Vitamins and minerals play a key role in supporting our bones, muscles, blood vessels and nerves as well as helping with chemical processes and other bodily functions.
Mineral supplements are often included as part of multivitamins and can be found in foods like nuts, eggs, leafy greens and red meat. Folic acid, calcium and zinc can all easily be obtained through diet alone.
Calcium
Calcium is best known for its role in building strong bones, but this mineral also plays a crucial role in blood clotting, muscle contraction and nerve transmission. Calcium can be found naturally in certain foods and supplements as well as being purchased individually.
Dietary calcium is essential to the long-term health of bones, and some individuals may require additional supplements of this mineral throughout life. Dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese are great sources of this essential nutrient; but non-dairy sources include dark leafy vegetables like kale, collard greens and turnip greens; firm tofu; nuts/seeds like figs/dates as well as ready-to-eat cereals which contain fortified versions.
Calcium supplements have been tested in some clinical trials to help lower hypertension and cholesterol levels, with mixed results [1]. High doses of supplemental calcium may increase osteoporosis risk.
Magnesium
Magnesium, an essential mineral required for hundreds of cellular reactions, plays an integral part in keeping our hearts, muscles, and bones functioning at their best. Magnesium helps lower high blood pressure, lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes and may ease symptoms of depression while simultaneously helping lower anxiety and improving functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis which regulates our response to stress.
Although magnesium is vital, nearly half of Americans don’t get enough in their diets. While individual RDA levels vary based on age, adults typically need between 310-420 milligrams daily for proper functioning.
Magnesium can be found in foods like spinach, pumpkin seeds and cashews; supplements also exist but it’s best to get your magnesium through food whenever possible; nutrients work more effectively together than alone and interact with one another in the body. Furthermore, certain forms of supplements may be more easily absorbed than others — for instance magnesium citrate, malate or lactate are more bioavailable than oxide-form magnesium supplements.
Iron
Iron is essential in order to prevent and treat iron deficiency anemia (low levels of healthy red blood cells).
Children have high iron needs due to rapid development. Pregnant women must consume 30-60 milligrams of dietary iron daily. Infants receiving too little iron may develop developmental delays and experience reduced immunity; those suffering from digestive diseases or eating poor diets are at increased risk for iron deficiency.
The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for iron vary based on age and gender; most adults require 8 mg daily. Iron supplements work best when taken alongside foods high in vitamin C to enhance absorption. Certain forms of supplemented iron have reduced gastrointestinal side effects than others such as ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate or ferrous gluconate – however this may create confusion when selecting supplements; be sure to ask your physician for specific details about its elemental form so as to select an effective product!
Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral required for many bodily processes, from immune function and wound healing to protein and DNA synthesis and cell signaling. Zinc can be found naturally in certain foods or supplemental form – from lozenges and natural cold remedies to multivitamin/mineral supplements – but children, pregnant or breastfeeding women and those recovering from bariatric surgery especially should consume enough zinc. Inadequate intake may lead to deficiency symptoms; severe cases have even resulted in hospitalization from vitamin and mineral deficiencies caused by poor absorption during digestion of nutrients from food or supplements alone.
Zinc is a powerful immune booster, supporting both innate immunity and helping fight off infections. According to one meta-analysis (8), zinc may even shorten the duration of colds by stimulating specific immune cells and reducing oxidative stress levels (8). Zinc also plays an integral part in eye health – it has even been used successfully as part of diabetic foot ulcer treatments by stimulating specific immune cells while simultaneously decreasing oxidative stress levels (8).
