Minerals circulated through your bloodstream with vitamins are used to maintain bone, heart and muscle health. Calcium, phosphorus and potassium are three major minerals; iron zinc magnesium chromium fluoride selenium play important roles.
People generally can obtain all the essential vitamin and mineral nutrients they require by eating a variety of foods; however, in rare cases nutrient deficiencies do arise.
Calcium
Calcium is an essential nutrient for bone health and helps the body utilize other essential elements such as phosphorus and magnesium. Calcium occurs naturally in certain foods, is added to others, or consumed as dietary supplements; you should discuss your calcium needs with your healthcare provider as chronic high consumptions could increase heart disease risks and certain cancer risks; calcium works together with vitamin D to promote bone health in older adults; however these observations require further investigation and further studies are warranted before concluding otherwise.
Women who consume low intakes of calcium should supplement with 1,500 to 2,000 mg/day calcium supplements to lessen the chances of preeclampsia. Calcium carbonate tends to cause constipation more easily, so it may be wiser to take them at meal times or throughout the day for optimal results.
Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential nutrient essential to many bodily processes, from controlling blood pressure and bone strength development, to helping protect against heart conditions and even helping prevent them.
Reducing asthma symptoms, improving sleep and reducing leg cramps are among the many potential advantages. More research needs to be conducted in order to confirm these potential gains.
Diets rich in magnesium may provide enough, while supplements may be necessary to meet daily requirements. It’s best to opt for third-party tested products and consult a doctor or registered dietitian nutritionist (RD or RDN) before beginning new supplements.
Iron
Iron is an essential mineral essential for producing hemoglobin, the protein responsible for transporting oxygen throughout your body through red blood cells. Iron also contributes to normal cell functioning, physical growth and production of certain hormones.
Women need more iron than men during pregnancy and breastfeeding, which poses serious health concerns if there is insufficient iron available to them. Anemia caused by iron deficiency can become life threatening.
An excessive intake of iron can build up in the liver and other organs, increasing risk for certain forms of cancer and cardiovascular disease as well as interfering with some medications like folic acid and zinc absorption. Furthermore, those suffering from hemochromatosis may absorb more iron than is safe; thus it is vital that all iron supplements be kept securely capped out of reach of children.
Iodine
Iodine is an essential nutrient used by your thyroid gland to create thyroid hormones, which regulate metabolism and help your body grow and develop. Without enough iodine in your diet, goiters and other thyroid issues could occur.
Iodine can be found naturally in some foods such as seaweed, shrimp, milk and some dairy products; it’s also often added to table salt. While deficiency was once common in the United States due to lack of access to iodized salt products, rates have since decreased due to availability.
The American Thyroid Association advises women planning a pregnancy, pregnant or breastfeeding who take anti-thyroid medication that interferes with how much thyroid hormone is produced to take a daily 150mcg potassium iodide supplement for protection. Note: this may cause an allergic reaction in some people and iodine supplement may trigger an allergic response as well.
Zinc
Zinc is one of the body’s two most abundant trace minerals and plays an essential role in many enzyme reactions. It plays a part in DNA synthesis, protein production and healthy immune function as well as maintaining skin health as well as taste and smell perception.
A 2020 small study showed that zinc supplements helped decrease symptoms associated with peripheral neuropathy (pain, tingling and numbness in hands and feet). However, more research needs to be completed.
Zinc can easily be obtained from food and most people get enough from diet alone; however, some individuals may require additional supplementation such as during digestive disorders like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease or surgery on the digestive system. People following vegan or vegetarian diets as well as expecting mothers and lactating women might benefit from taking additional zinc dietary supplements as well.
