Sunday, November 11, 2007

The Vital Importance of Minerals for Our Health

The Vital Importance of Minerals for Our Health
Our bodies are literally composed of substances and
elements of the Earth. Minerals are a large part of our
body's composition e.g. bones, teeth etc. Minerals are
part of stones and soil of the Earth. We obtain the
minerals for our health from plants that absorb minerals
from the Earth through their roots as they grow. When we
eat these plants, we in turn absorb the minerals we need to
live. If we eat meat, we absorb the minerals from animals
who have absorbed them from plants. We also obtain
minerals from the water we drink.

Minerals, like vitamins, operate in our bodies as
co-enzymes. Minerals help balance and facilitate the
functions of our body chemistry. We need minerals for
healthy bones, to maintain the health of our blood and
other body fluids and to support our nerve system and
metabolic process. Minerals are vital in helping our bodies
produce energy, growth, and are vital for the reproduction
and health of our cells. Mineral interact with vitamins to
make vitamins effective and beneficial e.g. zinc changes
vitamin A into it's active form so it can be used by our
bodies. Some minerals act as potent antioxidants i.e.
destroy free radicals. Free radicals cause premature aging
and disease such as cancer, heart disease and other
cellular damage.

Zinc, iodine, selenium, iron, copper, chromium and
manganese are considered trace minerals. Calcium,
magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium are considered
bulk minerals because our bodies need them in larger
amounts. It is nearly impossible to take too many minerals
because they are stored mostly in bone and muscles tissue.
We would have put a great deal of conscious effort into
taking absurd amounts of minerals over a long time in order
to accumulate toxic amounts.

There are many different minerals. A description of just a
few of them will give us a good idea of their vital
importance for our lives.

Boron is a trace mineral that has been shown to
significantly reduce the affect of calcium loss in post
menopausal women and increase the blood level of the most
active form of estrogen. Boron also helps protect against
the demineralization of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus
in our bones.

Calcium is vital for healthy teeth and bones. Calcium helps
maintain a regular heartbeat it is vital in nerve
transmission. Calcium also aids muscles growth, helps in
muscle contraction and prevention of muscles cramps
especially during menses cycle. Calcium may help prevent
colon cancer and lower blood pressure as well as preventing
osteoporosis.

Chromium is a trace mineral needed for energy and the
metabolism of glucose, cholesterol, fats, and proteins.
Chromium helps to maintain blood sugar levels in
hypoglycemia and diabetes by improving the efficiency of
insulin. Chromium can also play a role in weight loss by
helping us maintain muscles tissue while losing fat

Copper is an essential trace mineral involved in enzyme
process. Copper is found in large amounts in our liver and
brain. Copper is important in the production of red blood
cells, hemoglobin, and bone. Copper works synergistically
with vitamin C and zinc. Copper also has a part in our
ability to taste and in our hair and skin color. Copper
promotes strong, flexible connective tissue.

Iodine is a trace mineral used by our thyroid to produce
thyroxin which is a hormone that regulates energy
production, body temperature, breathing, muscle tone and
the health of tissues. Iodine supports skin, nerves,
reproductive process and prevents goiter.

Iron is vital for the production of hemoglobin, formation
of red blood cells and the oxygenation of red blood cells.
Iron increases the quality of blood and therefore, the
body's resistance to disease and stress. Iron improves
circulation, digestion, elimination and respiration. Iron
even helps improve our emotional state in improving
optimism, vitality, courage and will, memory and reasoning
ability. Iron also helps resistance to cold virus. Some
say that iron helps us better relate to the magnetic
dynamics of the Earth and improves our own physical
electrical system.

Manganese, a Greek word for magic, is required to produce
enzymes which are essential for metabolism of protein, fat
and glucose. Manganese promotes healthy bones, nerves,
immune function and blood sugar levels.

Potassium plays a large role in supporting our nervous
system and natural heart rhythm. Potassium stabilizes our
blood pressure and helps in electrochemical transmissions.
Potassium helps our cells absorb nutrients. Potassium
maintains a healthy pH and muscles contraction. Potassium
has been shown to prevent strokes and works with sodium to
maintain a proper water balance in our bodies.

Selenium is an essential mineral and acts as an antioxidant
preventing free radical damage. Selenium is essential for
normal pancreatic function. Selenium and Vitamin E combined
have a synergistic quality that improves the effectiveness
of both compounds. Selenium helps maintain the health our
heart muscle and promotes our immune system.

Zinc is found throughout our entire body. When zinc is
used with Vitamin A, it facilitates healthy prostate
function. Zinc promotes a healthy immune system, taste,
smell, joint and connective tissue, cell division, repair
and growth and helps insulin function. Using lozenges
composed of zinc gluconate helps shorten the duration of a
cold. Zinc helps with digestion and the metabolism of
phosphorus and protein. Zinc plays an important role in the
healing of burns and wounds. Zinc promotes and supports our
reproductive system by helping sperm development and
facilitating ovulation and fertilization.

We can gather from the descriptions of just a few of the
minerals available to us, just how important minerals are
to our lives and health. In a way, it could be said that we
are minerals. Obtaining the minerals we need from plants,
animals, and water may not be an efficient, complete or
balanced way of gaining minerals due to the fact that the
kind and amount of minerals found in plants, animals and
water varies a great deal from one geographical region to
another each with it's own soil type and mineral content.
The most efficient way for us to supply ourselves with the
minerals we need is through supplements. For most of us,
it is most beneficial to use natural multivitamin and
mineral formulas rather than to try to take individual
mineral supplements. This is because minerals and vitamins
are synergistic in their combinations, proportions,
interactions, and beneficial effects. Supplementing our
diets with formulas composed of natural vitamins and
minerals prepared by those of us who have devoted our
education and effort in full time work and experience with
the interaction of vitamins with minerals, and minerals
with minerals may be the best way for us to obtain a proper
combination of these compounds vital for our health.


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Jenny has more than twenty years experience with all
natural health care products. More information about
vitamins and minerals is available at =>

http://www.sweetmedicineessentials.com/natural-vitamins-c-11
.html

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