This page was last updated: April 13, 2010
Minerals and You
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Minerals found in the soil and the earth also exist in you and all living things. We get these minerals from the water we drink and the food we eat.Minerals are stored in sufficient quantities in healthy individuals. They are vital to the proper function in cells, tissues, organs, and your body as a whole. Our body depends on minerals to perform everyday functions as well as to maintain your bones, muscles and red blood cells. Minerals are responsible for everything from blinking an eye to constructing a thought. 
Potassium deficiency has been associated with these symptoms or illnesses:
Acne ... Arrhythmia ... Cognitive Impairment ... Constipation ... Depression ...
ECG Changes ... Edemia ... Fatigue ... Glucose Intolerance ... Growth Retardation ...
Insomia ... Mental Apathy ... Muscular Weakness ... Nervousness ... Palpitations ...
Plydipsia ... Proteinuria ... Respiratory Distress ... "Salt" Retention ...
Rapid Heart Rate ... Xerosis
Sodium deficiency has been associated with these symptoms or illnesses:
Intestinal Gas ... Weight Loss ... Short Attention Span ... Vomiting ... Palpitations
Muscle Weakness ... Linked to Arthritis ... Linked to Rheumatism ... Neuralgia
Deficiency of Sodium can lead to Build Up of Acids in the Body [#Top]
Sulfur deficiency has been associated with these symptoms or illnesses:
Acne ... Arthritis ... Brittle Nails ... Brittle Hair ... Convulsions ... Depression ... Gastrointestinal Challenges ... Immune Dysfunction ...
Lung Dysfunction due to Inflammation ... Memory Loss ... Rashes ... Scar Tissue Slow Wound Healing [#Top]
Disclaimer: The statements contained in these documents have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to cure, diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease.
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POTASSIUM (K)
Potassium is an essential mineral found mainly in the intracellular fluid (98%), where it is the primary positive ion force. Potassium constitutes 5% of the total mineral content of the body. Potassium and sodium help regulate water balance within the body, that is, they help regulate the distribution of fluids on either side of the cell walls and preserve proper alkalinity of the body fluids. Potassium also regulates the transfer of nutrients to the cells. Potassium unites with phosphorus to send oxygen to the brain and also functions with calcium in the regulation of neuromuscular activity. The synthesis of muscle protein and protein from the amino acids in the blood requires potassium. Protein and carbohydrate metabolism are dependent upon potassium. It stimulates the kidneys to eliminate poisonous body wastes. Potassium works with sodium to help normalize the heartbeat. Calcium deficiency has been associated with the following symptoms or illnesses:
Arthritis ... Back Pain ... Bell's Palsy ... Bone Spurs ... Brittle Fingernails ...
Calcium Deposits ... Cognitive Impairment ...Dillusions ... Depression ...
Eczema ... High Blood Pressure ... Hyperactivity ...Insomnia ... Irritability ...
Kidney Stones ... Limb Numbness ... Muscle Cramps, Twitches, and Spasms ...
Nervousness ... Neuromuscular Excitability ... Osteofibrosis ... Osteoporosis ...
Panic Attacks ... Peridontal Disease ... Pica ... Rickets ... Retarded Growth ...
Chloride deficiency has been associated with the following symptoms or illnesses:
Nausea ... Dizziness ... Muscle Cramping ... Reduced Appetite ...
Poor Growth ... Apathy [#Top]
Phosphorus deficiency has been associated with these symptoms or illnesses:
Alopecia (Hair Loss) ... Anemia ... Aneurysms ... Bone Pain ... Dyspnea ... Fatigue
Irritability ... Numbess ... Parathesias ... Pica (Eating hair, wool, etc) ... Tremulousnes ... Weakness ... Weight Loss [#Top]
Macro (Major) Minerals
Deficiencies can lead to acute and chronic health problems.There are two classes of minerals: Macro-minerals and Micro-minerals.
