The Role Of Trace Minerals In Your Body

Human beings need much more than fats, fiber, protein and carbohydrates. Known as trace minerals, human beings need at least 100 mg in one day. Although the requirement for human body is in few quantities, your body will need them to perform the essential functions. Incase of deficiency of anyone trace element, there could be major health problems. At times you are not aware that the health problems you are facing is due to the lack of adequate quantity of trace minerals. You need to get tested at least two times in a year in order to ensure that the body does not have any deficiencies.

There are 21 minerals present in the body and out of the 21, there are 5 which are necessary in a larger quantity. These include sodium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. The remaining 16 are necessary in fewer quantities and the body cannot manufacture any of these 21 minerals which is the reason you need to get them through a healthy diet. Only in rare cases you could have a deficiency of these minerals. Generally, the body gets the adequate quantity from a balanced diet. There are minerals which are heavily deficient in your diet and it could become necessary to consume supplements in order to provide for the needs of your body.

Here are some minerals that are commonly found to be deficient in your body.

Calcium

Majority of the calcium found inside your body is found in your teeth and bones. Calcium is necessary for the efficient functioning of the heart and the muscles and it plays a crucial role in healing wounds. The cells present inside your body work in a process known as osmosis. Through this process, they can transfer the minerals across the cell walls and it is calcium that helps maintain the health of the cell walls. If there is a lack of calcium in your body, it will weaken the bones and will eventually slow down the nervous system function. Men and women need to intake at least 1000mg of calcium daily. Men and women above the age of 50 need 1200 mg. All of us lose the calcium from our body through excretions and this is why this post exaggerates that you get the adequate dose of calcium. In case of absence of adequate calcium, the body will use it from your bones and if it happens time and again, there is a risk of weakening your bones. You can get calcium from nuts, green vegetables, fruits, broccoli and seeds.

Iodine

A lot of Americans face constant trouble due to iodine deficiency. Considered as the most important mineral for the thyroid gland, iodine should be present in an adequate amount in the body. Thyroid is the most crucial gland inside the body and it regulates the metabolism. It will breakdown the carbs and fat into energy. Now if the hormones which are secreted by this gland are not within the given limits, there could be an abnormal weight fluctuation. There are many people who have hypothyroid and they go through depression because it has an impact on the other hormones that regulate mood. Consuming iodine is an efficient method of increasing the energy. You can get your dose of iodine from vegetables, dry fruits and fruits like watermelon.

Iron

Iron is extremely important for the body. It is required by the body to maintain appropriate oxygen level across all the organs and it helps maintain the size and shape of the red blood cells that carry oxygen across the body. Those with an iron deficiency have a low hemoglobin count and this means that the oxygen level inside the body will go down. It will have an impact on the functioning of the entire body. Those who are feeling fatigued and have trembling extremities, it is a sign that you have iron deficiency and you need to get yourself tested. You can get the right amount of iron through meat, vegetables and cereals.

There are times when your body will need more than what it gets from your diet and if you are deficient in any of the above mentioned minerals, you need to consume supplements. It has been noted that women have higher deficiencies as compared to men because of their body functions. It is important to get yourself tested time and again in order to ensure that your body is not deficient of any minerals.