Minerals

Understanding Minerals: Essential Elements for Your Well-Being

A healthy, well-balanced human diet must include macronutrients and micronutrients, both of which are essential and need to be supplied via food sources and/or supplements because our bodies cannot make them on their own. Macronutrients, including fats, carbohydrates, and protein, are needed in larger quantities; while micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals, are required in smaller amounts. These dietary minerals are chemical elements critical to all living organisms other than the four elements: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. Various nutrients are needed to support the body’s biochemical processes and may also function as electrolytes or play more of a structural role. 

The body requires 20 essential minerals. The amount needed for each of these varies significantly according to both the mineral itself as well as one’s individual health status, age, diet, lifestyle, etc. In turn, these nutrients are classified either as a "major" or "trace" according to how much we need to maintain health. 

Major minerals (or macrominerals) are required in amounts over 100 mg daily. These include sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sulphur. 

Trace minerals, as the name implies, are only required in trace amounts, typically because they play a role in catalyzing enzymes. They include iron, copper, zinc, selenium, strontium, molybdenum, manganese, fluoride, iodine, chromium, cobalt, and vanadium.

Harnessing the Benefits of Mineral Supplements: Nurturing Health and Vitality

Minerals are essential to human health. Together, they play important roles throughout the body, such as maintaining bone health, supporting healthy muscle function, promoting heart health, and protecting the brain and cognitive function. These nutrients are also intimately implicated in the synthesis of various enzymes and hormones. There are plenty of supplements to choose from depending on your needs. Some include, trace mineral supplements, mulit-mineral supplements and single minerals if you're low in one in particular. 

Dietary Minerals Potency, Forms & Formats

Dietary minerals can be purchased in isolated form, individually, or in various complex combos and are frequently added to multivitamin/mineral formulas. Each of these is offered in a range of formats such as pills (tablets, capsules, softgels), liquids, and powder forms for those who prefer to simply add a scoop to their protein shake or fruit smoothie. 

Choosing The Right Mineral Supplement For You

When choosing a supplement, getting advice on what may be best for you is important. If you aren't sure if you may be low on a given nutrient (such as iron, for instance), speak to your health care practitioner about getting your iron tested because excess iron can be just as harmful to health as being anaemic. It's also important to know that certain minerals can compete for absorption when taken together, so it's always essential to follow label instructions carefully. 

When buying your these supplements, it's always best to speak with one of our knowledgeable natural health experts here at National Nutrition.ca