Minerals: Their Importance in the Body and Food Sources

At the core of the human body are the cells that make up all our organs. To survive, they need to receive several nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, which contribute to our optimal health. They are the nutrients that help us function day by day, obtained from our diet.

But what are minerals and vitamins? The former are organic chemical substances, while the latter are inorganic solid chemical substances. They are needed in small amounts for us to be healthy.

Although all vitamins and minerals work together, they are distinct chemical compounds, each with its role in the human body. In the article below, we will learn more about what minerals are and their role in our bodies. We will also see how they are classified, but especially which foods we can obtain them from to stay healthy.

What are minerals: definition and their function in the body

Minerals are nutrients that our body needs to function correctly. Because we often group them with vitamins, we might be inclined to think that the two are one and the same. However, each has its own role in the body. Thus, minerals are inorganic substances, while vitamins, because they also contain carbon, are organic elements. Another important thing to know about them is that they cannot be produced by our bodies.

Functions of minerals in the human body

Minerals in the body play an important role in our health. Thus, they perform the following functions:

• They are responsible for building tissues;
• They help trigger muscle contractions and nerve reactions;
• They are responsible for blood clotting;
• They also help maintain the acid-base balance, responsible for the body’s neutral pH.

Because there are quite a few of them, some may be considered more important than others. However, it is good to know that all must be assimilated by the body for it to function correctly. Therefore, classification is not by importance, but by the quantity needed in the body.

Where do we get minerals from?

Minerals are necessary for the human body, playing various essential roles for us to feel good and be healthy. Diet is one of the ways we can meet both these conditions. The link between these elements and our diet is very close, as they can only be obtained from certain products that we should consume.

Recommended daily intake of essential minerals for the body

Certain minerals must be present in the human body in larger quantities. This is because they are involved in more processes. Among them, the following recommended daily intakes should be followed by adults:

• For calcium, the recommended daily intake is from 1,000 to 1,300 milligrams/day;
• For magnesium, the recommended daily intake is 350 to 420 milligrams/day;
• For sodium, the recommended daily intake is no more than 2,300 milligrams/day;
• For potassium, the recommended daily intake is 4,700 milligrams/day;
• For phosphorus, the recommended daily intake is 1,250 milligrams/day;
• For iron, the recommended daily intake is from 8 to 18 mg/day;
• For zinc, the recommended daily intake is 8 to 11 mg/day;
• For iodine, the recommended daily intake is 150 to 200 micrograms/day;
• For selenium, the recommended daily intake is 55 to 70 micrograms/day.

Minerals play a very important role in nutrition, and fortunately, there are many foods in which they are found. These include vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and certain types of meat. When the diet is deficient in some of these products, we can compensate with supplements in various forms, Aronia and Siberian Blueberry Juice 3L ECO being a recommended supplement.

[cta_produs style=”style_1″ product=”147599″ image=”https://aronia-charlottenburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3.2-Pentru-ce-sunt-bune-mineralele-suc-de-aronia-si-afin-siberian-scaled.jpeg”]

Minerals in food

Both minerals and vitamins can be found in various food sources. They should be administered starting from the recommended daily intake depending on age. However, it is quite difficult to keep track of each element individually, given their large number. So, how can we proceed? Quite simply: through a diet that contains as many of them as possible. Thus:

• From the fruit category, apricots, bananas, peaches, nectarines, strawberries, melon, mango, raisins, and cherries, blueberries, currants, are excellent sources of iron, magnesium, sodium, and chlorine;
• From the vegetable category, green leafy ones, such as celery, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, and beetroot, are good sources of fluorine, iron, magnesium, and sodium;
• Dairy products and eggs are very good sources of calcium;
• Oily products such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, various types of nuts, and almonds are rich in zinc, copper, and iron.

In addition to these, red and white meat are good sources of iron, selenium, and zinc.

Although many of these foods are found in our daily diet, deficiencies of certain minerals or trace minerals are not impossible. This can happen due to certain conditions. In this case, there are various supplements we can take to increase their intake. Besides pharmaceutical products, there are also many natural options. These are available both in tablet form and in juice form.

Minerals obtained from dietary supplements

Dietary supplements are available in a wide range, helping us to increase the intake of minerals and vitamins in the body. They can be consumed by both adults and children.

Because they are present in different forms, many supplements are easy to administer and integrate into any diet. One such product is Aronia and Siberian Blueberry Juice 3L ECO. It is rich in minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, being recommended because it supports the health of the skin, brain, immune system, and heart.
Aronia and Siberian blueberry are two super-fruits, which when combined work wonders for the health of our body. By consuming 150 ml of juice daily, you too can enjoy the dozens of benefits for body and mind!

What are the essential minerals for the body?

Besides the question of what minerals are, we often wonder what they are and where they come from. They are of two types, being divided into:

• essential minerals or macrominerals;
• trace minerals or microminerals.

