Calcium | Chloride | Choline | Chromium | Cobalt | Copper | Floride (Fluorine) | Iodine | Iron | Magnesium | Manganese | Molybdenum | Niacin | Phosphorus | Potassium | Selenium | Silicon | Sodium | Vanadium | Zinc

Calcium – Calcium, the most abundant mineral in the body, is essential for the growth and maintenance of bones and teeth and helps prevent rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults. It is also important for the transportation of nerve impulses, and clotting of the blood, helps to keep blood pressure normal and may reduce the risk of heart disease. When taken with Vitamin D, it may help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Too much calcium can cause constipation and calcium deposits in soft tissue causing damage to the heart, liver or kidneys. Calcium supplements are available in a various forms; the form that is best absorbed by the body is calcium citrate-malate.
Food Sources: dairy products, almonds, dark green leafy vegetables, sardines and in salmon (in the edible bones of the canned fish). Adult RDA: 800 mg. Pregnant Women and Young Adults – 1,200 mg.

Chloride – Chloride works with sodium and potassium to help maintain the proper distribution and pH of bodily fluids and encourages healthy nerve and muscle function. It contributes to digestion and waste elimination and is a key component of hydrochloric acid, one of the gastric juices that digest food. Unprocessed natural foods provide enough chloride for human health.

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Chromium – Works with insulin to regulate the body’s use of sugar and is essential to fatty-acid metabolism, making it a helpful supplement in weight-loss programs. It may also help deter antherosclerosis and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Chromium is not absorbed well, so the body must take in more than it actually uses. For this reason, most people do not get enough dietary chromium. Some people may benefit from a multi-nutrient supplement such as chromium citrate or chromium picolinate and may be taken to treat some cases of adult-onset diabetes, to reduced insulin requirements of some diabetic children and to relieve symptoms of hypoglycemia.

Cobalt – A component of Vitamin B12, cobalt helps form red blood cells and maintain nerve tissue. Large amounts of inorganic cobalt stimulates the growth of the thyroid gland and may lead to the overproduction of red blood cells, resulting in a disorder known as polycythemia. In order to benefit the body, cobalt must come from foods such as liver, kidneys, milk, oysters clams or sea vegetables or from vitamin B12 supplements.

Copper – Indispensable to the human body, Copper helps to form hemoglobin in the blood, facilitates the absorption and use of iron so that red blood cells can transport oxygen to tissues, assists in the regulation of blood pressure and heart rate, strengthens blood vessels, bones, tendons and nerves, promotes fertility, and ensures normal skin and hair pigmentation. Copper may also help prevent such cardiovascular problems as high blood pressure and heart arrhythmias. It may even help protect tissue from damage by free radicals, support the body’s immune function and contribute to preventing cancer. Most adults get enough copper from a normal, varied diet and, as a result, supplements should be taken only on a doctor’s advice.
Food Sources: seafood and organ meats are the richest sources; blackstrap molasses, nuts, seeds, green vegetables, black pepper and cocoa.

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Fluoride (Fluorine) – A trace mineral found naturally in soil, water, plants and animal tissues, Fluorine is needed for healthy teeth and bones. Commonly referred to as Fluoride, it helps form the enamel that protects teeth from decay and cavities and increase bone strength and stability.
Food Sources: seafood like sardines and salmon, meats, cheese, tea and drinking water.

Iodine – The mineral iodine was first discovered in kelp and is a crucial element of the thyroid hormones. It strongly influences nutrient metabolism, nerve and muscle function, skin, hair, nail and tooth condition, and physical and mental development. Iodine deficiency can cause goiter, under-active thyroid, and can lead to myxedema. Supplements are usually unnecessary, although, pregnant women should make sure they take enough iodine for themselves and their babies to prevent potential mental retardation or cretinism, a form of dwarfism in infants.
Food Sources: kelp, seafood, vegetables grown in iodine-rich soil, and table salt is fortified with iodine.

Iron – Iron is found in hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying pigment of the red blood cells and is essential for the production of energy and normal brain function. It is also a component of myoglobin, a protein that provides extra fuel to muscles during exertion. Iron exists in two forms – heme iron, found in red meat, chicken, seafood and other animal products, and nonheme iron, found in dark green vegetables, whole grains, nuts, dried fruit and other plant foods. Heme iron is easier for the body to absorb but eating foods that contain nonheme iron along with foods that have heme iron or Vitamin C maximizes iron absorption. Coffee, tea, soy-based foods, antacids and tetracycline as well as excessive amounts of calcium, zinc, and manganese all inhibit iron absorption.
Food Sources: in liver, lean meet, eggs and whole grains.

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Magnesium – Nature uses magnesium as a natural sedative to calm the nervous system. It is an essential catalyst for many functions in the body, including food metabolism and release of energy, and the synthesis of nucleic acids and protein. Along with calcium and phosphorus, magnesium is an essential component for healthy bones and teeth as well as reducing the risk of developing osteoporosis and may minimize the effects of existing osteoporosis. While most people can get enough magnesium from their diet, a multi-nutrient supplement is a relatively safe way to augment magnesium intake.
Food Sources: fish, green leafy vegetables, milk, nuts, seeds, whole grains, brown rice, soybeans, and brewer’s yeast. Adult RDA: Men – 350 mg. Women – 280 mg.

