What are Minerals?
Minerals are important for body functions and are categorized as major or trace minerals. These minerals play crucial roles in maintaining overall health. The minerals in human bnody are divided into two categories:
Major Minerals
These are required in relatively large quantities and include:
- Calcium: Essential for bone and teeth health, muscle function, and blood clotting.
- Potassium: Helps maintain fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle contractions.
- Magnesium: Important for energy production, muscle function, and bone health.
- Phosphorus: Vital for bone and teeth formation, energy metabolism, and cell signaling.
- Sodium: Regulates fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle contractions.
Trace Minerals
These are required in small quantities and include:
- Iron: Necessary for oxygen transport, energy metabolism, and DNA synthesis.
- Zinc: Supports immune function, wound healing, and DNA synthesis.
- Copper: Important for iron metabolism, connective tissue formation, and antioxidant function.
- Iodine: Essential for thyroid hormone production and regulation of metabolism.
- Selenium: Acts as an antioxidant, supports thyroid function, and immune system health.
- Manganese: Involved in bone formation, carbohydrate metabolism, and antioxidant defense.
- Chromium: Helps regulate blood sugar levels and metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
Vitamins And Minerals
Vitamins and minerals are important micronutrients needed in small amounts to maintain the normal health of an organism. Vitamins and Minerals do not directly supply energy but play vital roles in metabolic processes and energy extraction from macronutrients. They act as coenzymes and cofactors in metabolic processes. Minerals can not be synthesized by the human body and hence must be taken from dietary sources for metabolic functions. In this article, we will cover vitamins and minerals, their types, and sources.
Vitamins and minerals
Table of Content
- What are Vitamins?
- Types of Vitamins
- Fat Soluble
- Vitamins and Their Functions, Sources, and Deficiency Chart
- What are Minerals?
- What are the Sources and Functions of Minerals?
- Difference Between Vitamins and Minerals
- Conclusion – Vitamins And Minerals
- FAQs on Vitamins and Minerals