EVERYDAY MINERALS PLAY MANY IMPORTANT ROLES

Everyday Minerals For Your Body

We've all heard that it's necessary to provide our bodies with vitamins and everyday minerals, but few of us understand why. And while vitamins and minerals are very different, the body must have both. One obvious difference is that vitamins, because they contain carbon, are considered organic substances. Minerals lack carbon and therefore are classified as inorganic substances.

Inside the body, vitamins and minerals play many important roles. But whereas the body can continue to function without getting the recommended daily allotments of some vitamins, a mineral deficiency can lead to death. As important as they are, most people today don't really know that much about everyday minerals and how they impact the body.

Some Of The Roles Everyday Minerals Play

In order to make the hemoglobin found in red blood cells, the body needs iron. In order to build strong teeth and bones, the body needs calcium. Calcium is also crucial for the proper functioning of the kidneys, muscles and nerves. Without adequate levels of Iodine, the thyroid gland cannot perform its most important task which is to produce energy.

Manganese, selenium and zinc are antioxidants and some of their responsibilities include helping to heal wounds, helping the skeletal system develop properly, and protecting cell membranes. Chromium helps keep arteries clear.

The everyday minerals the body needs are divided into two categories. These two categories are: Major minerals and Trace Minerals. The difference between the categories mainly has to do with the amounts the body requires. The body must have a minimum of 100 milligrams per day to carry out the bodily functions associated with the Major minerals. In the case of Trace minerals, on a per day basis, less than 100 milligrams are required.

The 7 Major Minerals Are:

Calcium In addition to its crucial role in helping the body develop and maintain strong bones....

Phosphorus Calcium works alongside Phosphorous which is why in the bones and teeth, Phosphorus is present as calcium phosphate....

Magnesium plays a role in about 300 biochemical processes that take place inside the body....

Sodium Approximately 30% of the sodium inside the body is stored in the bones and the balance is found in body fluids....

Potassium One of the most important roles of potassium is its ability to control how the nerves and muscles act....

Sulfur has a reputation as being the body's beautifying mineral. If you've ever immersed yourself in a sulfur spring, you know that this statement is true....

Chloride Its major role is to work with the other electrolyte family members to control the flow of body fluids in the veins as well as throughout the body....

The Trace Minerals Include

Chromium Although it is considered a trace element, chromium is nonetheless an important mineral that the body must have to function properly....

Copper The body does not require large amounts of copper but nevertheless, this trace mineral is involved with several key bodily functions....

Fluoride , a trace mineral, is one of the more controversial minerals....

Iodine is a trace mineral meaning that while it is an important component of many bodily functions large quantities are not needed to carry out these crucial efforts....

Iron without it, nothing in the world could live. Not humans, not plants, nothing. Iron is the most abundant mineral on earth....

Manganese ,although it is considered a trace mineral, it definitely is one of the more essential minerals where the body is concerned....

Molybdenum ,if you don't know what molybdenum is, you're definitely not the only one....

Selenium , the body does not need a considerable amount of selenium, and that is why it is categorized as a trace mineral....

Zinc is categorized as a trace mineral but even so, it is considered essential....

Everyday Mineral Sources

Interestingly, everyday minerals come from the ground that covers the Earth. We don't eat dirt and rocks, yet we get our minerals from the foods we eat. How can this be? Minerals primarily make their way into our bodies by way of the foods that grow from the ground and the animals that survive off the land.

Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, poultry, dairy products, grains, legumes � these and others are the primary sources of the minerals our bodies need to survive.

What's also interesting is that individuals who eat a lot of processed foods or who fail to consume a nutritionally-balanced diet often suffer from diseases that have been directly attributed to vitamin and everyday mineral-related deficiencies.

Much controversy surrounds the subject of mineral supplementation. Ideally, people should strive to meet their daily mineral requirements from food because, as is the case with some vitamins, excessive amounts of some everyday minerals inside the body can have a toxic effect.

Everyday minerals are used for creating automobiles, building, pots, pans and many other durable products. But most importantly for humans, minerals are needed to build and maintain strong bodies capable of functioning as designed!

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