Major minerals are most abundant in the body and are necessary for many body functions and organ health. Trace minerals are also extremely important for human health. Since they are found in soil, foods and our bodies in smaller amounts, they are more easily depleted.
When mineral deficiencies occur, important functions in the body will not work well or specific substances the body needs will not be produced. For example, iodine is needed for the proper function of the thyroid gland, iron is necessary for healthy red blood cells, and we need adequate amounts of zinc for proper immune function.
Major Minerals
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Silicon
- Sodium
- Sulfur
Calcium
What is it?
Calcium is essential to bone formation and bone strength. It is also required by the body’s cells, along with magnesium, for proper function and electrical activity.
Calcium is absorbed better with vitamin D, adequate stomach acidity, regular exercise, and after protein intake. It is best taken at bedtime along with some vitamin C.
Good calcium sources include cheese and yogurt, sardines (with bones), broccoli, leafy greens, almonds and Brazil nuts, tofu and soybeans, blackstrap molasses, dried figs and apricots, and corn tortillas (with added lime).
What are the benefits?
Calcium functions in maintaining bones and teeth, especially during growth and development years. It is involved in nerve conductivity, muscle contraction, including normal heartbeats, and in cell division.
Used primarily to support bone health, especially in menopausal women, calcium is helpful in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis (porous, demineralized bones). It is also used for muscle cramps, menstrual cramps, and to prevent tooth decay.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Toxicity usually occurs along with magnesium and/or phosphorus deficiency, and can lead to increased calcification, which is a factor in hardening of the arteries, (the cause of most heart disease), kidney stones, and other stone formations. Calcium deficiency is more common than toxicity and can cause weak and porous bones, decay and loss of teeth, abnormal heartbeats, and rickets in children.
What is the recommended dosage?
Calcium supplementation is available in many forms--tablets, capsules, powders, and liquids--and as many mineral salts, such as calcium carbonate, calcium gluconate, and calcium citrate. Chelated citrates and asparatates are absorbed better than other forms. The recommended dosage is 850 mg and 1,200 to 1,500 mg in menopausal women.
Magnesium
What is it?
Magnesium may be the most commonly deficient mineral in human nutrition. It is the calming or "anti-stress" mineral, so very important to many human functions. Found mostly in plant foods --grains, legumes, vegetables, and nuts and seeds--magnesium is equivalent in the plant’s chlorophyll molecule to iron in human hemoglobin.
What are the benefits?
Magnesium is mostly inside the cells and functions to relax muscles (and the heart), and enzyme activation for many metabolic functions, including protein synthesis, energy production, and nerve conduction. Magnesium supplementation can help with poor sleep, anxiety, menstrual and muscle cramps or spasms, high blood pressure, asthma attacks, and abnormal heartbeats.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Since excess magnesium is easily eliminated, toxicity is nearly unknown. Deficiency is quite common and can lead to muscle cramps, calcification problems, fatigue, irritability, and insomnia.
What is the recommended dosage?
Magnesium should be supplemented along with calcium at a minimum of a 2 to 1 ratio of calcium to magnesium. Its required daily intake for adults is 350 mg, and for treating deficiencies, a dosage of 600-700 mg may be needed.
Phosphorus
What is it?
Second to calcium in our body's mineral content, phosphorus is found in all our body’s cells. Like calcium, it is essential to bone strength, as are calcium phosphate is the primary component of our bones.
Phosphorus is found in most all foods, but it is higher in animal and protein foods such as meats, fowl, fish, eggs, milk products, nuts and seeds. It is also found in many vegetables as well. Sodas and phosphated drinks may cause excessive amounts of phosphorus intake, and this can interfere with proper calcium metabolism.
What are the benefits?
Phosphorus is an important component of bones and teeth. It plays an important role in cell energy production and protein synthesis. It is also a component of phospholipids, such as lecithin, which are so important to cell membranes. Because phosphorus is so available in the diet and often consumed excessively, it is rarely supplemented other than as part of bone-building formulas.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Problems of phosphorus deficiency and toxicity are not believed to be very predominant. Excess may alter calcium balance, while deficiency may lead to energy and metabolic problems.
What is the recommended dosage?
Adults need about 800 mg daily.
Potassium
What is it?
An important mineral contained mainly within cells, potassium helps to balance and interact with sodium in controlling blood pressure and supporting electrical impulses across cell membranes. It is found in fruits and vegetables, such as leafy greens, potatoes, citrus, and bananas, as well as in whole grains, nuts and seeds.
What are the benefits?
