Phosphorus: The Light Element
I don’t hear a lot of talk in the HTMA world about the mineral phosphorus.
It seems to get neglected in its importance, yet it is considered one of the magnificent 7 macro minerals right there with Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride and, Sulphur.
Phosphorus is recognized as a metalloid which is actually a hybrid mixture with a sort of metal like properties and non-metal qualities combined.
However, in my mind, it’s the vast mystery surrounding phosphorus that elevates this nutrient mineral because of its astonishing qualities and properties it contains as told through the ancient world of alchemy as well as our current understanding of biochemistry especially in regards to our cellular physiology.
So today I want to shine the light on its ‘phosphorescence’ to life, and its relationship to Magnesium which is, of course, one of my favorite two minerals along with copper.
The first thing I think of with phosphorus is ‘energy,’ especially ATP.
In reality, no other element has the chemical properties of phosphorus.
It is highly reactive, and therefore it cannot exist in its free elemental form on this planet, or it will spontaneously ignite when exposed to oxygen.
I like to think of this as I strike an old-school phosphorus match on any surface that will ignite on a dime, with the least provocation as this should drive this point home about the explosive properties of Phosphorus.
ATP is a nucleoside triphosphate used in cells as a coenzyme often called the "molecular unit of currency" of intracellular energy transfer as classically explained by science, however, that my friends is LIGHT!
All organisms produce ATP, which is the universal energy currency of life.
In fact, even the first step in creating energy from glucose is the addition of phosphate group to a glucose molecule that is phosphorylated into glucose 6-phosphate, meaning the food you eat is intimately linked to phosphate groups that ultimately creates the energy of ATP to run all of your cellular machinery.
Now to exemplify the importance of phosphate’s amazing chemical abilities just remember it is the most important of all biomolecules because it is one of the main components in the long-term information storage molecule DNA and its sister molecule, the short-term information transfer molecule mRNA.
It really is about the information which is always a non-physical entity, but information always needs a physical carrier!
The four oxygens that surround phosphorus (PO4) give it a negative charge in water.
This is why both DNA and RNA end with “A” which stands for “acid,” as we see a negatively charged phosphate, is an acid.
The whole point of DNA is to hold information so that it can be read like an open book, and it is the phosphate that keeps the book open.
Phosphorus has the advantage which lies in the fact that it creates a medium strong bond to negative charges.
That’s a biggie, as P is transferring information from one part of a cell to another as it is strong enough to bind, but not too strong to not break when needed.
So, there is no other element on the periodic table that links DNA as well as phosphorus.
Now in the world of chemistry, there always needs to be a balancing act between an acid and a base or stated another way between a negative and a positive, meaning the cells need something else to balance phosphate’s negative charge.
It needs something positively charged that can stick around intelligently enough to balance the negative charge but to also have the capability on a dime to be able to break its bond.
Meaning, it needs a superhero molecule that can allow the negative charge of phosphate to survive inside the cell that sticks just long enough to the P, but not too much, this is what we call the sweet spot, or the blue note, or the magical chord.
Well, of course, that superhero could be nothing other than the magnetically magically majestically positively charged ion of magnesium.
All biochemical texts books should write it as ATP-Mg to highlight the importance of magnesium—the mother mineral to all.
However, due to the blinding myopia of science, we leave that out of the equation never highlighting the importance of this vital mineral as academia simply refers it to ATP, leaving off the Mg molecule!
It is a shame that the institutions of higher learning have kept this simple fact out of the medical textbooks, which is one of the reasons why almost everyone in our population is deficient in Mg because science lacks the deeper understanding of its importance in human physiology.
There are however plenty of +2 metals on the elemental table of life that fit this bill that could be considered for balancing the negative charge of the phosphate.
But, if the shoe doesn’t fit then, we do not have a match.
However, size does matter when it comes to binding and the size of the Mg molecule makes the perfect fit with just enough room to break its bond on a dime.
Furthermore, since Phosphorus is abundant in the cells, we will also need its balancing counterpart also to be abundant, and of course, Mg fits the criteria like no other metal on the table.
We also must account for the fact that we need something that sticks to three phosphates in ATP, not just one and once again magnesium fits perfectly between the oxygens on two adjacent phosphates in ATP, therefore making magnesium the most majestical elemental partner for phosphate.
