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Sunday, March 2, 2008

Minerals Are Elemental and Essential to Health


Deficiencies of essential minerals are more common than vitamin deficiencies, in part because some minerals compete with others. Too much calcium can lower the absorption of magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc. And too much zinc can reduce copper, iron, and phosphorus absorption.

Needed in fairly large amounts, bulk minerals include calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium. Calcium is essential to the formation of strong bones and teeth, in addition to maintaining a regular heartbeat and transmitting nerve impulses. While some multivitamin/mineral formulas contain calcium, many people need additional calcium (best balance with magnesium). Stanford University researchers recently found that most Americans don't get enough calcium.

Magnesium assists in both calcium and potassium uptake within the body; this mineral also helps prevent calcification of soft tissues and protects the lining of the blood vessels. Taking magnesium supplements in pregnancy helps mothers-to-be prevent birth defects in their offspring.While only minute amounts are needed, trace minerals-boron, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, silicon, vanadium, and zinc-are also vital to health. Probably the best-known trace mineral is iron, which is important for blood growth. Children and women and post menopausal women may develop health problem from too much of this trace mineral.

Critical in sugar metabolism, chromium is necessary for energy, but most Americans eat diet that's low in this trace mineral. Supplementing with one form (chromium picolinate) helps control blood cholesterol and glucose level.

Because minerals are essential to health and their interactions are so complex, please ask your dietitians for more informations.

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Life of Ours Author


Mrs. Cheers, Keystone USA

"I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations. I have a continuing program of research (What mother doesn't?) in the laboratory and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters, (the whole darned family) and already have five credits (four sons & one daughter, 1 joined the working community, 4 were educated @ home ). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?), and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers, and the rewards are more of a satisfaction than just money."


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