What Minerals Does My Body Need?
Getting enough minerals in the diet helps to maintain metabolism, energy levels, healthy bones, hormone balance, blood pressure, and so much more. Fresh fruits and vegetables paired with a healthy balance of meat and other proteins provide the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs. Variety is the spice of life, especially with a variety of food on your plate.
What are Minerals?
There are a few categories of minerals. We need macro-minerals in larger amounts than what are called trace minerals. A balanced diet will provide your body with all the minerals you need, so its important to eat a balanced and varied diet. Essential minerals are minerals our body can not make on its own. Each mineral plays a vital role in the body.
Essential minerals and Where to Find Them
1. Calcium
Calcium is found in many areas including milk, milk and dairy products, fish (salmon), fortified products, greens (broccoli).
Why we need it: Calcium is a mineral needed to build strong bones but it also helps your body absorb vitamin D. Too little calcium could result in a vitamin D deficiency. Without enough calcium, you could experience muscle spasms and cramps but it also leads to confusion, memory loss, and even depression. Too much calcium, often due to overactive parathyroids, could lead to kidney stones and even impact how your brain and heart works.
2. Sodium
Source: Table salt, milk, bread, and meats –
Why we need it: Sodium in the body helps balance fluid levels and is essential for the transmission of signals via nerve pathways. Sodium is also essential for muscle contraction. Sodium is an important electrolyte that helps the body maintain hydration. When you sweat a lot, you lose electrolytes like sodium. When you don’t have enough sodium in the body, it results in headaches, confusion, and fatigue. Importantly, too much sodium can result in high blood pressure.
3. Potassium
Source: Potassium is found in meats, salmon, milk, fresh fruits and veggies like banana
Why we need it: Your body needs potassium to help balance fluid levels, digestion, nerve signal pathways, and muscle contraction. It also helps regulate blood pressure. Potassium deficiency is often due to a use of diuretics and extensive sweating and can lead to irregular heart rhythms and muscle weakness.
4. Chloride
Source: Chloride comes from table salt, processed foods, milk, vegetables, and some meats
Why we need it: Your body needs chloride to balance fluid levels and balances things that go into or out of the cell. Chloride is also important for stomach acid stimulation to digest food. Excess sweating can result in a chloride deficiency which can result in vomiting (making the loss of chloride worse), headaches, confusion, fatigue, and muscle weakness.
5. Magnesium
Why we need it: Magnesium is a mineral used for bone development and structure, muscle contraction and relaxation, immune system, and nerve signal communication. Magnesium deficiency, which is uncommon in healthy adults, results in fatigue, high blood pressure, and headaches and long term it can result in osteoporosis. But fear not, a little dark chocolate can save the day! Magnesium is also important for having a good night sleep but as always, quality is important.
6. Phosphorous
Source: Phosphorous is found in meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk
Why we need it: Your body needs phosphorous to help develop strong teeth, build and maintain the structure of the cells in the body, and helps maintain balance throughout the body. If you don’t have enough phosphorous in the body, you lose your appetite, can develop anxiety, fragile bones, stiffness, fatigue, and muscle weakness.
7. Iodine
Source: Iodine is found in seafood, iodized salts, bread, dairyWhy: Iodine helps regulate thyroid hormones, growth, and development, and is essential for a healthy metabolism. Not enough iodine over a long term can result in a slow metabolism, fatigue, weight gain, and could result in goitre and infertility.
8. Iron
Source: Iron is found in red meats, organ meats, poultry, shellfish (especially clams); egg yolks, nuts, leafy greens, fortified cereals
Why we need it: Iron helps make up the molecules that transport blood cells through the body which carry oxygen for all the cells in the body. Iron is also essential for a healthy metabolism. Without enough iron, you will not be able to produce enough red blood cells which are important for oxygen transport throughout the body, and eventually develop anaemia. Together, these lead to fast heartbeat and can even impact heart and lung health, fatigue and weakness. Vegans and vegetarians are at increased risk of iron deficiency.
