Health Minerals - Essential Minerals of Your Body’s Requirements

health vitamins minerals

Minerals are essential for your health and nutrition. Minerals are need for the proper composition of body fluids, the formation of blood and bones, maintaining healthy nerve function, and minerals also function as coenzymes, which enable the body to build and feed cells.They are also partly responsible for your energy levels.

There are two ways for your body to get the essential minerals it needs. The best way for your body to get the minerals it needs is through food, but some people prefer supplements because of the difficulty associated with following a strict diet.

If you decide to take supplements, however, make sure they are of the highest quality and are independently regulated and tested. Most supplements are poorly made and are never broken down within your body.

Let’s take a look at some of the more important minerals and how they work to keep you healthy and full of vitality:

1. Calcium - the builder: Calcium gives bones and teeth their strength and rigidity and helps the nerves to function properly. To be absorbed the calcium you take in needs to be water soluble and needs acid for proper digestion. Calcium is absorbed best in conjunction with certain other minerals and vitamins like Vitamin D, and Boron.

2. Zinc is involved in more body functions than any other mineral. Zinc affects menstrual irregularity and female sexual organs. Without zinc the carbon dioxide exchange could not occur at a rate fast enough to keep humans alive. Men and boys approaching puberty often suffer from low zinc and need supplementation to avoid low energy levels. Zinc also helps in healing and keeping the immune system working well, and it is an important boost during flu season.

3. Potassium maintains the body’s water balance in conjunction with sodium. More potassium to sodium, at a ratio of 2 to 1, is necessary for proper fluid retention. Potassium is now deficient in our diets while sodium (salt) intake has soared.

4. Phosphorous is another extremely important mineral, it is supposedly abundant in many foods, yet due to soil depletion this is no longer true. Phosphorous helps calcium to bind our bones, and helps us convert our food into energy.

5. Chromium is intimately involved in blood-glucose regulation. It is useful for women who experience food cravings, typically for chocolate and certain carbohydrates, such as pizza.

6. Iron is essential to all menstruating women. About 30-40 mg. of iron will be lost during an average female menstrual cycle. Even a slight iron deficiency can result in fatigue and lethargy.

7. Selenium alleviates hot flashes, helps vitamin E work better, and is important in reducing the risk of breast cancer.

8. Manganese deficiency causes decreased ability to remove excess sugar from the blood. It also improves memory and dizziness is a sure sign of manganese deficiency.

9. Iodine is necessary for the proper functioning of the thyroid. Without adequate thyroid activity women will suffer excessive fatigue, excess weight, and constipation.

10. Sulfur may be one of the most important minerals for humans. It is an important structural atom in many proteins and small organic molecules. Sulfur is involved in the quality and maintenance of many types of tissues and structures within the body including hair, fingernails and skin. It combines with nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen to build protein, a main ingredient of muscles, skin and organs.

See Also : Health Live

Executive summary by Doel

Based on article Annie Robinson