What is food mineral?

Minerals are inorganic elements that originate in the earth and cannot be made in the body. They play important roles in various bodily functions and are necessary to sustain life and maintain optimal health, and thus are essential nutrients.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Minerals in Human Body

Minerals in Human Body
Minerals are the constituent which remain as ash after the combustion of plant and animal tissues.

Minerals are divided into:
*main elements
*trace elements
*ultra-trace elements

The main elements (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, P)are essential for human beings in amounts >50 mg/day. Sulfur belongs to this group. However, sulfur requirements are met by the intake of sulfur containing amino acids.

Trace elements (Fem I, F, Zn, Se, Cu, Mn, Cr, Mo, Co, Ni) are essential in concentration of <50 mg/day; their biochemical actions have been elucidated.

Ultra trace elements (Al, As, Ba, Bi, B, Br, Cd, Cs, Ge, Hg, Li, Pb, Rb, Sb, Si, Sm, Sn, Sr, TL, Ti, W) are elements whose essentially has been tested in animal experiments over several generations and deficiency symptoms have been found under these extreme conditions.

For one of these elements, if it is possible to detect a biochemical function in a vital tissue organ the element is assigned to the trace elements.

Main and trace elements have a very varied functions, e.g., as electrolytes, as enzyme constituents and as building material, e.g., in bones and teeth.
Minerals in Human Body

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