Minerals are inorganic substances (chemical elements) that your body needs for sustaining various functions. Human body needs various nutrients to function at its best, these nutrients are categorized into so called macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients.
Minerals together with vitamins fall into micro-nutrient category. Unlike vitamins, they do not contain carbon, which means they are inorganic. Varying amounts of minerals are contained in almost every food.
If you are an athlete or someone who needs to achieve performance in sports, you should definitely pay attention to your daily income of minerals. Especially Iron and Calcium deficiency may negatively impair the endurance and strength of your body.
Minerals are not destroyed by cooking and heat in general, you can get the same quality minerals from salad as well as your favorite cooked, boiled or baked dish as long as the individual food components contained these minerals before being affected by heat. This is not true for vitamins as their numbers and composition may be considerably affected by heat. We will cover this topic in a dedicated article.
There is a further categorization of minerals to remember. Minerals are divided into so called macro minerals and trace minerals (alternative name is trace elements).
Macro minerals
Following are the substances belonging to macro minerals category.
Magnesium, Mg
Recommended daily intake
Men: 400 mg
Women: 310 mg
Maximum daily allowance
Not established
Functions in human body
Magnesium is one of the most important minerals as magnesium protects our health
and helps to produce and regulate serotonin. Hence, magnesium influences our mood
and emotions. It participates as co-enzyme for more than 80 percent of all enzymes.
Dietary sources of Magnesium
Dark leafy greens (spinach, kale), Nuts and seeds (almonds, peanuts, cashews), Avocado, Soy
beans, Fish, Dark chocolate, Bananas
Calcium, Ca
Recommended daily intake
Men/Women: 1000 mg
Men/Women 50+: 1200 mg
Maximum daily allowance
Men/Women: 2500 mg
Men/Women 50+: 2000 mg
Functions in human body
Calcium is needed for muscle, heart and digestive system health. It is essential for
building bones, supports synthesis and function of blood cells.
Dietary sources of Calcium
Milk, Cheese ( parmesan, romano, gruyere .. ), Cereals
Sodium, Na+
Recommended daily intake
Men/Women: 1500 mg
Men/Women 50+: 1300 mg
Maximum daily allowance
Not established
Functions in human body
A systemic electrolyte and is essential in regulating ATP with potassium. Part of
sodium-potassium pump – process allowing neuronal signal transmission in the brain.
Dietary sources of Sodium
Table salt, Seaweed, Cheese, Soups, Celery, Many other vegetables
Note: almost every food contains some amount of sodium
Chloride, Cl-
Adequate intake (AI)
Men/Women 14 – 50: 2300 mg (2.3 g)
Men/Women 50+: 2000 mg (2 g)
Men/Women 70+: 1800 mg (1.8 g)
Maximum daily allowance
Not established
Functions in human body
Chloride is needed to regulate and maintain balance of body fluids, it’s a component
of stomach acid used to digest food.
Dietary sources of Chloride
Table salt, Seaweed, Tomatoes, Celery, Olives, Many other vegetables
Iodine, I
Recommended daily intake
Men/Women: 150 mcg
Maximum daily allowance
Men/Women (! adults over 18) : 900 mcg
Functions in human body
Iodine makes up large part of thyroid gland hormones – T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4
(thyroxine). These hormones play important roles in human body, including metabolic
rate regulation and energy production. Iodine has important role in pre-natal
development and certain studies show that insufficient iodine intake during pregnancy
may affect childs intelligence.
Dietary sources of Iodine
Sea weed (Kelp, Kombu, Wakame), Yogurt, Strawberries, Navy beans, Potatoes
Phosphorus, P
Recommended daily intake
Men / Women (adults over 18): 700 mg
Maximum daily allowance
Men / Women (adults over 18): 3000 mg
Functions in human body
Phosphorus is a component of bones and cells. It is required for energy processing, in
DNA and ATP (as phosphate) besides many other functions.
Dietary sources of Phosphorus
Rice bran, Hemp seeds, Sunflower seeds, Whey, Cereals, Egg yolk, Chia seeds
Potassium, K
Recommended daily intake
Men/Women: 4700 mg
Maximum daily allowance
Not established
Functions in human body
Potassium plays important role in cells and as an electric agent – one of main body
electrolytes. Another important function of potassium is regulation of water balance and acidity of blood and tissue, moreover it is essential part of sodium-potassium pump – process allowing neuronal signal transmission in the brain.
Dietary sources of Potassium
Parsley, Tomatoes / Dried tomatoes, Cocoa powder, Peppers, Beans, Bananas
Trace minerals
Following elements fall under trace minerals category.