Manganese – Essential for normal reproductive functions, milk formulation, building resistance to disease and activating enzymes important for carbohydrate and fat production. It is essential for the proper formation and maintenance of bone, cartilage and connective tissue and is necessary for the normal functioning of the brain. It is effective in the treatment of such nervous disorders as Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia. Most people can take in enough manganese through their diet alone.
Food Sources: brown rice, nuts, seeds, wheat germ, beans, whole grains, peas, green leaf vegetables and strawberries.

Molybdenum – An obscure trace element, molybdenum is an essential enzyme component that helps generate energy, process waste for excretion, utilization of iron for the body’s use and detoxify sulfites (chemicals used as food preservatives). It is a component of tooth enamel and may help prevent tooth decay. People can get enough molybdenum for their diet. Deficiency is usually the result of eating foods from molybdenum-deficient soils or a diet high in refined and processed foods.
Food Sources: peas, beans, cereals, pastas, leafy vegetables, yeast, milk and organ meats.

Niacin – Essential for the efficient use of protein. Lack of niacin results in intestinal disorders, mental depression, skin rashes. Found in liver, fish, lean meats and poultry, potatoes, nuts and whole grains.

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Phosphorus – The second most plentiful mineral in the body, phosphorus is found in every cell and is essential for bone formation and maintenance. It stimulates muscle contraction and contributes to tissue growth and repair, energy production, is essential for communication between cells and aids in proper heart and kidney function. Phosphorus is present in nearly all foods and deficiency is rare.
Food Sources: meats, poultry, eggs, fish, nuts, dairy products, whole grains and wheat germ.

Potassium – Essential for balancing the system, potassium aids in regulating pH, normalizing the heartbeat, nourishing the muscles, and assisting the kidneys’ disposal of body waste. It is also important for protein syntheses, carbohydrate metabolism and insulin secretion by the pancreas. People who take such drugs as corticosteroids, high-dose penicillin and laxatives may suffer from potassium deficiency. However, supplements such as potassium aspartate should be taken only under a doctor’s guidance.
Food Sources: lean meats, raw vegetables, fruits – especially citrus fruits, bananas and avocados – and potatoes.

Selenium – Selenium is an antioxidant that protects cells and tissues from damage caused by free radicals. Its antioxidant effects complement those of Vitamin E it is considered the two are potentiate or reinforce each other. An essential trace element, it also supports immune function and neutralizes certain poisonous substances, including cadmium, mercury and arsenic that may be ingested or inhaled. It may help combat arthritis, deter heart disease and prevent a number of cancers and other disease. Most people take in enough selenium through diet alone. Some multi-nutrients contain selenium in small amounts.
Food Sources: whole grains, asparagus, garlic, eggs, mushrooms, lean meats, wheat germ, bran, tuna, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, and kidney.

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Silicon – A trace element, it is believed silicon plays a part in the make-up of the body’s connective tissues, bones, skin and fingernails. It is also helpful in preventing osteoporosis by assisting the utilization of calcium within the bones. Silicon also improves the strength of hair and nails by improving the production of keratin and collagen.
Food Sources: whole grains, vegetables, hard drinking water and seafood.

Sodium – A mineral, sodium is contained in all bodily fluids, including blood, tears and perspiration. It works with potassium and chloride to maintain fluid distribution and pH balance and with potassium to help control muscle contraction and nerve function. Keeping sodium intake within reasonable limits is critical to maintaining long-term health. If sodium levels are too high, the body loses potassium and retains water, leading to high blood pressure.
Food Sources: table salt, processed foods, meats, shellfish, condiments, snack foods, food additives and over-the-counter laxatives.

Vanadium – The role of this trace mineral is uncertain but there are indications it lowers blood sugar levels in some people and inhibits tumor development and may protect against diabetes and some cancers. It may also contribute to cholesterol metabolism and hormone production. It is believed the human body needs only a small amount of vanadium which is provided by diet.
Food Sources: whole grains, nuts, root vegetables, liver, fish and vegetable oils.

Zinc – Zinc is a very important trace element that is integral to the synthesis of RNA and DNA. It is required for more than 200 enzyme activities within the body. It contributes to many bodily processes, including bone development and growth, cell respiration, energy metabolism, wound healing, aids the liver in removing toxic substances such as alcohol, bolsters the immune function and is important in the regulation of heart rate and blood pressure. Zinc supplements may help in the resistance to infection, especially in the elderly. Taking extreme amounts of zinc daily can impair immune function and cause nausea, headaches, vomiting, dehydration, stomachaches, poor muscle co-ordination, fatigue and possibly kidney failure.
Food Sources: lean meat and seafood, eggs, soybeans, peanuts, wheat bran, cheese, oysters and mushrooms.

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