Just like vitamins, the body requires that you ingest certain minerals each day to maintain health. Also like vitamins, your body absorbs these minerals -- or, uptakes them into the bloodstream -- for use in various somatic cells to sustain normal growth, development and maintenance.
Macro Minerals
Macro minerals refer to minerals that the body requires or can handle in relatively large proportions. One example is calcium, 90 percent of which the body stores in bones and teeth. Accordingly, your body contains rather large amounts of calcium, compared to other minerals that you must consume. Other examples of macro nutrients include phosphorus, sodium, chloride, magnesium and potassium. Magnesium, sodium and potassium exist primarily in the blood, and the body uses each to help regulate the others. For example, modulating sodium blood levels will alter potassium blood levels.
Micro Minerals
Micro minerals are the opposite of macro minerals -- that is, the body requires them in relatively small proportions. Generally, micro minerals consumed in proportions significantly greater than what the body requires are toxic. Examples of micro minerals include iodine, copper, cobalt, selenium, fluoride, vanadium, nickel, lithium, boron, iron, copper, molybdenum, zinc, chromium, silicon, arsenic and lead.
Evidence
There is a historical premise to every mineral that humanity discovered is essential, according to Boyd O'Dell and Roger Sunde in the book "Handbook of Nutritionally Essential Mineral Elements." The oldest is iron, as physicians in 1664 discovered it restored skin color in anemic patients. Indeed, one of the major complications associated with iron deficiency is anemia. However, it wasn't discovered that blood actually contains -- and must contain -- iron until 1747. The most recently discovered essential mineral is boron, as a scientist in 1981 discovered it stimulated growth and prevented abnormalities in the legs of chicks with diets low in vitamin D-3. Other minerals discovered in that same year as essential parts of a daily diet are lithium, as a scientist realized low levels decreased goat fertility and birth rate, and lead, as a scientist discovered low levels produce anemia in rats. However,
Source of Evidence
As O'Dell and Sunde indicate, scientist discovered these elements in one of two different ways -- either because they noticed an essential biological mechanism that required the element, or because they noticed evidence that an absence or reduction of the element caused health complications. Elements discovered through the latter process may require more evidence and exploration to thoroughly determine how and the degree to which they are essential, avers the authors.
Bottom Line
Although minerals are inorganic, they serve as essential components of biological interactions. On the other hand, minerals are generally more harmful than vitamins in inappropriate proportions -- that is, they have a higher degree of toxicity. This is particularly true of micro minerals, of which the body requires only a relatively small -- or micro -- amount. Altogether, minerals comprise 4 percent of your body weight on average, according to "Jane Brody's Nutrition Book."
References
- "Handbook of Nutritionally Essential Mineral Elements"; Boyd L. O'Dell and Roger Allan Sunde; 1997
- "Jane Brody's Nutrition Book"; Jane E. Brody; 1981
