I am not a marketer, I am not writing this series of articles to ensure higher sales of the product (I do not have any personal gain from it). It was my personal enthusiasm for science and different approaches to optimising the functioning of our bodies that inspired me to write this, and it is based on my own research of how the product works on a biological level and how it can contribute to balancing some of our misbalances. And to be honest, I find it truly fascinating! Black Stuff is unique among dietary supplements. Perhaps this is partly because in and of itself, it is not a supplement in the usual sense of the word.
Black Stuff is not a revolutionary, newly synthesised compound from a lab. It is the result of discovering a way to copy the natural processes that occur in the soil, which means it was invented by nature itself. There are many years of scientific research behind this magical black powder (and also luck), and thanks to that, we now have one of the strongest antioxidants in the world at our disposal.
What can we find in these black capsules, if not nutrients? The secret of success is a natural birch tree and chaga mushroom extract. This way we supply our body with a generous helping of fulvic (75 %) and humic (25 %) acids, polyphenols (lignophenols), and, thanks to the adaptogenic chaga mushroom, Black Stuff is also loaded with trace elements and minerals. We will soon discover what these individual ingredients are good for.
How did a bit of nature come to be in a capsule? In the production process of Black Stuff, birch lignin is fermented with a lot of oxygen, oxidising it at elevated pressure and temperature – just like in the soil in nature. The fulvic and humic acids are obtained by cold extraction from organic or wild plants in concentration that can never be found in food. Both acids are formed naturally in the decomposition of plant biomass during plant humification, so they contain a huge amount of minerals and other micronutrients.
So why is Black Stuff not just a common supplement? Black Stuff helps nutrients, fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to enter the body and be used as efficiently as possible – absorbed and used as cell nutrition. It is a super-chelate.
Let us now have a closer look at the individual components and their effects.
Black Stuff under a microscope
Fulvic acid is a short chain molecule with a low molecular weight, soluble in both acid and alkali. In the soil it is responsible for chelating minerals (working as the organic part of transport through our intestinal cells) and transferring them into living organisms. The resulting complex of acid and mineral is coated with fulvic acid and thus protected from digestion. The electrical charge of the complex is neutral due to their joint bond, which means that it does not bind to anything else in the digestive tract and does not irritate the intestinal epithelium. We can picture this as providing a goal, motivation, and focus to an employee at work – the complex is not distracted by anything and proceeds to fulfil its task. At the same time, the complex is very small and therefore more easily and effectively absorbed in the small intestine, in large quantities. Blood then transports it directly to the target cells. The bioavailability (usability of the compounds by the body) is twenty times higher than in other forms of mineral complexes. Our cells decompose the complex completely and use it as a rich source of nutrients and minerals – everything that is absorbed is also used.
Through its function of an electric charge donor, fulvic acid supports both the absorption of minerals and the elimination of toxic metals. By binding them, it can expose the undesirable toxins as “waste” and eliminate them safely. In these ways, fulvic acid helps restore balance in the body and its microbiome and supports the production of ATP energy in mitochondria – thus we feel more energised and rested.
Its therapeutic potential lies in treating chronic inflammatory diseases (for example treatment and prevention of gastric ulcers), diabetes, supporting patients with Alzheimer’s disease, helping with hormonal regulation, the immune system, and bone health.
The advantages of organic chelates of fulvic acid with minerals:
- Physiologically active complex
- High bioavailability
- High safety and tolerance
- No interactions with other nutrients
- Therapeutic effects
To have a better idea, let us have a look at a comparison of the absorption of organic fulvic acid chelate versus the absorption of inorganic iron salts:
Organic fulvic acid chelate:
- Does not require ionisation
- Absorption in the small intestine
- Absorption independent of pH
- None or minimal participation in other reactions in the intestine
- Majority absorption and transfer to cells
Inorganic mineral salts:
- Must be ionised in the intestine
- Absorption mainly in the duodenum
- Absorption dependent on pH
- Enters other reactions in the intestine
- Incomplete absorption and use
Humic acid acts very similarly to fulvic acid. It helps to transport important micronutrients into the body and supports their maximum use. It is bigger than fulvic acid and soluble in alkali. That is why the combination of these two acids ensures that binding and transporting of nutrients will happen, no matter the pH in the intestine. Humic acid supports our immune system and the natural detoxifying processes in the liver, kidneys, gut, skin, and lungs, and helps our body eliminate toxins, parasites, fungi, and heavy metals. Rather than trying every purifying detox from the outside, it is always better to support our intelligent body, which has a stunning capacity to deal with all unwanted saboteurs on its own. (Have you ever heard of the cytochrome P450, for instance?)
Lignophenols belong to the group of polyphenols – chemical compounds found in plants. They serve numerous biological functions. In some plants, they provide taste and colour, in some they play a role in the structure, and in others they help protect the plants from infections, UV radiation, pathogens, and physical damage. Even in the human body polyphenols act as skilled bodyguards. They are characterised by high antioxidant activity, thus protecting our cells from free radicals and oxidative stress. Polyphenols are important for our immune system and they have a therapeutic potential in diabetes and obesity treatment.
Chaga is an adaptogenic mushroom that grows on birch and other deciduous trees. From them the mushroom draws great amounts of nutrients, trace elements, and minerals, and this makes it a rich source of these compounds. However, its greatest benefit lies in its ability to goad our body into action, force it to adapt. Chaga acts as a trained guard or a jester whose incessant jokes and activity cause a stir in the body and do not let the immune system attack itself in boredom or doze off into inattention. It produces the right amount of positive stress which is short-term and beneficial.
Our body cannot use dried chaga powder as a source of nutrients. It is not soluble in water, so we do not absorb it well (which brings us back to the expensive poo, doesn’t it?). Combined with humic acid, however, it can work as a source of nutrients while also retaining its adaptogenic function in managing stressful situations.
How about we look at this big portion of stress of ours now?
Original text: https://www.systers.bio/magazin-systers/proc-jsem-paf-z-black-stuff-vol-2/
Bibliography:
- John Winkler, Sanjoy Ghosh, “Therapeutic Potential of Fulvic Acid in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases and Diabetes”, Journal of Diabetes Research, vol. 2018, Article ID 5391014, 7 pages, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/5391014
