Minerals Required By Humans

Mineral - Function - Deficiency symptoms - Source / Daily needs

• Sodium - An important component (about 1%) of blood plasma; maintains the correct osmotic pressure of the body fluid; needed in the transmission of impulses in nerves, sensory cells and muscles, and for normal cell membrane permeability - Dehydration, muscle cramps , kidney failure ( Excess causes oedema and hypertension) - Salt, Natural foods especially meat, milk and eggs ( 5 - 8 g)

• Chlorine - Maintains correct osmotic pressure of body fluids - Muscle cramps (excess causes oedema) - Salt , natural food (3 g)

• Potassium - Similar Functions as Sodium - Leads to muscle paralysis - All natural foods (2 mg)

• Calcium - A Major component of bones and teeth; needed for clothing of blood, proper functioning of the heart and nervous system, and normal contraction of muscles - Softening of bones, rickets in children - Milk, cheese, eggs, fruit, green vegetables, almonds (1 g)

• Phosphorus - Involved in the transfer of energy and hence, requires for most chemical reactions in the body ; essential component of DNA and RNA, a major component of bones and teeth - Rickets - Fish, shellfish , eggs, milk, cheeses (1.5 g) 

• Magnesium - A major component of bones ; activities glycolytic enzymes in muscles in muscle - Weakness , depression and disturbance in muscle contraction - Leafy vegetables. Nuts, sea foods (350 mg)

• Iron - Structural and functional component of haemoglobin in red blood cells, myoglobin in  muscle cells and enzymes (cytochromes ) involved in cell respiration - Anaemia - Liver, meat, eggs, green vegetables (10 mg)

• Copper - Fair haemoglobin formation - (-----) - Meat liver (1 mg)

• Manganese - For formation of haemoglobin and enzyme action - (-----) - (---) (3 mg)

• Iodine - Needed for the synthesis of the thyroid hormone and for normal reproduction in mammals - Goitre, poor growth - Sea foods (0.1 mg)

• Fluorine - Hardens bones and teeth - Dental caries - Milk (trace)

• Cobalt - for haemoglobin formation - Pernicious anaemia - Meats