Macro-minerals are those for which the daily requirement for good health is more than 100mg. Macro-minerals are specifically involved in structural functions (bones and cells) as well as metabolic ones.Click on the Macro-Mineral list above for descriptions of each mineral, symptoms of deficiencies, along with possible links to diseases that have been associated with mineral deficiency.The following list of minerals and their known symptoms of deficiencies and possible links to certain diseases is not intended to assist anyone in diagnosing a medical problem. Please consult your physician for diagnosis of symptoms.CALCIUM (Ca)
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and the fifth most abundant substance. About 99% is deposited in the bones and teeth. The remaining 1% is involved in the soft tissues, intracellular fluids and blood. The major function of Calcium is to act in cooperation with phosphorus to build and maintain bones and teeth. Another important function is the storage of the mineral in the bones for use by the body. The Calcium state of the bones is constantly fluctuating according to the diet and to the body’s needs. The 1% of ionized Calcium that circulates in the fluids of the body is small, but vital, to life. It is essential for healthy blood and eases insomnia and its delicate messenger ions help regulate the heartbeat. Calcium assists in the process of blood clotting and helps prevent the accumulation of too much acid or too much alkali in the blood. It also plays a part in secretion of hormones. It affects neurotransmitters (serotonin, acetylcholine and norepinephrine), nerve transmission, muscle growth and muscle contraction. The mineral acts as a messenger from the cell surface to the inside of the cell and helps regulate the passage of nutrients in and out of the cell walls.MAGNESIUM (Mg)
Magnesium is an essential mineral that accounts for about 0.05% of the body’s total weight. Magnesium is involved in activating enzymes necessary for the metabolism of carbohydrates and amino acids. By countering the stimulative effect of calcium, magnesium plays an important role in neuromuscular contractions. It also helps regulate the acid-alkaline balance in the body. Magnesium helps promote absorption and metabolism of other minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium. It also helps utilize the B Complex and Vitamins C and E in the body. It aids during bone growth and is necessary for proper functioning of the muscles including those of the heart. PHOSPHORUS (P)
Phosphorus is the second most abundant mineral in the body and is found in every cell. The balance of calcium and phosphorus is needed for them to be effectively used by the body. Phosphorus plays a part in almost every chemical reaction within the body because it is present in every cell. It is important in the utilization of carbohydrates, fats and protein for growth, maintenance and repair and mediation, both within and without the cells, and for the production of energy. It stimulates muscle contractions, including the regular contractions of the heart muscle. Niacin and riboflavin cannot be digested unless phosphorus is present. Phosphorus is an essential part of nucleoproteins, which are responsible for cell division and reproduction. Phosphorus helps prevent the accumulation of too much acid or too much alkali in the blood, assist in the passage of substances through the cell walls and promote the secretion of glandular hormones. It’s also needed for healthy nerves and efficient mental activity. B-Complex Vitamins and many enzymes require phosphorus to function. CHLORIDE (C)
Chloride is the most recent addition to the list of essential elements. Plants may take up as much chloride as they do elements such as sulfur. In general chloride has received little attention in dietary assessment and has been omitted from food composition tables. However, chloride content of infant cow's milk and soy formulae has stimulated interest in the past 15 years because of iatrogenic hypochloremia induced by several infant formulas with deficient chloride concentrations.
There is a high correlation between the sodium and chloride contents of the diet, and only under unusual circumstances do levels of sodium and chloride vary in the diet independently. Adequate intake of sodium chloride is required for maintenance of extracellular fluid volume. Chloride is both actively and passively absorbed. Urine excretion reflects chloride intake, with low or no chloride found in deficiency states
Magnesium deficiency has been associated with these symptoms or illnesses:
Anxiety ... Asthma ... Anorexia ...Birth Defects ... Calcification of Arteries ... Confusion ... Depression ... Growth Failures ... Hyperactivity ... Hypertension ... Hypothermia ... Insomnia ... Irritability ... Malifnant Calcification of Soft Tissue ... Menstrual Migraines ... Muscle Weakness, Tremors, Pains ... Neuromuscular ...
Restlessness ... Seizures ... SIDS Sudden Infant Death ... Tachycardia/Palpitations Tetany ... Convulsions ... Tremors ... Vertigo [#Top]
SODIUM (Na)
Sodium is an essential mineral that is found in every cell in the body, but predominantly in the extracellular fluids, the vascular fluids (blood pH) within the blood vessels, arteries, veins and capillaries, and the intestinal fluids surrounding the cells. It functions with potassium to equalize the acid-alkali factor in the blood. Along with potassium, it helps regulate water balance within the body and it helps regulate the distribution of fluids on either side of the cell walls.SULFUR (S)
Sulfur is generally considered to be the 8th or 9th most abundant mineral in the human body. It is stored in every cell in the body, with the highest concentrations being in the joints, hair, skin, and nails. Sulfur is also the least researched major mineral.
As part of four amino acids, sulfur performs a number of functions in enzyme reactions and protein synthesis. It is necessary for formation of collagen, the protein found in connective tissue in our bodies. Sulfur is also present in keratin, which is necessary for the maintenance of the skin, hair, and nails, helping to give strength, shape, and hardness to these protein tissues. Sulfur, as cystine and methionine, is part of other important body chemicals: insulin, which helps regulate carbohydrate metabolism, and heparin, an anticoagulant. Taurine is found in bile acids, used in digestion. The sulfur-containing amino acids help form other substances as well, such as biotin, coenzyme A, lipoic acid, and glutathione. The mucopoly-saccharides may contain chondroitin sulfate, which is important to joint tissues.
Sulfur is important to cellular respiration, as it is needed in the oxidation-reduction reactions that help the cells utilize oxygen, which aids brain function and all cell activity. These reactions are dependent on cysteine, which also helps the liver produce bile secretions and eliminate other toxins. L-cysteine is thought to generally help body detoxification mechanisms through the tripeptide compound, glutathione.
