essential minerals
Body's required inorganics
Essential minerals are inorganic elements the body requires for proper function but cannot produce itself—they must come from food or supplements.
These include calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and others.
The doctor recommended a multivitamin to ensure she got all the essential minerals.
Nutritionists distinguish between macrominerals needed in larger amounts and trace minerals needed in tiny quantities.
- manganeseTransition metal, element 25
- chromiumElement twenty-four
- copperReddish-brown metallic element
- nickelElement twenty-eight, or coin
- molybdenumElement forty-two
selenium · bone density · chloride · vanadium · fluoride · electrolyte balance · boron · iodine · thyroid function · cofactor · cobalt · red blood cells · iron deficiency · calcium · potassium · muscle contraction · nerve function · sodium
essential mineralsmacronutrients
Primary nutritional building blocks
carbohydrates · proteins · fats · vitamins · dietary fiber
essential mineralstoxic metals
Poisonous metallic elements
heavy metals · lead · mercury · cadmium · arsenic