Introduction
Minerals are substances that must be supplied by food, as the human body is not able to produce them itself. They are important to ensure the metabolism and can be divided into trace elements such as iron, iodine, copper and zinc as well as into bulk elements such as sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium. A lack of minerals can be caused by a reduced intake or an increased need.
What do you need minerals for?
The outstanding role played by minerals for a balanced homeostasis can be seen from the consequences of a deficiency. Among the trace elements, the first subgroup of minerals, are iron, iodine, copper and zinc. Iron should be supplied to the body in sufficient quantities, as it is essential for the formation of haemoglobin, the blood pigment of the red blood cells.
Iodine, on the other hand, is the most important building block in the thyroid gland‘s metabolism, as it is used for the production of the two thyroid hormones triiodothyronine and thyroxine (T3 and T4). Copper is directly related to the iron metabolism. It is needed both for the absorption of iron in the small intestine and for the functional utilization of iron.
Zinc is involved in the regulation of the immune system by strengthening it on the one hand by activating the defence cells and on the other hand by protecting the body from an excessive inflammatory reaction through negative regulation. It is still the subject of current research, as it has not yet been possible to decipher the exact cellular processes. To the quantity elements, the second subgroup of minerals, belong e.g. sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.
As an ion, sodium plays a decisive role in the regulation of the water exchange between the cell interior and exterior. Furthermore, it is involved in the development of action potentials of nerve cells, i.e. the transmission of excitation in nerves, and drives further transport processes via membranes. Potassium is present inside many body cells and is important for repolarization, i.e. the discharge of action potentials of nerve cells.
Another important ion is calcium, which, at about 1 kilogram, is the most abundant mineral in the body. It plays an important role in bone metabolism, where it forms a calcium-phosphate complex together with phosphate and is the basic substance of bone. Calcium is also involved in the transmission of neuronal signals in chemical synapses and coagulation processes. Magnesium, at 24 grams, is the least abundant mineral in the body and the opposite pole of calcium.