MineralsThe Facts

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What is Calcium?

Calcium is a mineral that's enormously useful to the body. It has many different uses. Perhaps the most obvious of this is the construction of teeth and bone; of all the calcium in your body, more than 99o/o resides in the skeletal system, where it combines with phosphate and works in conjunction with soft collagen to provide the sturdy, yet slightly flexible material that we rely so much upon.

A lifetime shortfall in calcium consumption can cause many adults to develop osteoporosis in later life. In children, a lack of calcium can cause the bones to become soft, which can in turn lead to rickets. In order to avoid this condition, it's recommended that children receive a diet that's balanced, and contains sufficient levels of calcium and also vitamin D.

Fortunately, calcium is available from a range of different sources. It's found most abundantly in dairy products like milks and cheeses, but you can also find it in green, leafy vegetables like broccoli and cabbage.

Top Benefits

• Maintains healthy bones and teeth

• Helps the blood to clot properly

• Keeps the heartbeat consistent

• Boosts athletic performance

• Helps wounds to heal quicker

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What is Chromium?

In helping insulin to properly do its job, it's thought that chromium thereby keeps the digestive system efficient, and helps maintain the levels of glucose in the bloodstream and their correct levels. There is therefore speculation that the substance might help sufferers of type 2 diabetes. As insulin also plays a key role in the workings of our metabolism and storage of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, chromium helps with all of these functions.

Chromium can be obtained from many different dietary sources. You'll find it in meat and whole grains, as well as in certain vegetables -most notably broccoli and potatoes. Several herbs and spices are known to be rich in chromium, such as black pepper and thyme.

We only need a tiny amount of chromium in our diet at just 0.025mg. In fact, it's speculated that much of the chromium we get into our diets comes not from the food itself, but from the tins we store it in, and the pans and pots we cook it in -which are made overwhelmingly of chromium.

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Top Benefits

Maintains glucose levels

Keeps digestive system efficient

Help raise 'good cholesterol' levels

Maintains normal metabolism

Helps store fats & proteins

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What is Copper?

Copper helps us to manufacture blood cells, both red and white, and help to release iron and make the haemoglobin that carries oxygen from our lungs to every cell in our bodies. Copper also helps with digestion - specifically, it allows us to absorb iron from the food we eat. Copper is thought to be particularly important for growing infants. It helps the brain and immune system to develop, and for the bones to form strongly.

Due to its role in iron absorption, a deficiency of copper can cause anaemia. Another possible side effect is osteoporosis, a gradual softening of the bones typically found in older people. It is often caused by a lack of crucial dietary minerals such as copper which plays a crucial role in constructing firm and healthy bones.

Copper is found in a wide variety of different foods. The most potent sources are shellfish like oysters, but you'll also find it in nuts, beans, potatoes, dried fruit, cocoa, black pepper, yeast and organ meats like kidneys and liver. Copper is also present in vegetables - specifically the dark, leafy, green sort.

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Top Benefits

Helps manufacture blood cells

Aids in digestion

Helps to release iron

Develops brain & immune system

Helps bones form strong

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What is Iron?

Iron is needed to construct red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen through the bloodstream to other cells in the body. Due to cells all over the body requiring oxygen, iron helps with wealth of bodily functions.

People who don't get enough iron aren't able to create enough red blood-cells to transport oxygen around their bodies. This is a condition known as iron-deficiency anaemia, which will manifest as a lack of energy - you might feel more tired than usual, and this effect will be particularly apparent during exercise.

Fortunately, there are many different ways to get iron into your diet. These include nuts, dried fruit, beans, whole grains and red meat. You'll also find it added to specially­fortified breakfast cereals. Men need just under nine grams daily of iron in order to maintain healthy body function. For women, this amount should be slightly higher in order to counteract the loss of blood cells through menstruation. If you're prone to heavy periods, then you might consider taking an iron supplement.

Top Benefits

• Body growth and development

• Carries oxygen

• Vital for muscle health

• Vital for brain function

• Prevents symptoms of anaemia

What is Magnesium?

