The human body is one of the most incredible organisms walking the face of the earth. If you stop to consider this idea, you might agree. For example, think about only your eyes and how they operate. Unless you’re an optometrist, there is a good chance you will be unable to explain the science that makes eyesight possible. But even just the consideration of how they work makes your mind spin, right?

That’s only one aspect of the body. When you consider the numerous systems which operate within the body independently of each other though still in unison, it is extremely difficult not to become overloaded with thoughts related to how everything works together. Irish percussionist Evelyn Glennie added her thoughts to this idea, “The human body and mind are tremendous forces that are continually amazing scientists and society. Therefore, we have no choice but to keep an open mind as to what the human being can achieve.”

Despite how amazing the human body is, it is hard to argue that human beings know all they need to keep their body running in tip-top shape. In fact, many people would argue quite the opposite. Thankfully, we are here to help with a topic that is not discussed quite as often as some of the other dietary topics – all the minerals you need in your diet and how to get them.

Potassium

Christy Pyrz, Chief Marketing Officer at Paradigm Peptides kicked things off for us, “If you are unfamiliar with potassium then let me be the first to introduce you to this wonderful mineral. It does so many things for your body but maybe the most important of these is the support it gives to your muscles and bodily fluid management. You really shouldn’t go without it.”

That final line could not be truer to everyone, no matter who you are. If you are not getting potassium, you’re going to notice some unwelcome side effects such as an irregular heartbeat. Simply put, potassium is an excellent tool for maintaining health over long periods of time. It also prepares the body for aging. Some studies have shown that regular potassium intake can lower your chance of experiencing a stroke. Furthermore, potassium is a great benefit to your brain.

As far as adding potassium to your diet goes, Dr. Minhas, Founder, CEO from GerdLi went into detail on the best ways to do so, “For those in search of high-potassium foods, I suggest you find a few different options such as beets, bananas, or avocados. There are many more options so find whatever works for you. Just make sure it’s part of your diet.”

Calcium

As a child, you may have been told by your mother to drink your milk because it’s good for your bones. Even if you may not want to admit it, mom was right even if she did not give you a full explanation. For that, we have Susan K. Shaffer, President of Pneuma Nitric Oxide, “Chances are if you name a part of the body, it needs calcium in some fashion. That’s how vital of a mineral it is. Your teeth and bones need calcium especially and with how important those are, I wouldn’t slack off on my calcium intake.

The fact that calcium benefits bones may not have been news to you. So, let’s explore this mineral a little further. For one, calcium is one of the minerals responsible for blood vessels and their interactions with muscles. Seeing as every helpful corner of your body has a muscle, managing these well seems wise. But there’s more which Michael Fischer, Founder of Elite HRT discussed, “Many of the feelings, both physical and emotional, are brought to you by calcium, literally – if your body didn’t have the mineral, these things wouldn’t happen to you.”

In other words, walking away from calcium would be to walk away from the experience of being human. Gone would be the feeling of the sun on your skin or the joy when you see your pet. It likely goes without saying that you do not want to live this way. But, to make that a reality, you’re going to need to be a little more serious about your diet. Be sure you have plenty of dairy, seeds, fish, or beans on hand as these are some of the best providers.

Electrolytes

Raina Kumra, Founder and CEO of Spicewell brought up something worth giving some thought, “To those in the know, the word electrolytes may be a bit more of a buzzword than anything. Why is this the case? Well, the term is an all-encompassing one for minerals that have positive or negative ions.”

This means that minerals make up what we know as electrolytes. After this, you may never look at the word electrolyte the same again. The total list of minerals within said term includes bicarbonate, calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphate, potassium, and sodium. Obviously, we’ve already covered two of these minerals and we have one more yet to cover before this piece is through. It is important to note that each one of these minerals has responsibilities of its own, as we’ve seen. But together, they become the body’s lifeblood, in a sense. Dr. Michael Green, Chief Medical Officer at Winona explained this, “Any action, voluntary or not, that your body does, it is powered by electrolytes. You will notice this the most when you’re dehydrated, as that’s another way of saying low on electrolytes.”

Rather than guzzling something like a sports drink every day to get your electrolytes, give leafy greens, tofu, or fruit a try. There is no shame in getting creative with it! Drinking water often helps too. This may be a change of pace entirely and needless to say; those are never easy. But, in the long run, you will feel the difference.

Magnesium

Honestly, you could refer to any of the minerals reviewed here as the lifeblood of the body – that should speak to how necessary they are. There is nothing different about magnesium. Do you know which mineral helps your body create things such as DNA or protein? It’s magnesium. Could you tell someone that magnesium can influence blood sugar and pressure in a positive manner? Now you can. These examples of the capabilities of magnesium only scratch the surface of its capabilities. Juan Pablo Cappello, Co-Founder and CEO of Nue Life offered more insight into this mineral, “If you have ever broken a bone, your body naturally increases its demand for magnesium. Your doctor may have said something to you about it because if it’s not around, that bone will not heal.”

Now, you may not deal with a broken bone in your lifetime. This could be due to dumb luck or the fact that magnesium is part of your diet. On top of this, improved blood pressure and sugar are always great benefits, regardless of your age. To make this part of your diet, read the words of Steven Vigilante, Head of New Business Development at OLIPOP, “The beauty of minerals is that there is usually more than one kind present in food. So, if you’re paying close attention to your mineral intake, there’s a lot of food overlap between beans, vegetables, and anything with a lot of fiber.” 

Iron

You may not be surprised to discover that Iron shares many responsibilities with other minerals. After all, the minerals covered until this point have followed a similar trend – they help the body function better. However, leaving out the benefits of Iron would be doing it a disservice. Luckily, they have been described by Natália Sadowski, Director of Aesthetics at Nourishing Biologicals. “Anyone who has spent even 30 minutes watching a medically themed TV program has heard of hemoglobin. But can you tell me what it does and where it comes from? Essentially, it brings oxygen throughout your body using your blood flow. Hemoglobin cannot be made without iron which should make it obvious what the long-term effects of an iron deficiency will do.”

This begs the final question, how do you avoid an iron deficiency? Of course, the modern solution is to use a supplement for everything in this arena. But why not enjoy your healthy lifestyle instead of quickly washing it down? Like the minerals presented previously, avoiding an iron deficiency starts with what you eat. Asker A Ahmed, Director at iProcess Global Research vouched for some specific foods, “For whatever reason, healthy eating has become synonymous with awful taste, and this is simply not true. Red meat, shellfish, liver, and spinach have some of the highest concentrations of iron. This list makes it seem like there is an iron-rich item of food out there for everyone, and you would be right to think that. Because if you go without it, you might not last very long.”

The examples of minerals and the foods associated with them are far from being listed completely. In truth, this could have been a dissertation and we would only be wrapping up the introduction. That level of depth paired with importance speaks to the level of impact minerals have on the human body. A similar statement can be made about the food you choose to consume. John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods Market, said as much, “A healthy diet is a solution to many of our health-care problems. It’s the most important solution.

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