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Mineral Supplements
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Mineral supplements are dietary supplements that provide at least (and usually more) of the RDA for particular minerals, which are vital for the biochemical processes of life. We have to consume a certain amount of these minerals from our diet. For people who can't easily do this, mineral supplements are great way to do this.
Minerals are vital to our health, however there are so many it is often difficult to keep track. Some of the most important are:
Calcium - essential for the formation and protection of bones and teeth, deficiencies can cause several serious problems
Chromium - influential in the use of glucose and lipids in the body, a lack of which is thought to affect our ability to tolerate glucose
Potassium - essential to the function of nerves, and thought to decrease incidence of stroke or blood pressure
Iodine - required for thyroid health, a lack of which has resulted in hypothyroidism
Iron - well-known for many uses, iron is needed for energy release and transfer of oxygen round the body
Selenium - thought to be one of the most powerful antioxidants, this mineral is used to protect the body from damage
Zinc - plays a part in immunity and healing, a lack of zinc can cause poor health, increased infection and poor sense of smell
We need all these minerals, in varying amounts, to live and breathe. However, it has been suggested that due to modern diets that have lower amounts of natural, raw vegetable-based foods or fresh, high-quality meat than we could or should, many of us unknowingly suffer from a chronic 'background' deficiency.
This lack of minerals (and vitamins) is thought to cause many of today's common conditions, that are so difficult to treat e.g. chronic fatigue syndromes, abnormal pain conditions, IBS, forms of depression, poor immunity etc. Supplementing with minerals or using mineral supplements is believed to prevent these conditions from arising.
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