Minerals. Where do they come from? They have existed in the planet we inhabit since its creation, filling our soil, rocks and water from dust that long rained down on us from exploding supernovas. Yep, exploding stars. They are elemental in form and very basic units and our bodies are infused with them everywhere. They are essential to us from the moment we are conceived in the womb, from the moment cells begin to divide and a heart begins to beat.

So what are our major minerals and how do they work?

We hear the most about calcium, the most abundant mineral in our bodies, and the importance of maintaining ample calcium supply for the longevity and long term density of our bones. That’s because inside our bones, what’s truly at work is a lattice structure made up of minerals. This lattice is formed by calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. If our highly regulated blood calcium levels drop, a whole lot of things begin to happen and quickly. Our hormones get involved, signaling the need for more calcium (which fat soluble Vitamin D helps regulate). Our bodies do whatever it takes to maintain even levels of calcium in the blood, which means if intake is low, we have to get it from somewhere and that somewhere eventually becomes our bones. We see this manifest in conditions like osteoporosis, frequent bone breaking or hip fractures in elderly. 

Calcium also functions as a signaling device, telling the body certain processes that need to happen. It’s involved in blood clotting, signaling where the proteins need to arrive to begin coagulating our blood. It’s critical in skeleton formation so is crucially important for pregnant mothers, it’s imperative for proper nerve transmission as a signaling device, as well as muscle contraction. In our skeleton, a continuous need for calcium is present. Our bodies are incredible machines that constantly rebuild and repair. If our calcium intake has been low, we’re not doomed! We can start increasing our calcium intake now and reap the benefits.

Second to calcium, our second most abundant mineral in the body is Phosphorus. Phosphorus is something we don’t think or talk about much, but phosphorus and phosphates can be found and are critical in all of the following: bone mineralization, serving as the backbone of all of our RNA and DNA, energy storage and function, energy for muscle (think creatine phosphate), phospholipids (which make up all of our cell membranes, keeping everything protected and in tact), as well as helping maintain the acid-base balance in our body fluids. It’s a lot. Luckily, deficiencies in phosphorus are fairly uncommon and it’s readily found in many meats, whole grains, nuts, lentils, brans and even sodas. Yes, Diet Coke has phosphate additives and very few Americans are at risk of phosphate deficiencies. 

Our last major player in the world of minerals: Magnesium. It’s the 6th most abundant mineral found in our bodies but it’s hugely important for many normal processes. About 50-60% of our internal magnesium is located, again, in the bone (helping form that lattice of bone) and about 40% is found in our soft tissues. Our bodies rely on magnesium for that strong bone density and as a binding agent with our nucleic acids. 90% of magnesium in cells is bound to our ATP (back to that dang energy currency!) and it acts as a neutralizing agent, taking things from either positively or negatively charged to neutral. This neutralization that magnesium provides allows for the eventual interaction with proteins to then continue on doing their determined jobs. Even if we aren’t outright deficient in magnesium, insufficiencies can have ramifications like our ATP not being able to function as optimally as they could with ample supplies. Outside of what we think of with these intense cellular processes, more outward and visible roles of magnesium include facilitating muscle contraction, and there are even studies that suggest it can have calming effects for mood. 

THERE ARE ALSO A HOST OF TRACE + ULTRA TRACE MINERALS:

Iron, which enables the transport of oxygen within our bodies and acts as a cofactor for many enzymes, ensures that proteins can do their jobs effectively. Iron can be found in our diet in either heme or non-heme forms.

Heme iron is what we absorb from animal products, such as beef, liver, poultry, oysters and mussels. Non-heme iron are plant or fortified options such as beans, chickpeas, dried fruit, pumpkin, squash and fortified cereals and grains.

Across any population, females tend to be more iron deficient than males, as males typically maintain more muscle mass than females which allows for a greater production of heme iron within the body.

Zinc allows for structural change in proteins within cells and stabilizes structures and also has an integral role in gene expression, as over 1,000 genes have been identified that require Zinc for proper function and activation.

Zinc can be found in the diet through animal meat sources, particularly red meat, poultry and seafood options like crab, lobster and oysters. Plant and fortified sources of zinc include beans, nuts, lentils, dairy products and fortified whole grains and cereals.

Selenium has major antioxidant functions and also is required in healthy thyroid function.

The number one source of dietary selenium are brazil nuts, as they have more selenium than any other food! Other sources that are selenium rich include seafood, meat & organ meats, ham and fortified foods like breakfast cereals, pastas and whole grain breads. 

HOW CAN WE ENSURE WE’RE GETTING ENOUGH MINERALS?

We can simply add to our existing food habits to ensure we are getting adequate major mineral intake for our overall health.

• For calcium we can focus on dairy products like milk, cheeses and yogurt, dark leafy greens like broccoli and kale, fish with edible bones like sardines and canned salmon, supplementation (particularly for pregnant people in the 3rd trimester or lactating women.)

• Phosphorus can be found in the items listed above and is generally abundant enough to meet our dietary needs.

• Magnesium can be found in whole grains (have that bowl of oats!), leafy greens, yogurt and dried nuts and beans.

Understanding even a snippet of just how impactful these minerals are in our overall health can make a big difference in our efforts to stay mindful of diverse intake to keep our bodies running optimally. Just like with vitamins, if we are giving our body lots of food diversity, our bodies are able to better glean what they need from the nutrition we provide them. And our bodies in the way they utilize these minerals are absolutely incredible and rockstar, fine-tuned machines. 

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