Download ESSENTIAL MINERALS AND HEALTH

ESSENTIAL MINERALS
AND HEALTH
Your body uses minerals for a variety of important jobs—from making red blood cells,
to building bones, to supporting metabolism. They’re considered essential because your
body needs the minerals to stay healthy, but it cannot make enough of them on its own.1
TYPES OF ESSENTIAL MINERALS
There are two types of essential minerals: major and trace minerals. Both types are
equally important for health, but major minerals are present in larger quantities in your
body than trace minerals.
1
Find out what role minerals play and where to find good sources of them below.
MAJOR
MINERALS
Mineral
Role in Body
Good Dietary
Sources
Calcium2
Calcium is the
most abundant
mineral in the
body. Around
99 percent of
calcium is stored
Milk, yogurt,
cheese, paneer,
broccoli,
chickpeas
and fish with
in your bones
and teeth, where
it supports
their structure
and function.
The remaining
one percent is
used to support
metabolic
functions.
soft bones
that you eat
Chloride3
Chloride helps
your body
maintain the
proper balance
of water and
digest food.
Salt (sodium
chloride),
tomatoes, lettuce
and pickles
Magnesium4
Magnesium
helps manage
muscle and
nerve function,
control blood
glucose levels,
regulate blood
pressure,
and make
DNA, protein
and bones.
Legumes, seeds,
nuts, whole
grains, fortified
cereal, milk,
yogurt and
green, leafy
vegetables
like spinach
Phosphorus5
As the second
most abundant
mineral in
the body,
phosphorus
works with
calcium to help
build strong
bones and teeth.
It also plays
an important
role in energy
metabolism,
helps filter
out waste in
Milk, dried fruit,
whole grains
and protein-rich
foods, such as
meat, poultry,
eggs, fish, nuts
and legumes
the kidneys,
and promotes
the growth,
maintenance
and repair of all
tissues and cells.
Potassium6
Potassium helps
your nerves
and muscles
communicate,
moves nutrients
into cells and
waste products
out of them, and
helps regulate
blood pressure.
Some fruits, such
as blackberries,
grapes, oranges,
grapefruit and
bananas; leafy
greens like
spinach; and
root vegetables,
such as carrots
and potatoes
Sodium7
You need
some sodium
to balance the
fluids in your
body, control
your blood
pressure and
blood volume,
and help your
muscles and
nerves work
properly.
However, many
people get
more sodium
than they need,
and too much
sodium can
increase blood
pressure, which
raises the risk
of heart disease
and stroke.
Table salt
(sodium
chloride),
cheese, salted
nuts, and many
processed foods,
such as bread,
cereal, pickles
and sauces
Sulfur8
Sulfur helps
make the body’s
connective
Meat, fish,
poultry, eggs,
legumes, garlic,
tissues, including
tendons,
ligaments
and cartilage.
onions and
asparagus
Mineral
Role in Body
Good Dietary
Sources
Chromium9
Chromium
helps turn fat,
protein and
carbohydrates
into energy,
and plays a role
in breaking
down insulin.
Whole grains,
oatmeal,
mushrooms,
broccoli,
potatoes,
garlic, basil
and grape juice
Copper10
Copper helps
form red
blood cells
and keep the
immune system,
blood vessels,
nerves and
bones healthy.
Shellfish, organ
meats like liver,
whole grains,
nuts, beans,
potatoes, dried
fruit and dark,
leafy green
vegetables
Fluoride11
Fluoride helps
reduce tooth
decay and
maintain bone
structure.
Fluoridated
water, tea and
most seafood
Iodine12
Your body
needs iodine to
make thyroid
hormones
that control
metabolism
and help with
brain and bone
Iodized salt,
seafood, milk,
yogurt, cheese,
eggs, bread,
cereal and
some fruits and
vegetables, but
the amount
TRACE
MINERALS
development
during
pregnancy
and infancy.
of iodine they
contain depends
on the soil and
fertilizer used
to grow them
Iron13
Iron helps make
many proteins,
including
hemoglobin,
a protein that
carries oxygen
to your tissues,
and myoglobin,
which brings
oxygen to
your muscles.
Your body also
uses iron for
growth and
development,
and to make
some connective
tissue and
hormones.
