synergy
Recognising that calcium requires vitamin D for absorption, vitamin K2 to direct calcium into bones, and magnesium to prevent calcification.
Assess zinc's roles in immune function, wound healing, and hormone synthesis
Identifying frequent infections, slow wound healing, hair loss, poor appetite, altered taste or smell, and low testosterone as signs of zinc deficiency.
Understand selenium's roles in thyroid function and antioxidant defence
Recognising selenium as essential for thyroid hormone conversion and glutathione peroxidase function, assessing hypothyroidism and weakened immunity as deficiency signs.
Assess iodine's role in thyroid hormone synthesis
Understanding iodine's complex relationship with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and applying cautious, gradual iodine repletion with adequate selenium.
Understand electrolyte balance and sodium-potassium regulation
Recognising modern diets as high in sodium and low in potassium, creating imbalance contributing to high blood pressure, fluid retention, and cardiovascular disease.
Build comprehensive mineral restoration protocols
Using food-first strategies, addressing digestive function to enhance absorption, supplementing strategically with balanced formulations, and monitoring progress through symptoms and functional markers.

Why this matters

The ability to resolve common yet overlooked deficiencies
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Magnesium, zinc, selenium, and iodine deficiencies are widespread yet often missed.
Confidence in balancing minerals safely
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You'll know how to supplement without creating imbalances and when to prioritise food sources.
Better client outcomes
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Optimising mineral status supports energy production, immune function, cardiovascular health, bone density, thyroid function, and mood stability.
Enhanced understanding of electrolyte balance
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Critical for supporting athletes, blood pressure issues, fatigue, muscle cramps, and heart palpitations.
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Mineral Balance
Electrolytes
Magnesium
Calcium
Zinc
Copper
Selenium
Sodium
Micronutrients
Metabolic Health
Your path to becoming a Certified Practitioner

How to get started

1st Step
Submit your Application
Apply online in just a few minutes. Our team will review your experience, education and goals to ensure this certification aligns with your professional path.
2nd Step
Join the IOH community
Once accepted, you’ll gain instant access to our global network of practitioners, mentors and resources that support your learning from day one.
3rd Step
Begin your first module
Start your studies inside the IOH learning portal — with guided mentorship, live calls, and access to the Oracle AI system that turns knowledge into action.

Expand your knowledge

All Courses
What does an Integrative Nutritional Therapist do?
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An Integrative Nutritional Therapist utilises the latest evidence-based research to create an integrative approach to optimising each client’s health and wellbeing.

They design bio-individual nutrition plans, personalise supplementation where appropriate, and interpret functional laboratory data, including blood work, to gain deeper insights, achieve better accuracy and tailor every intervention to the individual.

How is functional medicine different from conventional medicine?
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Conventional medicine often waits until a disease is clearly present before intervention begins. Treatment is focused on managing or suppressing a diagnosed condition.

Functional medicine looks upstream. It assesses the early drivers of dysfunction and works to prevent disease from developing in the first place, or restore balance in the body. It uses a whole-systems view of the body, then applies personalised, preventative nutrition and lifestyle interventions to support long-term health rather than only reacting once things have gone wrong.

What will be my scope of practice after completing this certification?
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After completing the certification, you will be recognised and insured as a Integrative Nutritional Therapist inclusive of Nutritional Therapy and Functional Blood Work, with a clearly defined scope of practice.

You will be trained and insured to:

  • Design bio-individual nutrition plans
  • Recommend and prescribe over-the-counter supplementation up to safe, optimal intake thresholds
  • Utilise functional blood work from a wellness perspective to guide your reasoning and recommendations
  • Collaborate with and refer to medical professionals when red flags, pathology or out-of-scope conditions are identified

Our scope of practice has been aligned with nutritional therapy standards and externally audited, so you can work with confidence and clarity.

Is your course accredited?
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Yes. Our certifications are accredited by multiple independent professional bodies, including the International Institute for Complementary Therapists (IICT) and the Complementary Medical Association (CMA).

To receive these accreditations, our curriculum undergoes forensic external auditing to ensure every component is up to date, evidence-informed, ethically delivered and aligned with recognised Nutritional Therapy and Functional Health standards. This includes rigorous evaluation of our academic content, assessments, delivery methods and scope of practice frameworks.

This external oversight gives you confidence that the qualification you are investing in is credible, robust and widely recognised within the industry, with clear pathways for insurance, professional membership and global practice.

Will I be able to practise internationally?
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Yes. Our graduates are eligible for insurance through IICT that is recognised across 36 countries, including:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden & United Kingdom.

This allows you to work with clients internationally, including in online practice, provided you respect local regulations and the scope of practice defined by your insurer and professional associations.

Need help?
Get in touch with us
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