Potassium helps to regulate water and acid-alkaline balance. It also supports the electrical energy action across cell membranes generated by the sodium and potassium "pump." Potassium in larger doses is prescribed for people who are taking diuretics for high blood pressure or water swelling. As a nutritional supplement in smaller amounts, potassium is recommended for balancing sodium, for muscle cramps and twitches, and for controlling heart disease.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Toxicity can result from improper kidney function and can be serious. Deficiency is more common and can cause fatigue, elevated blood pressure, and abnormal muscle contractions. Deficiency can occur quite easily with persistent diarrhea, or from excessive salt intake.
What is the recommended dosage?
We need a couple grams of potassium a day, which we can get easily from a diet high in fresh foods – fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Silicon (Silica)
What is it?
Important for tissue strength, silicon is commonly found in the earth's soil and in our foods. Found in plant fibers, silicon is available from whole grains and vegetables, as well as from herbs, such as horsetail and oatstraw.
What are the benefits?
Silica gives strength and firmness to the body tissues, including bones, cartilage, arteries and skin. It is commonly used to support the skin, hair, and nails, as well as the joints and connective tissues.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Toxicity and deficiency are both uncommon, and are still being studied for possible relevance.
What is the recommended dosage?
There is no official requirement for silicon. People may take from 50-100 mg or 500-1,000 mg daily.
Sodium
What is it?
The base of salt, sodium chloride, sodium is commonly overused in modern times and contributes to water retention, elevated blood pressure, and kidney and cardiovascular disease. Found naturally in ocean seafood and seaweed, and in many vegetables, the overconsumption comes from the added salt in the kitchen, at the table, and the salty snacks that are so prevalent as processed foods.
What are the benefits?
Sodium is essential to cell function, acid-base buffering, and the electrical conductivity in the body. Used primarily for sweat replacement in athletes, sodium is rarely supplemented unless a person is shown to be deficient.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Toxicity may affect blood pressure and kidney function. Deficiency from excess loss or in the elderly can cause fatigue, water retention, insomnia, and other symptoms.
What is the recommended dosage?
We only need about 2 grams of sodium daily, yet most people consume more. The average person needs to be attentive in avoiding excess salt and sodium intake.
Sulfur
What is it?
An important part of several amino acids, sulfur is found primarily in protein foods, such as eggs, milk products, meats and fish. It is also contained in some legumes and in root vegetables like onions and garlic.
What are the benefits?
Sulfur is important in enzyme reactions and protein synthesis. It is also the most abundant element in hair. It has been used over the centuries in skin salves for psoriasis and eczema. It is more commonly used nowadays as MSM (methylsulfonyl methane), for treatment of allergies and joint problems, such as arthritis.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
There isn't much concern with deficiency or toxicity.
What is the recommended dosage?
Although there is no official minimum requirement, sulfur is needed in an amount of 800-1,000 mg. Most people seem to get adequate amounts from their diets.
Trace Minerals
- Boron
- Chromium
- Copper
- Fluoride
- Iodine
- Iron
- Lithium
- Manganese
- Molybdenum
- Selenium
- Vanadium
- Zinc
Boron
What is it?
Boron has recently received a lot of attention because it has been found to help bones utilize calcium. Soil levels may influence the local incidence of arthritis, with increased soil boron levels associated with a lower risk of osteoarthritis. If the mineral is in sufficient supply in the soil in which foods are grown, it will be in most whole foods, such as apples, grapes, nuts, legumes, and leafy greens.
What are the benefits?
Boron may function in calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus balance through effects on the parathyroid glands. Used to prevent bone loss, boron is commonly added to calcium bone-supporting formulas.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Boron toxicity is not known, while deficiency may affect bone and calcium metabolism.
What is the recommended dosage?
The average person may consume about 1 mg boron daily, while 3-5 mg may be more helpful as a bone-supporting supplement.
Chromium
What is it?
Chromium is crucial to blood sugar and cholesterol metabolism, and has become popular in weight loss programs. Not very available in foods, the best sources for chromium is Brewer's yeast and other yeasts. Chromium is also found in beef and whole grains. It may also be found in vegetables grown in chromium-rich soil, however, such soil is rare in the U.S.
What are the benefits?
Chromium is the main component of glucose tolerance factor, which helps insulin function to utilize glucose (blood sugar) by the cells. It also may influence cholesterol by improving its metabolism. Chromium is used to support glucose metabolism in people with diabetes and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), to lessen sweet cravings, to improve metabolism and help weight loss, and to help with cardiovascular problems.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Chromium toxicity is rarely found other than with exposure to toxic metallic chromium. Insufficient chromium is a common deficiency and alters sugar metabolism.
What is the recommended dosage?
Although there is no specific requirement, people need at least 50-100 mcg of chromium daily. Since the average intake from food may be only 10 mcg daily, supplements may be necessary.
Copper
What is it?
