Health Tips

Are you consuming enough minerals? When you sit down to dinner do you worry about how much copper, fluoride, iron, phosphorus and zinc you are giving yourself and your family? Probably not.

When our earliest ancestors foraged for food, they did so without thinking about why they craved and consumed certain plants, clays, salts and other substances. It was instinct that led them to eat “right.” Without benefit of modern-day knowledge, they somehow knew what science has now confirmed: In order for the human body to grow, develop and maintain good health, it needs minerals.

Minerals are naturally occurring elements that serve a multitude of roles in health. Bone density, brain function, transportation of oxygen, insulin regulation, muscle development and heart rhythm regulation all rely on a supply of minerals. It may be surprising to learn that the human body can function without vitamins, but without minerals it not only can’t function, it can’t survive. If the body’s mineral supply is depleted (e.g., during aging or illness), cell growth slows and cell reproduction eventually stops.

Minerals are categorized as bulk minerals (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and phosphorus) and trace minerals (including zinc, iron, copper, manganese, chromium, selenium and iodine). Bulk minerals are needed in fairly large amounts to ensure proper health, whereas trace minerals are needed in smaller quantities. Certain minerals, however, can compete with other minerals, so there must be a proper balance for any of them to be effective. For example, an excess of zinc can cause copper to be depleted; too much calcium may impede the body’s absorption of magnesium.

So how do we know if we’re getting the right amounts of minerals? Often, we don’t. Minerals accumulate in the soil and are passed to the plants that grow in the soil and then to the animals that eat the plants. We obtain minerals through the foods that make up our diets. Unfortunately, the common use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has reduced much of our soil to a “dead” substance. Chemical fertilizers are full of salts that are deadly to the microorganisms that break down soil nutrients so plants can use them. Pesticides kill the beneficial creatures that help protect plants from disease and insect invasion. Ultimately, use of fertilizers and pesticides causes a loss in soil fertility so that rather than containing life-giving nutrients, some soil becomes just dirt.

Additionally, minerals that are present in the foods we eat are often destroyed by cooking, freezing, exposure to air and/or light, and in food processing. And certain groups of people are more at risk for mineral deficiencies. Children and pregnant women, for example, have a higher than average need for minerals. People who engage in heavy alcohol use or smoke cigarettes are at greater risk because these toxic substances destroy vitamins and minerals. Nutritional needs also increase during illnesses and following surgery.

Although it’s best to get our nutrients from eating a wide variety of foods (because minerals in food are naturally balanced), mineral supplements can be an effective way to make sure our bodies get an appropriate and balanced amount. Many experts suggest that the most effective way to take a mineral supplement is with a meal. This allows the supplement to dissolve more thoroughly for better absorption into the bloodstream. Don’t take more than the recommended dose, though, because some minerals can do more harm than good if taken in excessive amounts.

Adequate mineral intake is crucial to your health. Because of this, it’s important to ask yourself this critical question: Are you getting all the minerals you need?