Magnesium is a mineral which is found abundantly throughout the body. It helps the biochemical reactions that synthesise new protein, build muscle and maintain nerves to occur correctly. Magnesium helps us to produce energy from the food we eat, and to build bone structures and complex molecules like DNA and RNA, and antioxidants like glutathione, which help protect our cells against premature death. Magnesium also helps to draw calcium and potassium from cell to cell, and thereby helps to regulate muscle contraction.

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Top Benefits

Build bone structures

Build muscle

Maintain nerves

Helps release calcium

Helps produce energy

Magnesium deficiency because of poor diet is very rare. Of all the magnesium we eat, only around a third is absorbed by the body, with the remainder passing through

Magnesium can be found in a wide range of different foodstuffs. These include, fish, meat and dairy - as well as in certain sorts of green, leafy vegetables, like spinach. As a general rule, you'll find the substance in foods which are rich in dietary fibre, like nuts, beans, legumes, whole grains, like brown rice, and in foods made from wholegrains, like brown bread.

What is Potassium?

Potassium is an electrolyte which, in the body, is found almost exclusively in the cells. It plays a number of crucial roles. It helps to regulate the fluid levels of your body, thereby extending the lifespan of your cells. It helps to manage blood pressure and preserve the function of the heart. It helps to remove waste from the body, improves the conductivity of the nerves, and helps to metabolise proteins, fats and carbohydrates and convert them into energy. Simply put, it's an indispensable resource for your body!

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Those suffering from eating disorders like anorexia nervosa might suffer from hypokalaemia as a result which can cause weakness, tiredness and cramping in the legs and abdomen as well as mental symptoms, like depression, psychosis and hallucination.

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Top Benefits

Manage blood pressure

Converts foods into energy

Regulates fluid levels

Removes waste from body

Improves nerves conductivity

Perhaps most famously potassium-rich food is the banana, which is bursting with the stuff, though it is also found it other forms of fruit, and in vegetables like broccoli, potato, tomato and spinach. By weight, dried apricots are the richest in potassium. You'll also find the mineral in pulses, nuts and seeds, as well as meat and fish. Any plateful of food comprising a portion of meat, a portion of nuts, and a good serving of assorted vegetables, is likely to be highly rich in potassium.

What is Selenium?

Selenium plays a crucial role in supporting the immune system, and allows it to do its job in protecting our bodies from harmful pathogens. It also guards our cells and tissues against damage caused by oxidation and infection. You'll find this mineral in more than two dozen different proteins, each of which is critical for reproduction, for synthesising DNA and for metabolising the thyroid hormone.

Selenium is found in a variety of different food sources. You'll find it abundantly in fish, meat and eggs. Specifically, selenium is most concentrated in organ meats like liver and kidneys.

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Top Benefits

Supports the immune system

Has antioxidant properties

Maintains healthy metabolism

Improves blood flow

Can help boost fertility

The selenium content of foods is difficult to accurately measure, since it varies so much from place to place. The mineral content of some soils is different than in others, meaning that the amount of selenium in plants, and therefore animals, varies accordingly. Selenium, being a trace element, is required by the body only in verysmall quantities; if you regularly eat meat, fish or nuts, then this target is easily attainable through diet alone. If, on the other hand, you largely avoid these foods, then you might want to consider supplementation.

What is Zinc?

One of Zinc's main functions is as a sort of binding agent for proteins. It helps to orient them, and thereby allows them to do their job properly. Zinc can also act as a signalling agent within cells, triggering reactions to stressors like free-radicals and inflammation. Despite it being a trace element,

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it plays a crucial role in your bodily processes. •

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If you aren't getting enough zinc, you might first notice problems with your skin, nails and hair- and wounds might •

be slow to heal. Zinc deficiency has also been known to lead to eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, which can have a profound effect on long-term health.

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Top Benefits

Regulates immune function

Aids in digestion

Aids in wound healing

Ensures proper growth

Helps treat the common cold

There are many dietary sources of zinc, but by far the most concentrated of these are red meat sources like beef, lamb and venison. White meat, fish, cheese, eggs and milk also contain this crucial mineral - but if you're a vegan, you might instead turn to high-bran breakfast cereal, nuts, beans, fruit and vegetables.

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