Types of Minerals

There are many different types of minerals essential to your body's well-being.  Your body requires some minerals in large quantities, like calcium, while other minerals are only needed in trace elements.  However, never judge the importance of the mineral based on your body's requirement.  Some of the minerals only needed in trace elements are critical to the body's organ functioning and important processes, such as bone and muscle development. 

Here is a list of the main type of minerals your body needs and the effects of their deficiency:

Calcium

This mineral is essential for building and maintaining healthy bones, muscle contraction and blood clotting mechanism. Calcium is also essential to build healthy teeth. Calcium deficiency symptoms include muscle aches and pains, muscle twitching and spasm, muscle cramps and reduced bone density. Vitamin D is essential for proper calcium absorption and utilization.

A serious lack of calcium can cause rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults. Both conditions cause softening and weakening of the bones and can result in proneness to fractures. Many postmenopausal women are especially likely to have calcium deficiency because of the reduction in estrogen during this period in their lives.

Estrogen helps to keep calcium in the bones. Women, particularly older ones, need to supplement their diets with calcium. Calcium and vitamin D are important for maintaining bone density and reducing the risk of fractures. In elderly, ambulatory, white women over the age of 65 who were not using estrogen replacement, supplementation of calcium and vitamin D produces a significant improvement in bone density and reduction of fractures.

Through a combination of diet and vitamin supplements, women receiving hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) should get at least 1200 mg/d of calcium, while the goal should be 1500 mg/d for women not receiving HRT. Recommendations for vitamin D intake are now 400 IU/d for women aged 51 through 70, and 600 IU/d for those over 70 years of age.

Various groups like children and teenagers, those on restricted diets (avoiding dairy products), the elderly, vegans and those concerned about osteoporosis also have higher needs for calcium.

Chromium

Chromium is essential to the processes that make glucose available for energy. It is also important for the metabolism of amino acids, which are the ‘building blocks’ of proteins, and fats. Deficiency symptoms include glucose intolerance or insulin resistant hyperglycaemia (excess sugar in the blood), raised serum lipids and weight loss. Studies have shown that chromium helps to lower blood sugar in individuals with type II Diabetes.

Seniors (over 55) plus those who exercise regularly as this may increase the loss of chromium from the body in urine, and will need chromium supplementation. Note, however, that some chromium supplements contain yeast, which can interfere with certain prescription medicines. Individuals with diabetes should only take chromium under medical supervision. Chromium is unsuitable for pregnant or breast-feeding women, or for epileptics.

Iodine

There are some interesting iodine facts surrounding this essential trace mineral.  Iodine is an important component of many bodily functions, though large quantities are not required to carry out these crucial efforts. In fact, iodine is thought to be such an important mineral that the US government came up with an ingenious way to ensure Americans get an adequate supply: Legislation recommending that iodine be added into table salt was passed.

Iron

A majority of the iron in our body is stored in the bone marrow that makes blood cells. When there is not enough iron in the bloodstream, the body uses the bone marrow reserves. If this iron stored in the bone marrow is low, red blood cells do not form properly.  They are smaller than usual (microcytosis) and fewer. Due to this deficiency, less hemoglobin is available to transport oxygen throughout the body. Unfortunately, iron-deficiency anemia is the leading nutritional deficiency in the world and the most common type of anemia.  In America, approximately 5% of females and 2% of males have iron-deficiency anemia.

Symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia include fatigue, dizziness, irritability, headaches, difficulty concentrating, shortness of breath during exercise, a pale appearance, brittle nails, and cracked lips.

However, it is important not to take too much iron supplement. Besides the risk of constipation, a recent study reported in Journal of the American Medical Association, shows that women who store too much iron in their body may be at increased risk for type 2 diabetes.

Magnesium

Magnesium plays an important role in the structure and the function of the human body, involved in more than 300 essential metabolic reactions, including energy production. The adult human body contains about 25 grams of magnesium. Signs of magnesium deficiency include low calcium, hence the diseases associated with it, low serum potassium levels (hypokalemia), retention of sodium, low circulating levels of parathyroid hormones (PTH,) neurological and muscular symptoms such as tremors, muscle spasms, tetany, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and personality changes.

Manganese

This is a mineral element that is both nutritionally essential and potentially toxic. It is involved in bone development, wound healing, and it has anti-oxidant properties. It is also actively involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids and cholesterol. Signs of manganese deficiency include impaired growth, impaired reproductive function, skeletal abnormalities, impaired glucose tolerance, and altered carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.

Potassium

Potassium, another of the body's major minerals, is a member of the electrolyte family.  One of the most important roles and benefits of potassium is its ability to control how the nerves and muscles act.

As one of the body's largest muscles, the heart relies on a steady supply of potassium and the other electrolytes to keep it beating rhythmically around the clock. This mineral is also what controls the creation as well as the storage of the muscles' main source of fuel, glycogen. Potassium assists in the process of converting glucose, or blood sugar, into glycogen.

Providing the body with a constant supply of potassium is critical to maintaining the function of the nervous system and circulatory system.  This can effectively be achieved through a combination of eating the proper foods (learn the potassium content in food) and taking a mineral supplement.  The dangers of low potassium levels are many and can easily be avoided.

Other Trace Minerals

Other trace minerals such as Molybdenum, selenium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc play important roles in our health and well-being and their deficiencies can create a variety of health problems for us. Thus, iodine lack can cause goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland and its associated symptoms and an important health problem throughout much of the world.

A good nutritional multivitamin supplement including minerals is the foundation of good health and nutrition and will supply your needs for a well-balanced supply of minerals.  A high quality solid or liquid nutritional multivitamin supplement (with minerals) can be located online at one of the many discount vitamin and mineral retailers at some of the lowest prices found anywhere.   We don't think you can beat that combination - high quality and low price!