6 Must-Know Facts About The Miraculous Humic Acid

Humus is an organic material formed when vegetation and plants decompose over the years. This decomposition process also leads to the formation of coal and oil deposits deep in the ground. These deposits (humus in this case) are unbelievably rich and fertile.

This is thanks to one main compound, humic acid. Humic acid is one of the little-known essential compounds that play a significant role in soil structure and fertility, among several other benefits. Outlined below are some facts about humic acid that you probably didn't know.

1May Help Improve Symptoms Of Mastitis

Mastitis is an inflammatory condition that mainly occurs when the milk ducts of a lactating mother are blocked. This condition affects the mammalian breast and is characterized by painful nipples and other parts of the breasts. The inflammation may have flu- and fever-like symptoms as well. Although your first instinct might be to wean your animals because of mastitis, doing so might only make the condition worse. It is advisable to continue nursing and allowing the baby to suckle, as this helps unblock some (if not all) of the blocked ducts, improving the symptoms.

Research shows that humates may help improve symptoms of severe mastitis in animals. According to a study, three goats with severe mastitis were given doses of humates for two weeks. Within one week, the condition had subsided in all the goats, making it possible for them to suckle their kids without any discomfort. Cases of mastitis within the herd also dropped significantly within the month, with only four cases recorded in a month compared to approximately three cases daily before administering humates.

2Stimulates Microbial Interaction

Humates stimulate increased microbial activity in the soil. In a study conducted on the effects of humates in soil testing, researchers recorded an increase (between 400 and 5000 times) in microbial activity after adding humates to the medium. However, the rate of microbial activity triggered depends on the environment, culture medium, and species.

Humic acid is also believed to contain antimicrobial properties. Organic humic substances can inhibit certain microbes, including P. aeruginosa, E. cloacae, C. albicans, P. vulgaris, S. pyogenes, S. epidermidis, S. aureus, and S. typhimurium. Introducing humates to the body is also believed to stimulate improved populations of good bacteria while suppressing the bad ones. Milk tests in field trials showed increased levels of microbes, an indication of impending breast infection or mastitis. The opposite, however, happened when humates were introduced to the herds.

3Fulvic Acid Is A Potent Chelator

Fulvic acid contains unique chelating abilities that affect the body and soil as well. It chelates life-sustaining minerals in the soil, placing them in a "phyto" state and making them readily available for absorption by the organism or cell. In addition to this, fulvic acid helps filter out toxic heavy metals, inhibiting their absorption into these organisms or cells. What is to chelate? Chelate can be loosely defined as removing toxic metals (e.g., mercury or lead) from a medium, the bloodstream, or soil in this case.

Fulvic acid thus helps filter out toxic materials by immobilizing and trapping toxic metals, preventing them from bonding or getting absorbed into the cells. A good example of this is soil with the fulvic acid present and another without. Crops growing in the fulvic acid-deficient soil are more likely to absorb heavy metals and pass them to the food chain. With modern farming methods (and "worn out" soil) where farmers use pesticides and fertilizers, the risk of these chemical compounds being absorbed by the plants is too high. Introducing fulvic acid in the soil can help filter these heavy metals, leading to the production of safe foods.

4It Fights The Common Cold And Flu

Rhinovirus is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus known to cause the common cold, among other conditions. Humans are most vulnerable to serologic viruses, with rhinovirus alone being responsible for more than 50% of all reported cases of the common cold. The name rhinovirus comes from the Greek word "rhin," which means nose.

Humic acid has proven to effectively fight off or prevent viral pathogens, such as the type 1 and 3 herpes simplex virus, coxsackieviruses, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), and type A and B influenza virus, among others. Researchers have been looking into how humic acid inhibits most viruses. Many believe that humic acid prevents viruses from replicating by absorbing them in an envelope protein. This blocks the virus' access to cell surfaces; thus, they're unable to multiply.

5Humic Acid Is A Natural Antioxidant

Humic acid is a dark brown, long-chain molecule with a relatively high molecular weight that's soluble in alkaline solutions. Very little is known about this compound with a complex molecular structure. One of the reasons for this is because it acts as both a donor and recipient of electrons, depending on the situation.

In simple terms, humic acid will bond both to negative and positively charged ions. This thus makes it one of the most powerful known natural antioxidants and free-radical scavengers. This is evidenced by the wide range of humic acid applications, ranging from improving soil structure to the treatment of a wide variety of diseases.

6Humates Boost The Immune System

Fulvic acid is made up of complex sugars that trigger an increased production of glycoproteins; these proteins bind to the killer and T cells, acting as a communication link or modulator between various body cells. This alone makes it easier for the body to distinguish between dead and inflamed cells, and it also helps keep both the T and killer cells in balance, reducing the risk of an autoimmune response. T cells are lymphocytes responsible for immune response. These cells develop fully on the thymus; hence, the abbreviation "T" is used. Cytotoxic T cells (CD8+), also known as killer cells, play a critical role in destroying any infected cells in the body; these cells first identify specific antigens in target cells before they can swing into action.

CD4+ (or helper T) cells, on the other hand, act as mediators in immune response; once activated, they will proliferate and trigger increased production of cytokines to help regulate lymphocyte action. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) mainly targets these cells (CD4+), causing their population to decline, hence AIDS. Some CD4+ cells may secrete cytokines after the antigen is eliminated, thus deactivating the immune response. Regulatory T cells, commonly known as suppressor T cells, are responsible for maintaining immune system homeostasis; these cells spring into action after an antigen is eliminated, restoring the immune system to its normal state. An autoimmune situation or condition may arise if the suppressor T cells fail (for one reason or another) to function properly; this triggers immunocytes to start attacking healthy body cells, leading to a number of health complications (and conditions) in the process.

Humus is a product of decades of microbial action on decomposing plants and other organic matter in the soil. In the right conditions, further decomposition of these organic materials leads to the formation of coal and oil deposits in the earth's core. The decomposition process is what makes humus (humic acid) present in the soil.

This affects soil composition and fertility. This is also one of the reasons why virgin lands have a richer soil profile compared to already tilled ones. Humic acid thus plays a principal role in soil fertility and also does help in promoting good health in animals.