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Minerals are essential to the life of animals and plants. Most plants get
minerals from the soil. Animals, including humans, obtain them from plants,
vegetables, and fruits or from the milk, eggs, and meat of plant-eating animals.
Minerals are neither animal nor vegetable; they are inorganic. Almost all foods contribute to a varied intake of essential minerals. Most minerals are easy to obtain in quantities required by the body. A major exception is iron for children under age 4 and adolescent girls and women in the childbearing years. These groups need more iron than a normal diet may provide. Everyone at every age needs calcium. This mineral builds bones and teeth, and it is necessary for blood clotting. Phosphorus works with calcium to make strong bones and teeth. A diet that furnishes enough protein and calcium also provides enough phosphorus. Other important minerals are sodium, potassium, iodine, magnesium, zinc, and copper. Deficiencies of most minerals can result in a range of health problems. For example, insufficient iron can cause iron-deficiency anemia, calcium deficiency inhibits the formation of bones and teeth in children, loss of taste and smell can result from zinc deficiency, iodine deficiency causes goiter, or enlargement of the thyroid gland. In order to prevent or correct some nutrient deficiencies, certain staple foods have been fortified with vitamins and minerals. You can find large selection of high quality and low priced supplemental minerals and vitamins HERE and HERE. | |||||||||||
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