The zinc-balancing mineral copper is important in many enzymes as well as in the production of hemoglobin, our oxygen-carrying molecule.
Copper is highest in oysters. It is also available from nuts and seed, whole grains and legumes, and in small amounts, in most vegetables.
What are the benefits?
Because of some concern for copper toxicity, most experts don't suggest copper supplementation. However, it should be consumed in about 2 mg for every 15-25 mg of supplemented zinc to prevent copper deficiency.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Toxicity can come from water passed through copper pipes or from elevated copper in well water. Excessive copper can cause various neurological and mental symptoms. Copper deficiency often goes with iron deficiency in anemia, and a deficiency can also cause symptoms of fatigue, skin rashes, and hair loss.
What is the recommended dosage?
Copper is usually included in multivitamins in a dosage of 1-2 mg per day. Remember to take additional copper when more zinc is consumed.
Fluoride
What is it?
Controversial as a tooth decay preventive, fluoride is added to many municipal waters in the U.S. It does have toxicity concerns and is associated with increased cancer risk. Sodium fluoride naturally occurs in seawater, and thus, can be found in seafood. Typically, we get consume most of our fluoride from fluoridated tap water and toothpaste.
What are the benefits?
Fluoride may not be required in humans. However, it does bond with dental and bone calcium as calcium fluoride, which protects the teeth from decay and may strengthen the bones. It is used as part of a dental hygiene program in vitamins, toothpaste and as fluoride treatments. It is also used experimentally for improving osteoporosis.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Toxicity is of great concern worldwide, with the U.S. being the only industrialized country still fluoridating its water. Excessive fluoride can cause mottling, discoloration and pitting of teeth. At higher doses, fluoride can cause arthritic symptoms, decreased growth and cellular changes in important metabolic organs, bone malformations and cancer. Deficiency may not truly exist, although it appears that the absence of fluoride may predispose us to tooth decay.
What is the recommended dosage?
Most people probably consume about 1-2 mg of natural fluorides. The additional fluoride found in toothpaste and water may lead to toxicity.
Iodine
What is it?
Iodine is found in seawater and, thus, in most seafood and seaweed. It is also in vegetables and milk, as long as iodine is in the soil or the cow's feed.
What are the benefits?
Iodine is used primarily by the thyroid gland to make thyroid hormones, which control our metabolic rate and body temperature. It is also used to support some other biochemical reactions. Iodine is often included in multivitamins in a dosage of 150 mcg. It is also used in formulas to support the thyroid. Kelp is a commonly taken iodine supplement. Potassium iodide and the medicine SSKI are used for bronchial congestion and to rebalance the body and support immune function.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Toxicity is uncommon unless people consume excessive salt or kelp tablets. Before iodine was routinely added to salt, deficiency conditions, such as low thyroid function and thyroid swelling (goiter) were common in large areas of our country. Less common today, these conditions still occur with insufficient iodine intake.
What is the recommended dosage?
Iodine is a required nutrient for adults in the amount of 150 mcg per day. More is usually not needed. Most people consume too much iodine-containing salt and processed foods, which often have added iodine.
Iron
What is it?
Iron is an extremely important mineral for general well-being and energy. It is the key component within the hemoglobin molecule, which carries oxygen in every red blood cell. Iron is found in the highest amounts in liver and red meats. Vegetable sources include leafy greens, nuts and seeds (particularly pumpkin and sunflower seeds), raisins and prunes, and wheat germ and bran.
What are the benefits?
Iron functions in hemoglobin and myoglobin, a molecule that supplies oxygen to muscles. Used medically to support blood loss and rebuild red blood cells; iron is also a particularly important supplement during pregnancy.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Although iron is extremely important for growing children and all women in menstruating years, it is a toxic concern for all men and any female who does not have regular menstrual periods. Excessive iron may lead to hardening of the arteries and heart disease The most common deficiency symptoms are fatigue and anemia.
What is the recommended dosage?
The average child and woman needs 15-20 mg day of iron, while men need only about 10 mg or less. Pregnant and nursing women need about 50-60 mg day.
Lithium
What is it?
Lithium is a metal found in the soil and used medically in the treatment of manic-depressive (bipolar) disorders. It is a question whether it is a required nutrient or if its lack can lead to mood disorders. Lithium is contained in many foods grown in soil containing it.
What are the benefits?
Lithium’s function is not yet clear other than the possible relationship to brain and mood functions. It is used in high amounts medically to treat diagnosed manic depression, and in low amounts nutritionally to balance moods or milder forms of manic depression. It has also been used in the treatment of alcoholism.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Deficiency of lithium is not described. Toxicity only appears to happen in people taking prescription lithium, which can cause a wide variety of problems.
What is the recommended dosage?