Iron, Fe
Recommended daily intake
Men: 8 mg
Women: 18 mg
Maximum daily allowance
Men/Women: 45 mg
Functions in human body
In human body, iron plays important role in transporting oxygen as it’s the essential
part of hemoglobin – protein molecule found in red blood cells.
Dietary sources of Iron
Tumeric, Parsley, Poultry, Red meat, Fish
Selenium, Se
Recommended daily intake
Men/Women: 55 mcg
Maximum daily allowance
Men/Women: 400 mcg
Functions in human body
Selenium is an essential trace mineral – body needs to take it from food. Body uses
selenium for creating antioxidant enzymes, so it plays role in protecting cells from
oxidative damage. Selenium is also needed for proper function of the thyroid gland as
it activates and deactivates certain thyroid hormones.
Dietary sources of Selenium
Brazilnuts, Eggs, Fish, Mollusks
Manganese, Mn
Recommended daily intake
Men: 2.3 mg
Women: 1.8 mg
Maximum daily allowance
Men/Women: 11 mg
Functions in human body
Manganese plays role in bone development, has antioxidative function and helps
wound healing among other functions. It is present in various enzymatic reactions as it
is part of some enzymes and can activate some other enzymes
Dietary sources of Manganese
Teas, Ginger, Spices (saffron, cardamon, tumeric, black pepper), Wheat germ, Nuts (hazelnuts, filberts), Oats
Copper, Cu
Recommended daily intake
Men/Women: 900 mcg
Maximum daily allowance
Men/Women: 10 mg (10000 mcg)
Functions in human body
Copper is essential trace element, it plays important role in sustaining the proper
function of organs and metabolic processes. Amount of copper in human body is
regulated by complex homeostatic mechanisms. Copper is important component of
many redox enzymes.
Dietary sources of Copper
Goose liver, Molusks, Shitake mushrooms, Seaweed (spirulina), Cocoa powder
Chromium, Cr
Recommended daily intake
Men: 35 mcg
Men 50+: 30 mcg
Women: 25 mcg
Women 50+: 20 mcg
Maximum daily allowance
Men/Women: 1000 mcg
Functions in human body
Importance of chromium is significant. It plays very important role in
blood sugar regulation as chromium regulates insulin. High blood
pressure and vision loss result from insufficient amount of chromium.
Symptoms of deficiency may resemble diabetes.
Dietary sources of Chromium
Whole grain products, Broccoli, Potatoes, Grape juice, Oranges
Molybdenum, Mb
Recommended daily intake
Men/Women: 45 mcg
Maximum daily allowance
Men/Women: 1500 mcg
Functions in human body
Molybdenum is important factor in keeping optimal sulfur balance, it plays role in the activity of sulfite oxidase enzyme that is responsible for conversion of sulfite to sulfate (these are 2 different forms of sulfur). It is probable, although not fully established that molybdenum has antioxidative role and helps in liver detoxification. It may also play certain roles in neurotransmitter formation, especially epinephrine, norepinephrine and serotonin. Molybdenum plays role in formation of amidoxime reducing proteins (mARC), these have important roles in mitochondria – parts of the cell responsible for energy production.
Dietary sources of Molybdenum
Cereals, Beans, Lentils, Green leafy vegetables
Zinc, Zn
Recommended daily intake
Men: 11 mg
Women: 8 mg
Maximum daily allowance
Men/Women: 40 mg
Functions in human body
Zinc plays role in regulating immune system – activates T lymphocytes. It positively
affects wound healing , helps to maintain skin integrity and structure. Zinc plays certain
function in neuron communication, it’s important element in learning and memory
formation. Moreover, zinc is important for proper reproductive system function.
Dietary sources of Zinc
Mollusks, Cereals, Pumpkin seeds, Hemp seeds
Fluoride, F-
Recommended daily intake
Men: 3.8 mg
Women: 3.1 mg
Maximum daily allowance
Men/ Women (!adults): 10 mg
Functions in human body
It is present in human bones and teeth, reduces teeth decay and helps to maintain bone
structure.
Controversy
There is certain controversy about potential negative effects of fluoride on
human brain. Thus it’s probably better to keep fluoride intake in check by not swallowing
tooth paste, using only the necessary amount of fluoride paste. You may
potentially consider buying tooth paste without fluoride as it’s being added to water
anyways.
Dietary sources of Fluoride
It is typically added into water in developed countries. Food prepared in such water
contains fluoride and it’s is also present in teas.
