Natural minerals originate as elements in the earth. Living beings cannot make minerals. Humans consume minerals from eating plants and animals. Plants take up the natural minerals from the soil, and herbivorous animals eat the plants. Minerals are also present in the water supply. The amount of minerals consumed depends on the soil and water content; this varies geographically.
Health Facts: Did you know in Ujang Tinggi’s review ‘Essentiality and toxicity of selenium and its status in Australia: a review’, published in Toxicology Letters in 2003, great differences were found in the intake of the trace mineral selenium in 15 countries? The countries with the lowest intakes were parts of China, Scotland, England, New Zealand, Australia, and Belgium. This is due to low soil and water selenium content in these countries.
Essential Minerals
There are approximately 90 natural minerals in the environment but the human body only requires around 22. These minerals are essential minerals. The essential minerals are categorised into three groups: major minerals, trace minerals, and ultra trace minerals. Major minerals (or macro-elements) are required by humans at doses 100 milligrams (mgs) or greater per day, trace minerals are required at doses between 1 mg and 100mg per day, whereas ultra trace minerals are required in amounts less than 1 mg per day. Ultra trace minerals are required in micrograms (mcg). One mg = 1000 micrograms.
Major minerals include:
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Chloride
Trace minerals include:
- Iron
- Zinc
- Manganese
- Copper
- Fluoride
Ultra trace minerals include:
- Selenium
- Molybdenum
- Iodine
- Chromium
- Boron
- Cobalt
Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins and minerals have differences and similarities. The article ‘Nutrient Facts: What are Vitamins’ discusses vitamins. Like vitamins, minerals are micronutrients being only needed in small quantities, however, unlike vitamins, natural minerals are generally inorganic; they do not contain carbon.
Each mineral plays a unique and critical role within the human body. Water-soluble vitamins and minerals act as co-enzymes; they assist enzymes in chemical reactions and nearly every bodily system requires natural minerals for normal physiological functions. Without the correct mineral in adequate amounts, enzymatic processes are hindered and vitamin function is affected. Vitamins need minerals.
Minerals are also important for nerve conduction, cell signaling, muscle contraction and relaxation, regulating osmotic pressure, maintaining correct acid- base balance, regulating water metabolism and blood volume, providing structure for cell membranes and substances such as bone, vitamins, carrier substances, and hormones, as well as many other functions. Minerals perform diverse functions throughout the body. If essential minerals are missing from the diet, deficiency signs and symptoms occur.
Health Facts: Did you know that apart from calcium, iron and phosphate, most of the natural minerals are not stored within the body in a usable, mobilizable form? Daily mineral intake is needed.
Mineral Supplements
Vitamins and minerals are available in supplements together or as single entities. The difference between vitamins and minerals is that minerals are often complexed with another substance—a carrier, for example calcium with citrate, chromium with chloride, and zinc with sulfate. Minerals tend to complex easily, meaning they like to join to other substances. By joining a mineral onto another substance that is well absorbed, such as amino acids, we benefit by increasing the absorption of the mineral. Additionally, often the substance that the mineral is complexed with has beneficial functions within the body.
Health Facts: Did you know the total amount of each mineral in a mineral supplement, excluding the carrier substance, is the ‘elemental amount’? This is the amount of the actual mineral and the amount you should know when considering mineral supplements.
Resources
Brody T. Nutritional Biochemistry. 2nd ed. San Diego: Academic Press; 1999.
Stipanuk MH. Biochemical and Physiological Aspects of Human Nutrition. Philadelphia, USA: Saunders; 2000.
Bland J, S., Costarella L, Levin B, Liska D, Lukaczer D, Schiltz B, et al. Clinical Nutrition: A Functional Approach. 2nd ed. Washington, USA: Institute for Functional Medicine; 2004.
