Minerals

Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients [also known as micronutrients] which the body requires for healthy growth, maintenance, development and functioning. They are needed by the body to carry out specific reactions, performing hundreds of roles, some of which includes supporting bone health, healing wounds, bolstering the immune system, converting food into energy, cellular repair and much much more.

Minerals are naturally occuring, mostly inorganic, [Inorganic meaning not from living matter] solid substances that come from the earth. Minerals are chemical substances that contain one or more elements and are usually solid with an ordered crystalline structure. What this means is that the atoms are arranged in a repetetive ordered pattern.

A mineral is not a rock, though it is found in dirt, rocks and water. Our bodies get minerals from soil and water. Minerals from the soil and water find their way into the body through food and fluids that are consumed. Minerals are water soluble & go directly into the bloodstream. They do not require enzymes to be broken down, though some minerals need help for absorption and transportation in the blood .They are usually stored in bones, cells, tissue and in muscles and they always hold onto their chemical structure despite the chemical reactions they undergo. This means they are not destroyed by the body's digestive process or food preparation and always retain their individual identity.

Minerals that are not stored in body tissues are usually excreted out in waste so excess amounts do not accumulate to dangerous levels, and they are usually needed in smaller quantities than vitamins.



Calcium



Chloride



Iron



Magnesium



Manganese



Phosphorous



Potassium



Selenium



Sodium



Zinc