Types Of Minerals For Human Body

Minerals are as important as vitamins in helping to keep your body healthy. However, taking a multivitamin that contains minerals isn't as effective as getting minerals through your daily diet because your body is generally more adept at absorbing micronutrients from food. Talk to your doctor if you think you might benefit from a supplement.

Calcium

Calcium helps you develop and maintain strong bones and teeth, which means it helps you perform even basic tasks, such as standing upright and chewing your food. Most adults should get about 1,136 mg of calcium every day by eating calcium-rich foods such as dairy products and leafy green vegetables. One 8 oz. container of low-fat yogurt would offer you about 346 to 452 mg of calcium, a half-cup of spinach would offer you about 146 mg and a half-cup of soybeans would provide you with about 130 mg.

Magnesium

Magnesium helps energize your body and aids your muscles, arteries and heart in functioning properly, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Most adults should get about 380 mg of magnesium per day from foods such as spinach, legumes, nuts, whole grains and certain fish. One 3 oz. serving of halibut offers about 90 mg of magnesium, a 1 oz. serving of almonds offers about 80 mg and a half cup of spinach offers about 75 mg.

Potassium

Getting enough potassium in your diet will help you maintain a healthy body water level and regulate your blood pressure. Most adults should get about 4,044 mg of potassium per day by eating foods such as bananas, beans, potatoes and broccoli. A sweet potato contains about 694 mg of potassium, and a half-cup serving of white beans contains about 595 mg.

Iron

Iron helps your red blood cells transport oxygen throughout your body. A slight iron deficiency would cause generalized feelings of fatigue, achiness and trouble concentrating. A severe deficiency could cause more serious problems, such as irregular heartbeat and congestive heart failure, according to MayoClinic.com. Teen girls and adult women are more likely to have an iron deficiency, so they need about 15 to 18 mg of iron per day. Teen males need about 11 mg per day, and adult males need about 8 mg per day. A 1 cup serving of raisin and bran cereal or a serving of six medium oysters would offer about 5 mg of iron, and a baked potato with its skin intact would give you about 2.75 mg of iron.

Zinc

Getting enough zinc in your diet helps your body produce cells, heal from wounds, and fight off infections and illnesses, according to the Nemours Foundation. Most adults need about 8 to 11 mg of zinc per day. Get your daily dose by eating foods such as legumes, pork and oysters. About six oysters contain a whopping 43.4 mg of zinc, whereas 3 oz. of dark-meat chicken offers only about 2.4 mg.