9. Zinc
Source: Zinc is found primarily in meat, fish, poultry, vegetables
Why we need it: Zinc is an important mineral for a healthy immune system because it helps signal the production of white blood cells to boost immunity. Zinc is also a key part of enzymes in the body, important for genetic material, helps heal wounds, and helps with normal growth, development, and function. A deficiency of zinc an cause a skin rash and dryness, a prolonged healing time for wounds, and can cause confusion and memory. A lack of zinc can also impact your ability to fight infections. Vegans and vegetarians are at increased risk of zinc deficiency.
10. Copper
Source: Copper is found in organ meats, drinking water, nuts, seeds, whole grains
Why we need it: Copper is part of enzymes and your body needs copper to metabolise iron in from the diet. Line many of the other minerals we have discussed, a copper deficiency causes fatigue, muscle weakness, and common sickness. A lack of copper in the diet can also cause memory issues, pale skin, and vision loss. Copper deficiency is rare among adults that live healthy lives but is more common in children who have malabsorption conditions.
11. Manganese
Source: Manganese is widespread in most foods
Why we need it: Manganese is a major component of enzymes. Manganese also helps break down carbohydrates. Manganese helps with blood clotting. A deficiency in manganese is very rare in healthy adults. However, foods such as beans, seeds, soy products, and nuts, which are high in phytic acid, can prevent manganese absorption in your body.
12. Sulphur
Source: Sulphur is found in foods rich in proteins such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, nuts
Why we need it: Sulphur maintains the structure of proteins as it is a key component to protein development, including in hair. Sulphur also helps repair DNA. A lack of sulphur in the diet can cause skin condition like acne, brittle hair, nails, and bones, and can also cause headaches and digestive issues. Vegans are at a greater risk of sulphur deficiency because vegan food doesn’t always have sufficient nutritional content and, importantly, sulphur deficiency is often a result of a lack of sulphur in soil and therefore, plants like vegetables.
13. Selenium
Source: Selenium is found in meats, seafood, grains
Why we need it: Selenium acts as an antioxidant and protects cells from damage. A lack of selenium can result in autoimmune conditions called Grave’s disease which impact the thyroid. Selenium deficiency can cause infertility, muscle weakness, fatigue, and a weaker immune system. People who eat diets that are mainly plant based are ata greater risk of selenium deficiency.
14. Fluoride
Sources of Fluoride include drinking water, fish, and teas.
Why we need it: Fluoride helps the body build strong bones, healthy teeth, and prevents tooth decay. The main sign of a deficiency in fluoride is cavities and bone weakness.
15. Chromium
Sources: Chromium is found in unprocessed grains, whole grains, nuts, and cheese
Why we need it: Chromium helps the body regulate blood sugar levels with insulin. Chromium deficiency can lead to severe weight loss, confusion, and impacted coordination. It can also result in the development of diabetes.
16. Molybdenum
Molybdenum is easily found in leafy greens and green vegetables, grains, and milk.
Why we need it: Molybdenum is a mineral that is a major component of enzymes. If you don’t get enough molybdenum, it could lead to cognitive disabilities, seizures, and fast heart-rate. Typically, deficiencies only occur in individuals that have a genetic nutation that prevents the absorption of molybdenum. It is very rare.
17. Choline
Best Source: Eggs
Why we need it: Choline is a very important mineral the body needs to build and maintain cell membranes. The essential nutrient choline helps the body to communicate with the brain and aids in improving memory and brain development. Choline is essential for babies because it is important for the baby to have healthy brain development. There is a greater risk of choline deficiencies in pregnant and lactating women who have low folic acid and vitamin B12. Vegans and vegetarians are also at high risk of choline deficiencies.
What’s the Take Away
Having a balanced diet and treating food as fuel for the body can help you live a more balanced life. I always like to look at food as a fuel source and as a tool to help your body thrive. The important thing to remember is variety and eating natural, wholesome foods in moderation. Minerals are vital to all systems in the body. The good news is that if you have a healthy and balanced diet, it’s easy to make sure you get all the minerals your body needs! If you want help and guidance on your health and diet, schedule a call with me and let’s chat!
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