The Essential Role Minerals Play in Health

Minerals are the cornerstones of good health, they keep your ‘battery’ going and help it maintain its ‘charge.’ Your body is composed of about 4% minerals and these vital building blocks can only be obtained through your diet.

Minerals Come From the Earth and will Eventually Return to the Earth

Minerals are derived from the earth. Good soil is 45% minerals, yet soils today are deficient due to synthetic fertilizers, mono-cropping and other factors. In the US, soils now contain 86% less minerals than they did 100 years ago! When plant or animal tissues are burned or human bodies cremated, minerals (ash) are all that remain, instead of decomposing naturally taking nutrients back into soils.

Mineral Imbalance is a Worldwide Epidemic

Of the 103 known minerals, 18 are necessary for good health. Calcium is the most significant mineral present in the human body. Over 1/3 of the women in America will have diagnosable osteoporosis from loss of calcium in their lifetime.  These women will have lost a staggering 30% of bone mass by the time they are diagnosed. Nearly 100% of Americans have some type of joint degeneration by the time they are 40 years old. The same is likely true for Australia.

Many benefits of Minerals:

• Assist enzyme reactions, enzymes don’t work without minerals. All cells require enzymes to work & function
• Maintain the pH balance within your body
• Help nutrients to cross cell membranes
• Help to contract and relax muscles
• Regulate your body’s tissue growth
• Provide structural and functional support for your body

There are two categories of minerals essential within your body, macro-minerals & micro-minerals. Macro minerals are present at larger levels in your body and are required in larger amounts in the diet. Macro minerals include

• calcium
• chlorine
• magnesium
• phosphorus
• potassium
• sodium and
• sulfur

Micro minerals are often referred to as trace minerals, meaning they are present at low levels in your body and required in smaller amounts in the diet. Micro-minerals include

• chromium
• cobalt
• copper
• fluorine
• iodine
• iron
• manganese
• molybdenum
• selenium and
• zinc

Best Food Sources of Minerals

Two great sources of minerals include:

1. animal proteins from organic raised, grass fed animals, and
2. wild seafood

In addition, properly prepared nuts, seeds and legumes are excellent as well. Remember to pair these foods with good fatty acids to ensure you are actually utilising them well. Raw milk dairy products (not pasteurised or homogenised), cultured dairy and cheeses are another excellent source. Pastured eggs are rich in a wide array of nutrients that all synergistically support each other. Dark leafy greens, sea vegetables, oysters, even butter and liver as well as bone broth are all excellent options for re-mineralizing your body.

Mr Vitamins Recommends:

By far the best way to get the full spectrum of minerals into your diet is by using Pure Aussie Ocean Derived Sea Minerals. Sea Minerals are a rich source of concentrated ionic minerals (more readily absorbed than colloidal minerals) and trace elements derived naturally from ocean waters at a pristine location near the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Sea water is collected in specifically designed ponds where it is allowed to slowly concentrate. By utilising solar evaporation and precipitation a dense solution of rich macro and trace minerals slowly starts to develop.   Most of the sodium is naturally extracted. The remaining liquid is further naturally concentrated leaving a mineral laden, anti-microbial and anti-bacterial solution. These sea minerals are available plain or with added herbs that work synergistically with the minerals enhancing the effects of both. Available from the Mr Vitamins Retail Store Talk to Grace Yau in the store at 324 Victoria Avenue or 'ask a naturopath' there or at the 394 store for further help and recommendations on which product is right for you.