At first it sounds rather unlikely – a little-known supplement derived from soil that can help remove toxins from your body, boost energy and support immunity.
But fulvic acid is the real deal, actually able to do all of this and more, according to scientific evidence.
Fulvic is a component of humus – the rich, crumbly organic substance created when plant or animal matter decays and breaks down – and, when made into a tonic, it can help us to better absorb nutrients.
We Kiwis are very lucky to have a top-quality source of this important substance in our own backyard. There are only a handful of fulvic seams around the world but one was discovered in the South Island eight years ago, and it is particularly pure because we’re so isolated and free from pollution here.
After realising the great potential of fulvic, entrepreneurs Rhys Brooking and Chetan Shetty, who are passionate about improving health, set up New Zealand Fulvic, a Tauranga company that supplies fulvic in tonic form.
“Rhys stumbled across fulvic after talking to a soil agronomist about it and we’re very excited about being able to bring this product to the public,” says Chetan. “People are bound to be skeptical of something they don’t know anything about, but we’re hoping it won’t be too long before there is greater recognition of what fulvic can do.”
In the soil, fulvic helps plants to absorb nutrients, and it does the same thing for humans. It works thanks to its molecular structure and size, which allows it to easily penetrate cells to deliver an electrolyte charge, supplying essential nutrients and energising our cells.
Fulvic is a powerful antioxidant, able to neutralise dangerous free radicals and reduce damage to cells and is also able to remove toxins from cells, so they can function more effectively.
Studies have shown that it is particularly good at supporting the immune system as well as healthy brain function and mental alertness. It supports the oxygenation of the blood, by enhancing the supply of oxygen to organs and muscle tissues, and even plays a part in keeping wrinkles at bay by helping to prevent collagen in the skin from degrading.
In an ideal world, we would get adequate fulvic from our food but intensive farming practices have stripped much of the goodness from our soil, resulting in a 70 per cent reduction in levels of fulvic.
As a result we’re getting only 20-30 per cent of the nutrients in food that our grandparents did when they were kids.
“Our soil is sick, and sick soil equals sick plants, which equals sick animals and sick humans,” points out Chetan. “If we can better deliver nutrients to our bodies, we’ll notice changes in our health.”
While fulvic has been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years, it wasn’t until the 1980s that scientists in the West began to look into its properties.
The tonic made by NZ Fulvic has been rigorously tested here and overseas to meet industry standards, and Chetan says that since production began last year, they have had fantastic feedback from people using it to support their general health and wellbeing.
The product so impressed rugby legend and mental health campaigner Sir John Kirwan that after using it himself he asked if there was any way he could be involved in the company. Today he is a director of NZ Fulvic.
Chetan says, “It’s great to hear about the benefits that people are noticing. Everybody finds that their experience is unique, but when they report an improvement in their general health, we know that we are on the right track.”
Always read the label and use as directed. Supplementary to a balanced diet. NZ Fulvic, Tauranga.
