What are minerals?
Minerals are Micronutrients
Minerals are the essential nutrients required by the human body. Minerals and vitamins are micronutrients required by human bodies. Compared to macronutrients, micronutrients are needed in small quantities but vital for our body's growth and development, whereas macronutrients (water, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) are the compounds that humans consume in large quantities.
What are minerals ( in more details )
Minerals are inorganic chemical elements from soil, rock, or water. Minerals are absorbed from the environment by plants as they grow and by animals that eat these plants. There are many minerals, each with healthful benefits.
Our bodies need certain minerals to function well. A variety of foods contain both vitamins and minerals. So, a varied diet will help you meet your mineral requirements. Try to include each type in your diet regularly.
Our bodies require minerals in more significant amounts, such as Calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and sodium.
Other minerals, like iodine, iron, selenium, and zinc, are needed in trace quantities.
For example, Calcium is a vital component of bone and teeth and an essential nutrient for the nervous system, muscles, and heart. Sources of Calcium include milk, yogurt, spinach, and many more.
Iodine is essential for normal thyroid function and the production of thyroid hormones, which are involved in many processes in the body, such as growth, brain development, and bone maintenance. Thyroid hormones also regulate the metabolism. Sources of iodine include fish, iodized table salt, eggs, seaweed, and dairy products.
Iron is an essential mineral required for the body's growth and development. Iron is needed for the body to make the proteins hemoglobin and myoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells carrying oxygen from the lungs to all body parts; Myoglobin is the protein that provides oxygen to muscles. Iron is also required by the body to make some hormones. Iron may also have other benefits, such as improving immune and brain functions. Sources of iron include seafood, meat, poultry, Iron-fortified breakfast cereals and bread, beans and peas, nuts and seeds.
Magnesium plays a role in more than 300 cellular processes, including energy production, nervous system function, and muscle contraction. Sources include avocados, nuts, and leafy greens.
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There are sixteen minerals essential for the body's growth and health. They are the following:
Here we introduce two additional minerals, boron and chromium, which are not classified as essential but have some healthy benefits.
The seven major minerals (macrominerals) and nine trace minerals (microminerals):
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Essential minerals are sometimes divided up into two groups: macrominerals and microminerals. Macrominerals are also called major minerals, whereas microminerals are called trace minerals. These two groups of minerals are equally important, but trace minerals are needed in smaller amounts than major minerals. There are seven major minerals and nine trace minerals required by human bodies.
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Major minerals are classified as minerals required in the diet daily in amounts more significant than 100 milligrams. These include the seven minerals: sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sulfur. Although equally important, the nine trace minerals (microminerals), including iron, copper, fluoride, selenium, zinc, chromium, molybdenum, iodine, and manganese, are needed in smaller amounts.
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The major minerals (macrominerals):
The trace minerals (microminerals):
The distinctive properties of minerals: bioavailability of minerals
Macronutrients like water, carbohydrates, protein, and fats are absorbed 90 percent after ingestion but the percentage of minerals that are absorbed into our bodies varies tremendously. For example, only about 20 percent of iron in our diet is typically absorbed, and about 30 percent of calcium is absorbed, yet, almost all the sodium we eat is absorbed.
Another interesting fact about minerals is that minerals in animal foods tend to be absorbed better than in plant foods. This is because fiber and other substances in plant foods hinder or prevent the human body's digestion and absorption of minerals. One example is phytate, which exists in beans and grains and can bind minerals such as iron during digestion, leading to incomplete absorption by the human body.
The degree to which a nutrient is absorbed and is available to be used in the body is called bioavailability. Minerals also sometimes compete with each other for absorption. In other words, the presence or absence of one mineral can affect whether another mineral is absorbed or excreted. For example, a high sodium intake can increase calcium losses. This is one of the reasons why many people advocate a low-sodium diet.
All the minerals required by human bodies are water-soluble. Therefore, mineral loss occurs when food is cooked in fluid, and the liquid is discarded after preparation. However, the good thing is minerals can survive food storage and practice because minerals are indestructible; in other words, minerals are intact and not destroyed in food storage and preparation.
To summarize, two types of minerals are needed by human bodies: major minerals (macrominerals) and trace minerals (microminerals). Do not overdose on minerals. Minerals can be toxic when consumed excessively, usually when taking too many supplement pills.
Reference (water, the 4th macronutrient):
https://www.nal.usda.gov/human-nutrition-and-food-safety/food-composition/macronutrients
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Electrolyte minerals:
The Three Electrolyte minerals:
Sodium, chloride, and potassium are the three electrolyte minerals.
Electrolyte minerals control and regulate fluid balance in and out of human cells.
In addition, the electrolyte minerals help move nutrients into cells and water out.
Sodium and chloride primarily work outside body cells, whereas potassium works inside body cells.
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