| Natural Health Solutions |
|
|
|
Minerals: The Lesser Known Nutrients
|
Vitamins |
|
By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Medicine
If you take a calcium supplement for your bones and eat a healthy diet, you may think you’re getting all the minerals you need. But you’d be wrong!
Now it’s true—calcium is necessary for healthy bones and teeth, blood clotting, and normal muscle and nerve activity. But it’s only one of many essential minerals your body needs every day.
Magnesium is another important mineral. It’s involved with more than 325 enzyme reactions in the body. Not only is it necessary for the normal function of our muscles and nerves, it also works with calcium to build strong bones.
Research shows that taking a magnesium supplement reduces bone loss. One recent study found that a high daily dose of magnesium even increased bone mass in a small group of women with osteoporosis.1
But that’s not all. Magnesium also helps:
- reduce arrhythmias and angina
- slow or prevent atherosclerosis
- lower blood pressure
- reduce asthma symptoms
- reduce calcium deposits associated with bursitis
- reduce the risk of kidney stones
If you’re generally healthy, I recommend taking 400 to 800 mg of magnesium each day.
Another nutrient you don’t want to forget is zinc.
While you don’t need much—just 15 mg a day—zinc is important for the hormone insulin2. And, it’s involved in making genetic material and proteins. Immune function, taste, wound healing and sperm production all rely on zinc. Studies show this trace mineral also helps reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis3 and might be beneficial for:
- reducing the risk of prostate cancer or prostate enlargement
- shortening duration of the common cold
- treating eczema
- correcting abnormal immune activity in lupus
- preventing vision loss in people with “dry” macular degeneration
- protecting against the loss of bone density
- improving tinnitus (ringing in the ear)
While calcium, magnesium and zinc are critical for good health, they aren’t the only minerals we need. It’s also important to make sure you’re getting enough of these lesser known minerals:
Mineral |
Health Benefit |
Recommended Dose |
Chromium |
Needed for the formation of glucose tolerance factor, a complex that works with the hormone insulin. |
200 mcg per day |
Copper |
Paired with iron to help form red blood cells and nerve fibers. It’s also necessary in the formation of hair and skin pigment. |
1-2 mg per day |
Iodine |
Essential component of thyroid hormone which regulates your metabolism. |
150 mcg per day if you don’t use iodized salt |
Manganese |
Activates certain enzymes and is involved in fatty-acid metabolism and protein synthesis. It’s also needed for bone formation. |
5 mg per day |
Potassium |
Maintains normal pressure of body fluids and the acid balance of the body. It also functions in the transmission of nerve impulses and muscle contractions. |
Best obtained from foods like bananas, potatoes, spinach and tomatoes |
Selenium |
A constituent of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione. This mineral is found in red blood cells. |
100-200 mcg per day |
Additional Articles of Interest:
Essential Supplements Everyone Needs
Child's Play
Supplements in the News
References:
- Aydin H. Short-term oral magnesium supplementation suppresses bone turnover in postmenopausal osteoporotic women. Biological Trace Element Research. 2010;133:136-143.
- Marreiro DN. Effect of zinc supplementation on serum leptin levels and insulin resistance of obese women. Biological Trace Element Research. 2006;112:109-118.
- Peretz A. Effects of zinc supplementation on the phagocytic functions of polymorphonuclears in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Journal of Trace Elements and Electrolytes in Health and Disease. 1994;8:189-194.
|
|
|
|
|
© Copyright 2010 Advancednaturalmedicine.com, All Rights Reserved.
All material herein is provided for information only and may not be construed as personal medical advice. No action should be taken based solely on the contents of this information; instead, readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. The publisher is not a licensed medical care provider. The information is provided with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in the practice of medicine or any other health-care profession and does not enter into a health-care practitioner/patient relationship with its readers. We are not responsible for the accuracy, reliability, effectiveness, or correct use of information you receive through our product, or for any health problems that may result from training programs, products, or events you learn about through the site. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions. The FDA has not evaluated these statements. None of the information or products discussed on this site are intended to diagnose, treat, mitigate or cure any disease.
Advanced Natural Medicine does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any comments or other posted information from our readers. As such, all views expressed in the comments are solely the opinions of the individual author, and do not represent the opinions of Advanced Natural Medicine or its affiliates.
Attention Publishers, Marketers, and Webmasters!
You can republish your favorite Advanced Natural Medicine articles without charge. Leverage our powerful content on your website! Republishing our articles is simple, just include an attribution to the author(s) and the following short paragraph, in the same font size and visibility as the article: "This article appears courtesy of Advanced Natural Medicine, the natural health newsletter that lets you in on the newest discoveries and latest breakthroughs in natural medicine “, linking Advanced Natural Medicine name to this website.
|
