What Are Minerals?

Most of what we see in our environment is made up of many things. Minerals are not. Minerals are chemical elements. A chemical element is a basic building block of the universe. It is not composed of two or more different things so cannot be broken down into something smaller. For instance water, H2O, is made up of two elements, Hydrogen and Oxygen, neither of which can be broken down into anything else.

Minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and zinc are chemical elements that come from the earth. They are required by the body in order for it to perform many different functions. For instance calcium is required to make bones. Calcium absorption into the bones is aided by the minerals phosphorus and potassium and the vitamins D and K. Zinc is required for healthy hair and skin, iron for the blood and so on.

Minerals make up 4% of our body weight. Men are about 60% water and women are 55% (less water in fat - gotta love those curves). A mineral component of 4% of total body weight translates to 10% of the non-water content for a male. That’s quite a bit. Especially if you are not getting enough of them!

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