Major Minerals: How To Use Them For Your Benefit
Major minerals are important minerals we have to obtain from our diet in large amounts. Every day, more than 100 milligrams.
Major minerals are the category of minerals needed in large amounts. They come before trace minerals and ultratrace minerals.
If you are looking for a specific mineral, I recommend you use the expanded toc to find it.
Table of Contents
The Importance Of Minerals
Minerals are vital to human health. There are about 2000 minerals found in nature. But there are only a few of them that are essential for us, and therefore must be obtained from our diet.
Minerals are responsible for structural functions ◳ involving the skeleton and soft tissues and for regulatory functions. Like neuromuscular transmission, blood clotting, oxygen transport, and enzymatic activity.
Bioavailability Of Major Minerals
Compared to vitamins is the bioavailability of minerals quite low ◳. In general, are minerals better absorbed from animal foods because plant-based foods often contain compounds like oxalate that bind to the minerals and inhibit the absorption.
Some vitamins can help the absorption of minerals if they consume together. For instance, vitamin D can help the absorption of calcium and magnesium.
All Our Articles On Major Minerals
Below you will find a list of the major minerals, where you can find out what they are and what they might be able to do for you.
Calcium, Ca
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, making up 1.5 to 2% of the total body weight. Learn more in our article What Is Calcium & What Foods Can I Find It In?
Calcium is a mineral that the body needs for numerous functions, including building and maintaining bones and teeth, blood clotting, the transmission of nerve impulses, and the regulation of the heart rhythm. More about the benefits will you find in our article Calcium, Ca: 4 Research-Backed Benefits
Chlorine, Cl
Chlorine you get through your diet comes mostly in the form of chloride, more commonly known as salt. It is needed in the body to maintain the balance of fluids.
Read more about chlorine in our article What Is Chlorine We Find In Foods?
Magnesium, Mg
Magnesium is an essential mineral. Magnesium is one of the most vital nutrients in the body when it comes to energy production.
Magnesium is also a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems. Learn more about magnesium in our article What Is Magnesium & What Foods Can I Find It In?
Magnesium is crucial for many processes in the body, like regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure, and making protein, bone, and DNA.
Magnesium possesses many health benefits. Check them out in our article Magnesium, Mg: 14 Research-Backed Benefits
Phosphorus, P
Phosphorus, along with calcium, is essential for the calcification of bones. You can find more information about phosphorus in our article What Is Phosphorus & What Foods Can I Find It In?
Phosphorus is the second most abundant mineral in the body. It makes up about 1% of the body weight. You can read about benefits of phosphorus in our article Phosphorus, P: 5 Research-Backed Benefits
Potassium, K
Potassium is an essential mineral. Its main task in the body is to help maintain normal levels of fluid inside our cells. Learn more in our article What Is Potassium & What Foods Can I Find It In?
Potassium also helps muscles to contract and supports normal blood pressure. Check out what other benefits potassium has in our article Potassium, K: 6 Research-Backed Benefits
Sodium, Na
Sodium is an essential mineral and one of the chemical elements found in salt. (Sodium and salt is not the same thing). Learn about sodium in our article What Is Sodium & What Foods Can I Find It In?
Your body needs a small amount of sodium to work properly. But too much sodium can be bad for your health. But see what kind of benefits you might get from sodium in our article Sodium, Na: 5 Research-Backed Benefits
Sulfur, S
Sulfur is an essential mineral and vital for our health. You can find more information about sulfur and the research behind it in our article What Is Sulfur & What Foods Can I Find It In?
After calcium and phosphorus are sulfur the most abundant mineral in our body. Sulfur possesses many health benefits. Check them out and see what they might be able to do for you Sulfur, S: 12 Research-Backed Benefits