17 Aug The Importance of Minerals for Health
Minerals are essential for numerous aspects of health and for all tissues in the body. Although we consume many minerals from eating fruits and vegetables, mineral-depleted soil has rendered much of the produce we buy deficient in many of these essential nutrients. Because of this circumstance, many people choose to supplement their diet with dietary supplements that contain multiple minerals.
Macro-Minerals versus Trace Minerals
Minerals are grouped into two categories: macro-minerals and trace minerals. It is necessary to consume macro-minerals in large amounts – usually in amounts greater than 100 milligrams (mg); whereas, trace minerals are generally consumed in amounts of 10s of milligrams or even in microgram (mcg) amounts. Macro-minerals include calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Trace minerals include iron, zinc, copper, manganese, iodine, selenium, chromium, vanadium, boron, and molybdenum.
Who Is at Risk for Mineral Deficiencies?
Elderly individuals are at high risk for mineral deficiencies because they tend not to produce the amounts of stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) necessary for proper absorption. Children, because they can be picky eaters, and teenagers, because they can rely too heavily on fast foods, are also at risk for developing mineral deficiencies. Other individuals at risk for developing mineral deficiencies are those with chronic illnesses or those with eating disorders. Some medications (prescription and over-the-counter) can also cause mineral deficiencies. But even healthy individuals can be at risk for developing mineral deficiencies because many of the minerals we need are from fruits and vegetables and, as noted above, the soil can be depleted of many essential minerals, rendering the fruits and vegetables less nutritious.
Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium: The Heavy Hitters
The body needs calcium and magnesium in higher amounts than other minerals. Anthropological evidence indicates humans were high consumers of calcium until the onset of the Agricultural Age, 10,000 years ago. Current calcium intake is one-quarter to one-third that of our evolutionary diet, a good indication we may not be consuming enough dietary calcium. Studies of calcium and bone health show supplementation of 500 to 1,500 mg of a well-absorbed form of calcium daily supports bone mass in adolescents, young adults, older men, and postmenopausal women. In addition to having an adverse impact on bone health, conditions associated with calcium deficiency can have adverse effects on heart health, reproductive health, muscle health, and normal cellular development.
Magnesium, the second-most abundant mineral inside cells (second only to potassium), is present in all cells of the body and is involved in over 300 enzyme processes, including energy production in the cell. Magnesium is essential for supporting bone health, heart and blood vessel health, respiratory health, and already normal blood sugar metabolism. Other functions requiring magnesium include nerve conduction and muscle contraction. Potassium is the most abundant mineral inside cells. Approximately 98 percent of the body’s stores of potassium are inside the cell. For example, the amount of potassium inside the cell compared to the amount outside the cell determines how well muscles contract. Thus, potassium plays an essential role in the function of not only skeletal muscle, but also the heart muscle. Potassium is also essential for promoting nerve impulse transmission, maintaining already normal blood pressure levels, and producing energy at the cellular level. Studies of the dietary habits of various groups of people have shown diets high in potassium promote good cardiovascular health.
Good sources of dietary potassium include sweet potatoes, beet greens, bananas, beans, yogurt, tomato sauce, halibut, and tuna. Potassium deficiency can occur when large amounts of potassium are lost via the urinary tract or the digestive system from vomiting and diarrhea. Prolonged use of non-potassium-sparing diuretics can be a major cause of potassium loss via the urinary tract. Individuals with eating disorders, such as bulimia or anorexia nervosa, are also at significant risk for potassium deficiency. Either low or high potassium can result in weakness, fatigue, and irregular heart beat.
Why Are Trace Minerals Important?
Trace minerals are necessary for many positive aspects of human health. New information on the importance of trace minerals is being published on an increasingly regular basis. Enzymes are substances that start most of the body’s chemical reactions, and trace minerals are necessary to make enzymes work. Trace minerals are essential for proper hormone and neurotransmitter function. Deficiencies of specific trace minerals have been associated with adverse impacts on cardiovascular health, carbohydrate metabolism, immune health, reproductive health, bone health, neurological health, and circulatory health – to name just a few. Even mild deficiencies can result in poor growth and development.
Although many trace minerals are involved in numerous functions in the body, the following list highlights some of the key functions of these important nutrients:
Zinc — promotes immune health Copper — supports blood building and blood vessel strength Chromium — promotes already normal blood sugar metabolism Iodine — helps maintain thyroid function Vanadium — promotes already normal blood sugar metabolism Selenium — antioxidant that aids in detoxification Manganese — helps maintain healthy tendons and ligaments Molybdenum — detoxification of sulfites*
Balance Is Key
Getting the right balance of minerals is important. For instance, an individual taking high doses of zinc for a prolonged period of time could become deficient in copper, and vice versa. Magnesium and calcium are also two minerals that require a healthy balance. One person may require supplementation of a certain mineral, while another person may not need any supplementation of that particular mineral. Menstruating women often become deficient in iron; whereas, men generally do not need iron supplementation. In fact, too much iron has been linked to adverse impacts on cardiovascular health. Always seek the advice of a health-care practitioner to help you determine the proper mineral supplementation for your situation.