Minerals are essential for our body. But which ones are the most important and what do they do? And what is the difference between them and vitamins? And is there an impact on your performance at lightning roulette online?
WHY DO WE NEED THEM?
Minerals are (super)vital for our organisms. They ensure that everything, really everything, functions properly – from bones and digestion to cell renewal. Like vitamins, minerals are micronutrients that the body needs alongside macronutrients – carbohydrates, proteins, and fats – to regulate metabolic processes. They are important for the electrolyte and water balance, and for the immune system, and are essential for the development and function of bones, muscles, and teeth. The body also needs minerals for the visual process and the nervous system and they are involved in blood clotting and reproduction.
However, our body cannot produce micronutrients on its own – but we can support it by eating the right foods. Minerals are found as inorganic food components in various animal and plant foods.
HOW MANY MINERALS DOES THE BODY NEED?
Magnesium is an important mineral. For the processes in the body to work properly, the supply of minerals and vitamins must be right. But how many minerals does the body need? Because this is not so easy to assess, there are official nutrient recommendations. In German-speaking countries, the D-A-CH reference values are the standard. These reference values indicate the amounts of nutrients a person should consume to stay fit and healthy. Incidentally, these recommendations also exist for other nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and also for energy, water, fiber, and alcohol.
The reference values are initially based on the nutrient requirement – i.e. the amount of nutrients needed to avoid a deficiency. This requirement is increased by 20 to 30 % as it is an average value: This means that the reference values are usually higher than the actual nutrient requirement. Individual requirements vary from person to person and depend on many factors such as age, gender, and metabolism.
If you eat a balanced diet, you shouldn’t have any problems with deficiency symptoms: However, some risk groups should pay particular attention to their mineral intake. These include pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and sick people, as well as people with a lot of stress, unbalanced diets, special diets, and vegan diets. If you belong to one of these groups, you can consume minerals in a targeted manner: either through dietary supplements or – and we recommend this – by eating the right foods.
MINERALS: BULK AND TRACE ELEMENTS
Minerals are required by the body in different quantities and are divided into bulk and trace elements depending on their content in the body.
Bulk elements include Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chlorine, phosphorus, and sulfur. They occur in a concentration of over 50 mg per kg body weight.
Trace elements, on the other hand – as the name suggests – are only found in the body in trace amounts. They are only found in the body in concentrations of less than 50 mg per kg. The minerals iron, iodine, fluoride, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, chromium, and molybdenum are considered trace elements. One special feature is the mineral iron: Although it occurs in a concentration of around 60 mg per kg of body weight – and should therefore theoretically be counted as a bulk element – iron is counted in this subgroup of minerals due to the similarity of its functions to trace elements. The most important minerals and their functions at a glance: Minerals are found in many types of fruit and vegetables.
