“What will I get from this?” This question is a truly loaded one, especially when it comes to eating right. I usually tell my daughters (ages 11 and 9) the benefits of vegetables I am serving for dinner. If I can’t entice them with color (purple cabbage!), shapes (carrots as flowers) or even smell (strawberry and honeydew), then I go the Alton Brown way, and give them a lesson in science. And a bit of chemistry. Sometimes it works, most of the time, it doesn’t.
As I was doing my research on trace mineral health or the direct benefits of minerals to our health, I am reminded that food is the best source of minerals. And if for some reason, we can’t get all our daily requirements from food, then supplements that are natural and organic and definitely plant based, are the way to go. The benefits of minerals cannot possibly be had from synthetic medicines!
There are numerous benefits from minerals that offer invaluable help in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Both macro minerals and trace minerals perform their own special role in an individual’s total well-being, assisting in the body’s proper metabolism, maintaining the balance of water, and contributing to the nourishment of bones to keep them strong.
The skin, teeth, hair, nails and other body tissues need these minerals in order to develop properly. A lack in any of these elements could cause a number of diseases. If there is a particular deficiency in the level of any specific mineral, it does not necessarily suggest that there is a deficiency in the mineral. But it could signify that other minerals may be interfering with its absorption, especially when their levels are high.
Trace minerals are called trace minerals because the body needs only a small amount of them. Yet, in studies after studies, they found out that the best way to maintain the body’s health is to have these trace minerals present in the body! Food minerals are the best source of trace minerals. A healthy diet is the best way to achieve this.
Given that a lot of people hardly have the time to have healthy and nutritious diets because of the hurried pace in today’s world, the need for supplements like essential minerals becomes more of a priority. For this reason, special mineral supplements as well as trace mineral drops have been made available as a solution to mineral deficiency in the body.
What are macro minerals for?
There are 7 kinds of macro minerals that the body needs to be able to function the way it normally should. These minerals include:
1. Calcium, which works mainly to develop strong teeth and bones. It also helps in regulating blood pressure, facilitates blood clotting, and is responsible for muscles contractions as well as nerve transmissions;
2.Chloride, that facilitates the development of hormones, specifically glandular and aids in potassium absorption as well as digestion;
3. Magnesium, for muscles and nerves, proper blood circulation, and the formation of healthy bones;
4.Phosphorus, that works hand in hand with calcium in the promotion of strong bones and teeth, supports the proper function of the kidney, and helps in building up good cell membranes;
5. Potassium, for breaking down carbohydrates and other proteins, as well as promote the growth of muscles and regulate blood pressure;
6. Sodium, for joint flexibility, sustaining blood volume, helps in supporting nerve transmissions and the other major organs of the body; and Sulphur, for the treatment of skin and joint conditions.
So what are trace minerals for?
Trace minerals are also very important in maintain a healthy body. Those that are recognized as the more essential ones include:
1.Iron, that carries oxygen to through hemoglobin to every part of the body;
2.Zinc, that promotes healing, proper function of the immune system, development of sex organs, and proper storage and release of insulin;
3.Selenium, which is an antioxidant that protects body cells from damage coming from free radicals; Iodide, for the proper function of the thyroid glands;
4. Chromium, that enhances the absorption of glucose into the body and triggers synthesis of cholesterol and fatty acids.
After reading up on what are trace minerals, of the benefits of minerals and the wonderful food minerals present in the foods we love, I have a better understanding of the frustrations of health experts in making us aware, our society in general, that the food we eat significantly impacts our quality of life.
So the next time my daughters resist a serving of vegetables at dinner and the older one asks, “What about these peas, Mama?” I can tell her, “One cup of these wonderful boiled peas gives you 51% of the required Vitamin K, 42% of your daily manganese, 40% of the Vitamin C quota for the day and over 1/4 of your daily requirement of Vitamin B1 (thiamin).”
Or I can just say, “Eat them because I say so. I’m your mother, that’s why!”