Lean meat,
seafood and
poultry; ironfortified bread
and cereal;
legumes, such
as lentils, white
beans, kidney
beans and peas;
nuts and some
dried fruits
like raisins
Manganese14
Manganese
plays a role
in connective
tissue and bone
formation,
calcium
absorption, fat
and carbohydrate
metabolism,
blood sugar
control, and
normal brain and
nerve function.
Whole grains,
nuts, seeds,
legumes and
pineapple
Molybdenum1
Molybdenum
helps make
several enzymes
your body needs.
Nuts, legumes,
grains and milk
Selenium15
Selenium
plays a critical
role in DNA
production,
thyroid hormone
metabolism,
reproduction
and protecting
the body from
damage caused
by infection or
free radicals.
Seafood, meat,
poultry, eggs,
bread, cereal and
dairy products
Zinc16
The body needs
zinc during
pregnancy,
infancy and
childhood
to promote
growth and
development.
Zinc also helps
make proteins
and DNA, heal
wounds, boost
the immune
system to fight
off infections,
and support
taste and smell.
Oysters, crab,
lobster, red
meat, poultry,
nuts, whole
grains, beans and
fortified cereal
MINERAL DEFICIENCIES
Eating a balanced diet usually provides all the essential minerals you need. However,
billions of people worldwide live with vitamin and mineral deficiencies that can make
supplementation necessary.
17
In India, 74 percent of the population suffers from iron deficiency anemia.18 Indians are
also prone to iodine deficiency because of the deficiency of iodine in the soil where the
food grows.19
Talk to your doctor about ways to incorporate more essential minerals into your diet and
whether a supplement may be right for you.
1. Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications. The Truth About Vitamins
and Minerals: Choosing the Nutrients You Need to Stay Healthy. 2012.
2. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Calcium: Dietary
Supplement Fact Sheet. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-Consumer/ and http://
ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/. Accessed August 25, 2014.
3. National Institutes of Health. MedlinePlus. Chloride in Diet. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/
medlineplus/ency/article/002417.htm. Accessed August 28, 2014.
4. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium: Dietary
Supplement Fact Sheet. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-Consumer/.
Accessed August 25, 2014.
5. University of Maryland Medical Center. Medical Reference Guide. Phosphorus.
https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/phosphorus. Accessed August 25,
2014.
6. National Institutes of Health. MedlinePlus. Potassium. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/
medlineplus/potassium.html. Accessed August 25, 2014.
7. National Health Service. Salt: The Facts. http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/
Pages/salt.aspx. Accessed August 26, 2014.
8. University of Maryland Medical Center. Medical Reference Guide. Sulfur. http://
umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/sulfur. Accessed August 26, 2014.
9. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Chromium: Dietary
Supplement Fact Sheet. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Chromium-HealthProfessional/.
Accessed August 27, 2014.
10. National Institutes of Health. MedlinePlus. Copper in Diet. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/
medlineplus/ency/article/002419.htm. Accessed August 26, 2014.
11. National Institutes of Health. MedlinePlus. Fluoride in Diet. http://
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002420.htm. Accessed August 26, 2014.
12. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Iodine: Dietary
Supplement Fact Sheet. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-HealthProfessional/ and
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-Consumer/. Accessed August 25, 2014.
13. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Iron: Dietary
Supplement Fact Sheet. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/ and
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-Consumer/. Accessed August 26, 2014.
14. University of Maryland Medical Center. Medical Reference Guide. Manganese.
https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/manganese. Accessed August 26,
2014.
15. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Selenium: Dietary
Supplement Fact Sheet. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Selenium-Consumer/ and http://
ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Selenium-HealthProfessional/. Accessed August 25, 2014.
16. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Zinc: Dietary
Supplement Fact Sheet. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-Consumer/ and http://
ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/. Accessed August 25, 2014.
17. A United Call to Action. Investing in the future. A united call to action
on vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Global Report Summary, 2009. http://
www.unitedcalltoaction.org/documents/Investing_in_the_future_Summary.pdf.
Accessed August 27, 2014.
18. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Government of India. Guidelines for
Control of Iron Deficiency Anaemia. National Iron+ Initiative. http://www.unicef.org/
india/10._National_Iron_Plus_Initiative_Guidelines_for_Control_of_IDA.pdf.
Accessed August 27, 2014.
19. Indian Journal of Medical Research. Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) in India.
Sep 2013; 138(3): 418–433. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3818611/.
Accessed August 27, 2014.
Information provided is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by
a trained professional. You should always consult your physician about any healthcare questions you may have, especially before
trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to healthcare issues.