Although there is no specific requirement, most people probably take in about 2 mg daily from their diets. Lithium orotate may be recommended as a natural remedy at a daily dose of about 10-30 mg, while medical treatment is usually about 1,000-1,500 mg/day.
Manganese
What is it?
Often confused with magnesium, manganese is a trace mineral that is important in many enzyme systems. Nuts and whole grains are the best sources. Seeds, peas, and beans also contain some manganese. Manganese activates many enzymes in cell metabolism and facilitates the working of various vitamins, such as thiamine (B1), choline, and vitamin C. It also helps with protein and amino acid digestion and utilization.
What are the benefits?
Used therapeutically to correct deficiency, and to balance zinc and copper; manganese also may be helpful for regulating blood sugar in diabetes and in neurological disorders.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Toxicity only occurs with mined manganese and not nutritional manganese, while deficiency may cause a variety of problems.
What is the recommended dosage?
Manganese is needed in about 3-5 mg daily, although there is no official recommended daily allowance. A dosage of 10-20 mg is well tolerated and can correct any deficiency.
Molybdenum
What is it?
Molybdenum is an unusual trace mineral that functions in three enzymes in sulfite detoxification, carbohydrate metabolism, and uric acid production. Food Molybdenum in food is based on soil levels, and may be found in whole grains, legumes, and vegetables.
What are the benefits?
Molybdenum is usually included in multiminerals. It is occasionally recommended for asthmatics who have difficulty in metabolizing sulfites.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Not a lot is known about molybdenum toxicity or deficiency, but there have been problems with both in animal studies. Toxicity may affect growth and weight, while deficiency may limit the functions of this mineral.
What is the recommended dosage?
Suggested intake of molybdenum ranges from 100-300 mcg daily.
Selenium
What is it?
Selenium is an important antioxidant and cancer-protecting mineral that varies in availability. Areas that have higher levels of selenium in the soil appear to have lower cancer rates, and vice-versa. Selenium is found in foods grown in selenium-rich soil. Yeasts, wheat germ, and whole grains, like brown rice, contain some selenium.
What are the benefits?
Selenium is necessary for the functioning of glutathione peroxidase, an important detoxifying enzyme, which helps us metabolize chemicals. It is used as a component of antioxidant, anti-aging formulas. Selenium works well with vitamin E to protect us from free radical damage. It is often included as part of an anti-cancer or cancer prevention program.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Selenium toxicity does exist and occurs more with elemental selenium and sodium selenite than with protein bound selenomethionine. Selenium deficiency is much more common than toxicity, especially in the U.S. Deficiency may predispose us to cancer, cataracts, and cardiovascular disease.
What is the recommended dosage?
About 200 mcg of selenium is considered the right daily level; while up to 400 mcg is considered a safe intake.
Vanadium
What is it?
This little known mineral may actually be very important to blood sugar balance and cardiovascular function. Vanadium is found in vegetable foods when it is present in the soil. Grains, carrots, and cabbage are some common sources of vanadium.
What are the benefits?
The function of vanadium is unclear, but it may help reduce the production of cholesterol and help in sugar metabolism. It is used in the nutritional treatment of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Vanadium appears to be nontoxic, and deficiency is not well proven.
What is the recommended dosage?
There is no requirement for vanadium. An average recommended dosage is 2-3 mg daily, while therapeutic levels are about 10-15 mg daily. Higher amounts, up to 50-100 mg daily, are used in treating diabetes.
Zinc
What is it?
Zinc is considered by many nutritionists to be the most important mineral because it is essential to so many enzyme systems and to a normal functioning immune system. Many people are deficient in zinc, as it is not always easy to get enough from foods. Like other minerals, it needs to be in the soil first before it can get into the food. Oysters have the highest zinc content of any food. It is also found in shellfish, meats, eggs and whole grains. Nuts and pumpkin and squash seeds are good sources.
What are the benefits?
Zinc functions in a multitude of enzymes needed for alcohol metabolism, protein digestion, amino acid metabolism and energy production. It is needed for immune function and for fighting against damaging free radicals. Zinc is commonly supplemented to support prostate health in men, immune function in everyone, normal sexual development in teenagers, and to protect against chemical exposures. It is also used as a lozenge to fight off colds and sore throats, and in recovery from injury, illness, and surgery.
What are the long term effects and precautions?
Zinc can cause toxic upset when too much is taken, such as abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Deficiency is much more common and can cause delayed sexual development in boys and girls, prostate problems in men and increased susceptibility to infections.
What is the recommended dosage?
Normal supplementation is about 15-30 mg daily in men and 10-20 mg in women. More can be used temporarily to correct deficiency. Copper (2-3 mg) and manganese (5-10 mg) should also be taken with additional zinc.
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