The main difference between them is the daily quantity the body needs to function correctly. This is determined by body weight. What else we need to know is that each type of element has its role in the body.

Minerals and their types

Minerals in the human body are of two types: macro and micro. Both are found in every cell in the body, playing well-defined roles. What they both have in common is that they can only be obtained from food. Alternatively, they can also be taken from various dietary supplements in various forms, Aronia and Siberian Blueberry Juice 3L ECO being an option with many benefits.

[cta_produs style=”style_2″ product=”147599″ image=”https://aronia-charlottenburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/1200x1200white-aa.jpg”]

Essential minerals or macrominerals

The category of essential minerals for the body includes:

• Calcium, whose required amount is 2% of body weight;
• Phosphorus, which must be present in the body at a proportion of 1% of a person’s total weight;
• Potassium, which must be present in the body at a proportion of 0.40% of body weight;
• Sulfur, whose dose must be 0.25% of body weight;
• Chlorine, which must also be present in the human body at a proportion of 0.25% of body weight;
• Sodium, which represents 0.25% of body weight;
• Magnesium, whose requirement is 0.05% of body weight.

In addition to essential minerals, the body needs trace elements or microminerals.

Microminerals necessary for the human body

The category of trace minerals includes the following:

• Fluorine, whose required amount for the body is 0.20% of body weight;
• Iron, whose required amount is 0.08% of body weight;
• Manganese, which must be present in the body in a proportion of 0.03% of body weight;
• Copper, which must be present in the body in a proportion of 0.00015% of body weight;
• Iodine, which must be present in the body in a proportion of 0.00004% of body weight.

In addition to these, other known trace elements, but found in infinitesimal amounts in the body, are:

• Zinc;
• Selenium;
• Silicon;
• Chromium;
• Molybdenum.

To function correctly, the human body needs both macro and microelements. But what are they good for? Each performs a well-defined role.

What are minerals good for?

After presenting them above, we can realize that we know more about some elements and less about others. But what are minerals good for in the body? Each contributes to its functioning, both for adults and children.

Essential minerals and their role in the body

Here are the roles of macrominerals in the human body:

• Calcium plays an essential role in the health of bones and teeth, but also of muscles, the nervous system, and helps in blood clotting, regulating blood pressure, while also supporting the immune system;
• Sodium and potassium contribute to maintaining the hydro-electrolytic balance, while also supporting the nervous and muscular systems;
• Chlorine helps maintain the hydro-electrolytic balance and stomach acidity;
• Phosphorus plays an important role in the health of bones and teeth, also contributing to the body’s acid-base balance;
• Magnesium is important for the health of bones, the nervous, muscular, and immune systems, and is also responsible for protein synthesis;
• Sulfur contributes to regulating digestion, bile secretion, detoxification, and toning the body.

Symptoms of deficiency of essential minerals in the body

Deficiencies of any of them can lead to symptoms such as:

• Fatigue;
• Depression and heightened states of nervousness;
• Digestive imbalances;
• Weakening of the immune system;
• Muscle pain;
• Dental problems.

So, these are just a few functions for which minerals are good for the body. To function correctly, it also needs trace minerals.

Role of trace minerals in the human body

Although we find them in much smaller quantities in the body, microminerals are also very important for our bodies. Here is the role of some of the best-known ones:

• Fluorine is often present in bones, teeth, blood, skin, and nails, aiding in healing processes;
• Iron, which is found in the largest quantity in the blood, is responsible for the formation of hemoglobin, contributing to blood oxygenation;
• Manganese helps metabolize or absorb carbohydrates and strengthen tissues and bones, being found in the liver, pancreas, kidneys, and adrenal glands, but also in the brain, lungs, and bones;
• Copper helps in the absorption of iron in the body, being found in the liver, gallbladder, lungs, and heart;
• Iodine is the trace mineral found in the largest quantity in the thyroid gland, being very important in regulating metabolic functions.

Their deficiencies are more related to metabolic disorders, being very important for both children’s growth and the correct functioning of adult bodies.

As I said at the beginning of the article, minerals are not produced by our bodies. So, where do they come from? The main source is food that contains them in optimal amounts, but there are also supplements rich in these elements, such as Aronia and Siberian Blueberry Juice 3L ECO.

In conclusion, what are minerals? They are inorganic chemical elements. These substances are very important for the human body, being involved in many processes.

They aid the skeletal, nervous, digestive, and immune systems, but are also important for muscles and tissues. Because they are not produced by the body, they must be obtained from external sources, with food being the most accessible. However, when the diet is not balanced, we can also get them from various supplements, in different forms.

Now you know more about minerals, how to supplement your daily diet, and how to enjoy a healthy body!

References:

1. Vitamins and Minerals: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamins/
2. Minerals: Their Functions and Sources: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=ta3912
3. Vitamins and Minerals: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/vitamins-and-minerals
4. Minerals: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK218735/

Cover photo source: pikisuperstar on Freepik.com