Nutrition Handbook: Part 13 - Minerals are Essential Elemental Nutrients

Mineral nutrients are the absorbable and biologically active elements that are essential to life by their accumulation in healthy tissues of the human body. Any lack or deficiency of an essential mineral nutrient causes a negative biological change in the human body. Mineral nutrients cannot be manufactured by the body and must be consumed within a complete balanced diet and by additional supplemental forms to replenish deficiencies and achieve tissue concentrations for life promotion.

Common minerals are found in larger amounts within the soil that plants grow. They are easily found in foods and supplements. Common minerals show biological activity in the functioning and health of various systems, organs, glands, and tissues.

Trace minerals are found in small trace amounts within the soil that plants grow. They are best consumed from plant and additional supplemental sources. Trace minerals show biological activity in the functioning and health of various systems, organs, glands, and tissues.

Rare earth minerals are minerals that are found in very small amount within the soil and are best consumed from plant and additional supplemental sources. Rare Earth minerals show biological activity in the functioning and health of various systems, organs, glands, and tissues.

Minerals are best consumed when someone includes a variety of all the food groups in three balanced complete meals per day. Yet relative deficiencies can still easily develop in any category of minerals. Consider adding supplements that contain a high density of a spectrum of a wide range of mineral nutrients. Learn the importance of common mineral nutrients and ensure that the balanced complete meals have these available to the body, because the common minerals have the highest concentrations in human tissue.

An imbalanced diet that includes restrictive meal plans, fasting, dieting, abstaining from certain food groups, a lack of enough food, and incomplete food group variety will cause someone to eat less than optimal amounts of minerals. Underconsumption of any mineral will cause any and all possibilities of suboptimal functioning and the risk of lack of functioning within any of the systems, organs, glands, or tissues of the human body 

Additionally, someone lacking certain food groups and food in general within the daily diet may cause a relative deficiency of minerals in comparison to other minerals; by having too much of only a few minerals and too little of other minerals. The underconsumption of a few minerals will impair overall health, but can easily be remedied by a multivitamin-mineral supplement commonly available for purchase from many different companies. Ensure your multivitamin-mineral supplement contains as many essential mineral nutrients for ease-of-use and inclusion of all minerals into the diet on a daily basis.

Overconsumption of mineral nutrients is very difficult when eating a balanced complete diet, except when one overconsumes heavy metals from foods, like mercury in fish.

Overconsumption of minerals occurs when someone takes too much of only a few essential minerals and not enough of the other essential minerals. There is no reason to only purchase one or two minerals in supplement form as this will only cause a relative deficiency of other minerals not in the supplement.

For example: the calcium works together with phosphorus and magnesium as part of nerve function and bone health, so only taking calcium will only promote the functions of calcium and and reduce the comparative functions of the phosphorus and magnesium not taken with it. Choose a supplement that contains all minerals in a balance relative to the commonality or rarity for ease-of-use and inclusion of all minerals in the diet on a daily basis for best results and success with supplementation.