Minerals (Macro & Trace) Inorganic substances your body cannot manufacture

Major (Macro) Minerals: Calcium  Calcium is vital for building strong bones and teeth. Food sources:  Milk and other dairy products (yogurt, cheese)

Phosphorus  Phosphorus helps form healthy bones and teeth.  It also helps the body make energy. Food Sources:  dairy foods, meat, and fish.

Potassium  Potassium helps with muscle and nervous system function. Food Sources:  broccoli, potatoes (with skins), green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, bananas, dried fruits, and legumes such as peas and lima beans.

Sodium& Chloride:  A mineral that regulates body fluid volume, concentration and acid-base Food Sources:  table salt (sodium chloride), foods processed with table salt, milk, milk products, eggs and seafoods.

Electrolytes…  electrolyte is basically a salt that can carry an electrical charge.  The cells of your body rely on electrolytes to carry the electrical impulses responsible for muscle contractions and nerve impulses to other cells.  Without electrolytes, your body cells couldn't communicate efficiently.

Magnesium  Magnesium helps muscles and nerves function, steadies the heart rhythm Food Sources:  whole grains and whole-grain breads, nuts and seeds, green leafy vegetables, potatoes, beans, avocados, bananas, kiwi, broccoli, shrimp, and chocolate

Trace Minerals: Iron  Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen to all parts of the body. Food Source:  red meat, pork, fish and shellfish, poultry, lentils, beans and soy foods, green leafy vegetables, and raisins.

Zinc  Zinc is important for normal growth, sexual development, strong immunity, and wound healing. Food sources:  red meat, poultry, oysters and other seafood, nuts, dried beans, soy foods, milk

Copper:  nerve function, bone maintenance, growth, blood formation and utilization of glucose. Food Sources:  organ meats, sea foods, nuts and seeds.

Manganese:  A mineral that is important for growth, reproduction, formation of bone, and carbohydrate metabolism. Food sources:  whole grains, fruits, vegetables and tea.

Iodine:  A mineral essential for the production of thyroid hormones. Food sources:  seafoods, iodized salt and foods containing iodized salt.

Selenium:  A mineral associated with antioxidant properties and fat metabolism. It has been claimed to help prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease. Food sources:  seafoods and organ meats.

Fluoride:  A mineral that is important to dental and bone health. Greatly improves resistance to cavities Food sources:  fluoridated water, foods cooked in or containing fluoridated water, fish with bones that are eaten, and tea.

To few minerals & to Many  To few: deficiencies may surface as fatigue, irritability, loss of memory, nervousness, depression, and weakness. but even slight changes in the concentration of the important minerals in the blood may rapidly endanger life.  To many: it is not a good idea to ingest unusually high mega-quantities of individual minerals.