Your body requires certain minerals to help support cellular, enzymatic, hormone and other biological activity every day. Specifically, there are 11 major and 10 trace minerals currently acknowledged as essential. The major minerals your body requires in relatively large proportions, while your body requires relatively small amounts of trace minerals. Both types of essential minerals appear naturally in supplements, but you can also derive them from food.
Macro Minerals
Macro minerals are those you must consume in comparatively substantial amounts from most meals. They include magnesium, calcium and phosphorus. Magnesium is the fourth-most-abundant mineral in the body, and your body stores 50 percent of its magnesium content in bones, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. The body uses magnesium for over 300 biochemical reactions. Adults require at least 350 mg per day from foods like peanut butter, dairy, cereals, potatoes, almonds, bananas and beans. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, comprising the majority of bones and teeth. It also acts as an electrolyte and helps regulate other minerals in kind, like sodium and phosphorus. Moreover, your body uses calcium to maintain muscle and blood vessel operation as well as secrete hormones and enzymes. Foods that contain calcium include dairy and leafy green vegetables. Adults require at least 2.5 g of calcium per day. Phosphorus also contributes to bone composition, cell structure and the production and storage of several compounds while acting as an electrolyte. Phosphorus appears in foods like fish, poultry, red meat, eggs, dairy, nuts and legumes.
Trace Minerals
Trace minerals are those that your body requires in comparatively minute amounts. Trace minerals are often toxic in doses larger than required. These minerals include chromium, copper, iodine, manganese, selenium, zinc, fluorine, iron, molybdenum and selenium. Fluoride helps support calcium activity in the body -- adults require at least 3 mg per day for adult women and 4 mg per day for men, with an upper limit of 10 mg per day for both men and women. Selenium is a component of a number of enzymes, including glutathione peroxidase, which is an antioxidant. Adults require 55 micrograms but should have no more than 400 micrograms per day. Chromium activates insulin -- adults require 35 micrograms per day for men and 25 micrograms for women, but there is no established upper limit for the mineral. Copper contributes to several enzymes that help remove oxygen from cells and metabolize other substances. Adults should have 900 micrograms of copper per day but should not exceed 10 mg in a single day. Iodine is an ingredient of hemoglobin; men should have 8 mg per day, while women should have 18 mg, and neither should consume more than 45 mg per day. Manganese is also a component of various enzymes, including those that contribute to bone formation as well as amino acid, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. Men should have 2.3 mg per day, while women should have 1.8 mg of manganese. The upper limit of manganese is 15 mg per day.
Vitamin B12
Cobalt is a major component of vitamin B12, or cobalamin. Therefore, although cobalt is not considered an essential mineral by itself, it is essential as a part of vitamin B12. This B complex vitamin is essential for enzyme synthesis, blood formation and neurological function. Adults should have 2.4 micrograms per day, and there is no established upper limit for the vitamin.
Considerations
Most minerals cannot function alone; instead, they require other minerals or nutrients to perform their necessary roles. Calcium, for example, requires vitamin D for full absorption into the bloodstream for use throughout the body. Minerals can also help to regulate other nutrients. Magnesium, for example, helps the body maintain necessary levels of sodium, potassium and calcium.
Although they are not considered essential, there are three minerals that some studies suggest help maintain human nutrition, according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition. These are boron, vanadium and nickel. While there is no substantial information regarding their role and required daily value, the upper limits for each are 20 mg per day for boron, 1.8 mg per day for vanadium and 1 mg per day for nickel.
