HFD Team Minerals are essential nutrients your body requires to function properly. While we hear a lot about vitamins and minerals, many people do not understand just how important minerals are to everyday health. Minerals are responsible for everything from helping your body build strong bones to carrying oxygen in your blood. Knowing the types of minerals and how they function can allow you to make better decisions about what to eat and drink.
What Are Minerals?
Minerals are natural substances that are found in the earth and taken into plants. Humans obtain minerals from foods such as vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meats, and whole grains. Unlike vitamins, minerals are not made in the body; we must get them from our diet. They are important for growth, repair, and general health.
Major and Trace Minerals
Minerals can be divided into major minerals and trace minerals according to how much your body needs:
Major minerals: calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, sulphur, and chloride. These minerals are needed in greater amounts.
Trace minerals: are iron, zinc, iodine, copper, selenium, and manganese. Although they are needed in smaller amounts, they are still essential.
Both major and trace minerals play important functions in the body.
Functions of Major Minerals
Calcium – Provides strong bones and teeth, is necessary for muscle function, and assists with blood clotting.
Magnesium – Helps with nerve function, muscle contractions, and energy production.
Potassium and sodium: Regulate fluids, influence blood pressure, and send nerve signals.
Phosphorus – Works with calcium to build strong bones and teeth, and helps with energy storage.
Chloride – Manages fluid balance and assists with digestion through the production of stomach acid.
These minerals are the building blocks of a healthy body and a healthy functioning individual.
Functions of Trace Minerals
Iron – Produces hemoglobin, which transports oxygen to the blood.
Zinc – Utilised in immunity, wound healing, and cell growth.
Copper – Assists in red blood cell formation and nerve maintenance.
Iodine – Important for thyroid health and metabolism.
Selenium – An antioxidant that protects cells.
Manganese – Supports bone health and the metabolism of fat and carbohydrates.
Trace minerals have a significant effect on overall well-being, even at low concentrations.
Why Minerals Are Important
Minerals do more than build structures. They help regulate heartbeat, increase immunity, optimise brain function, and help fluids stay in balance. A lack of minerals can lead to negative health effects; low iron can cause anemia, not enough calcium can weaken bones, and consuming too much sodium can cause hypertension. Clearly, minerals are closely related to the body.
How to Get Enough Minerals
The majority of individuals can obtain the minerals they require from a balanced diet that consists of:
- Dairy for calcium
- Dark green leafy vegetables for magnesium and potassium
- Meat and beans for iron and zinc
- Seafood for iodine and selenium
Drinking water and consuming whole foods also contribute to good mineral balance. Supplements can be useful if the diet does not provide an adequate quantity of a specific mineral, but foods are the healthier option.
Final Thoughts
Knowing what vitamins and minerals do in the body is essential to health. Each mineral serves a specific purpose in the human body, and they work collectively in keeping your systems strong and balanced.
Eating a wide variety of natural foods helps ensure that your body has all of the vitamins and minerals it needs. Whole foods should be the focus to help keep the body functioning at its best. You might be interested in exploring some preparations of whole foods.
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