Minerals

The essential minerals needed in the diet include calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, iron, iodine, zinc, copper, chromium, selenium, manganese, and molybdenum. These minerals are considered micronutrients, so they are only needed in small amounts in the diet. Even though this is the case, having them in the diet is imperative due to the body being uncapable of synthesizing them. Minerals can be further categorized into major, trace, and ultra-trace minerals. Major minerals are needed in the diet in amounts greater than 100 mg per day while trace and ultra-trace minerals are needed in the diet in amount less than 100 mg per day. Of the major minerals, calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, accounting for 1.5-2% of a person’s total body weight (1)! These minerals have potent effects in the body, including the following: 

-       Cellular repair, integrity, and differentiation (2)

-       Maintaining proper enzymatic function (3)

-       Aiding in metabolic pathways (4)

-       Bone formation, growth, and strength (5)

-       DNA/RNA synthesis and gene expression (6)

-       Hormone synthesis (7)

-       Regulating normal neurological functions (8)

-       Boosting the immune system (9)

 

The list of the various roles that minerals have in the body can go on and on, but this list highlights the major roles of the minerals. Luckily enough, minerals are found in all sorts of food sources, so consuming the adequate amounts of each mineral is fairly easy to accomplish. The following table describes the primary sources of the essential minerals in detail (1). 

 

Calcium

Dairy

Seafood (fish with bones)

Almonds

Collards

Spinach

Broccoli

Fortified foods

Iron

Meat like beef, pork, and chicken

Seafood

Enriched cereals & breads

Legumes

Spinach

Kale

Potatoes with skin

 

Magnesium

Wheat bran

Beans

Legumes

Nuts & seeds

Broccoli

Okra

Spinach

Chives

Zinc

Red meats

Poultry

Pork

Seafood

Dairy

Whole grains

Vegetables

 

Iodine

Salt

Seafood

Phosphorous

Meat

Milk

Whole grains

 

Chromium

Processed and organ meats

Whole grains

Peanuts

Cheese

Mushrooms

Some fruits and vegetables

Copper

Shellfish

Nuts

Legumes

Bran & germ of whole grains

 

Manganese

Small amounts in food 

 

Selenium

Dependent upon soil for plants and diet for animals

Molybdenum

Meat

Poultry

Fish

Grains

Legumes

Milk

Written by: Siri Pederson

Last edited: 05/11/2022

    1. Gropper SS, Smith JL, Carr TP. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. 8th ed.; 2021.

    2. Wang S, Duan C, Liu H, et al. The roles of selenium, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 in the pathogenesis of Kashin–Beck disease. Biomarkers. 2016;21(5):409-415. doi:10.3109/1354750X.2016.1141990

    3. Taniguchi M, Fukunaka A, Hagihara M, et al. Essential Role of the Zinc Transporter ZIP9/SLC39A9 in Regulating the Activations of Akt and Erk in B-Cell Receptor Signaling Pathway in DT40 Cells. PLoS ONE. 2013;8(3). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0058022

    4. Rouault TA. The indispensable role of mammalian iron sulfur proteins in function and regulation of multiple diverse metabolic pathways. BioMetals. Published online 2019. doi:10.1007/s10534-019-00191-7

    5. Zhang J, Sun L, Luo X, et al. Cells responding to surface structure of calcium phosphate ceramics for bone regeneration. Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. 2017;11(11):3273-3283. doi:10.1002/term.2236

    6. Keravis T, Lugnier C. Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) isozymes as targets of the intracellular signalling network: Benefits of PDE inhibitors in various diseases and perspectives for future therapeutic developments. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2012;165(5):1288-1305. doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01729.x

    7. Nerhus I, Odland M, Kjellevold M, et al. Iodine status in Norwegian preschool children and associations with dietary iodine sources: the FINS-KIDS study. European Journal of Nutrition. 2019;58(6):2219-2227. doi:10.1007/s00394-018-1768-0

    8. Kirkland AE, Sarlo GL, Holton KF. The role of magnesium in neurological disorders. Nutrients. 2018;10(6). doi:10.3390/nu10060730

    9. Wintergerst ES, Maggini S, Hornig DH. Contribution of selected vitamins and trace elements to immune function. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. 2007;51(4):301-323. doi:10.1159/000107673

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