Magnesium is also critically important when RNA must change its shape to do its cellular work to activate and build new proteins.
Inside the ribosome’s the negative phosphates are beautifully bound together with the +2 cation of the magnesium molecule stabilizing it within the cell.
In plants without magnesium, ribosomes simply fall apart, and the plant's age prematurely because they are missing this one magical element.
Many smaller chains of RNA form specific structures with specific shapes that help specific reactions move along.
In science, we call these proteins enzymes, but when RNA does an enzyme’s job, it’s called a ribozyme.
Scientists who study ribozymes know the value and importance of magnesium.
If they forget to add magnesium to their experiments, their ribozymes will fall apart highlighting once again the importance of Mg which fits quickly and precisely with the right charge into the RNA chain of the ribozyme so that it can perform its magic!
So do we ever consider the ratio of Mg/P which will give us insight into our energy reserves regarding ATP?
Furthermore, this ratio will also give us insight into whether we are over or under methylating bc as I have explained the importance of Mg in the process of DNA and RNA synthesis.
We should have 2.5 Mg to 1 P for ultimate energy utilization and production.
Thus, correcting P levels on a tissue analysis should always be considered a high priority.
I also like to think of Phosphorus as the brilliant morning star because she is the light bringer, as light is life as I alluded to earlier and it is because of its bonding with oxygen that makes this element shine.
Hence, its name was given from Greek mythology, the "light-bearer" referring to the "Morning Star," the planet Venus.
The term "phosphorescence," meaning GLOW AFTER ILLUMINATION, originally derives from this property of phosphorus.
Phosphorus: The “Devil’s Element” & The 13th Element Discovered
However, for every light side, there is always a dark side and Phosphorus does have a dark side which is why the alchemists referred this metalloid as the ‘Devil’s Element.’
No coincidence that the dark side of Phosphorus is Lucifer as the literal definition of the light bearer in Latin actually means ‘Lucifer’ and no wonder why that it was the 13th element to be discovered!
So we see the sinister darker side to phosphorus when used for destroying life as in industries that make explosives, poisons, nerve agents, and let's not forget the disastrous effects of NPK fertilizers used in modern agriculture.
We know that Phosphorus has been used with devastating effects in warfare, because of the ghastly nature of injuries inflicted by a fire that won't go out, burning you into ash.
The military use of white phosphorus has been restricted voluntarily by many nations and has been condemned by international humanitarian law.
Hence its name going back to alchemy was referred to as "the Devil's Element."
Anything that can destroy life can also create life, and with the same levels of enthusiasm whether we are creating or destroying life.
Now in the creation part of life is were phosphorus shines.
Phosphorus through a process of phosphorylation as I had alluded to earlier is what makes and binds your DNA, which is light, as we have been told since the beginning of time we are light bodies.
The light that bonds every one of your cells together concentrating the light in the form of photoelectric energy is the stuff that gives us life!
As it really is the spark in our DNA that makes us human.
Fritz Albert Popp pioneered research in the rediscovery of Light energy in biology known as biontology.
Popp and his student Bernard Ruth found that all living systems store light energy (photons) acquired from the sun and plants consumed as food (photosynthesis), in DNA.
When taken in by the body, the energy of these photons dissipates and becomes distributed over the entire spectrum of EM frequencies, from the lowest to the highest.
This energy is the driving force for all the molecules in our body.
Before any chemical reaction can occur, at least one electron must be activated by a photon with a certain wavelength and enough energy.
About 100,000 chemical reactions are happening in every cell each second.
The chemical reaction can only happen if the molecule which is reacting is excited by a photon.
Once the photon has excited a reaction, it returns to the field and is available for more reactions.
We are swimming in an ocean of light.
These and other studies proved to Popp that one of the most essential sources of light and biophoton emissions was DNA.
Dr. Popp exclaims, "We now know, today, that man is essentially a being of light."
This is where Phosphorus is emanating.
The light element, when combined with oxygen, makes phosphates (PO4), as it holds our DNA together, makes our bones strong and carries out fundamental chemical reactions within our cells.
A good portion of phosphorus is in long strands of DNA, carrying information, and in small bits of ATP, carrying energy.