You need the minerals sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulphur, iron, iodine, fluoride, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, chromium and molybdenum. Getting enough of all these minerals in line with the recommended daily requirement keeps vital processes, functions and states in the human body going.
In Germany, an undersupply of minerals is rare. But at least in the short term, a deficiency of one mineral or another does occur. That is reason enough in this article to draw attention to the important minerals and to introduce you to our Daily Complete as a mineral supplier.
Minerals: the bulk elements and trace elements your body needs
With minerals, a distinction is made between bulk elements and trace elements. Bulk elements include all minerals the body needs in larger amounts. If a mineral is needed in an amount of 50 mg per day or more, it is a bulk element. All other minerals are trace elements, because they are only needed in small amounts (in "traces", so to speak).
Now you know the difference between bulk elements and trace elements. You come across these terms fairly often when you read up on minerals, so it helps to know them. This table gives you an overview of all minerals and the recommended daily amount:
Bulk elements [table left column]
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Sodium: 1,500 mg
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Chloride: 2,300 mg
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Potassium: 4,000 mg
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Calcium: 1,000 mg
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Phosphorus: 550 mg
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Magnesium: 350 mg for men and 300 mg for women
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Sulphur: 13 to 25 mg per kg of body weight
Trace elements [table right column]
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Iron: 11 mg for men and 16 mg for women
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Iodine: 200 μg
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Fluoride: 3.8 mg for men and 3.1 mg for women
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Zinc: 11 to 6 mg for men and 7 to 10 mg for women
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Selenium: 70 μg for men and 60 μg for women
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Copper: 1 to 1.5 mg
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Manganese: 2 to 5 mg
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Chromium: 30 to 100 μg
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Molybdenum: 50 to 100 μg
The recommended daily amounts apply to adults from their mid-20s to their early 50s. Because of the physical differences between men and women, the recommendations for taking minerals differ in part. In addition, for some minerals the recommended daily amounts depend on further factors such as phytate intake.
How to make sure your body gets all the minerals it needs
As mentioned at the start, a long-term undersupply of minerals is rare. The problem of a long-term deficiency is more likely with vitamins. Vitamin D, for example, is formed under sunlight and is hard to get through food.
Luckily, minerals don't have the same kind of problems you know from vitamins. They are found in a wide variety of foods. Here is an overview of the foods and food groups that give you enough minerals:
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Fruit
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Vegetables
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Bread
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Meat
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Liver
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Cheese
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Soy
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Spinach
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Nuts
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Seeds
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Mushrooms
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Mineral water
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Fish
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Oats
Of the foods mentioned, we'd like to take a closer look at fish: fatty sea fish is, besides iodised table salt, the only good source of iodine. Germany is not an iodine-deficient country. But of all minerals, this is the one people here are most likely to be undersupplied with. So you should include fatty sea fish in your diet once or twice a week.
Despite the rich mineral content of the foods mentioned, special ways of eating (e.g. veganism, ketogenic diet) can lead to a deficiency in certain minerals. In the fast pace of everyday life, your diet can also become one-sided, for example by often eating the same foods that are easy to prepare and save time. A one-sided diet is a risk factor when it comes to a possible nutrient deficiency.
To be on the safe side, we at frank. developed the Daily Complete [internal link] as a dietary supplement. Our Daily Complete contains ten minerals, and its composition makes it easier for you to cover your daily mineral requirement. Among other things, the minerals it contains are indispensable for the health of your bones and teeth, the function of your cells and muscles, and blood formation. Get your Daily Complete now for simple and effective supplementation in line with nutritional science standards!
How the different minerals work in your body
As a maker of dietary supplements, fasting cleanses and other creative products, we at frank. have to follow the applicable rules when we inform consumers about the effects of nutrients. This applies equally to minerals and vitamins. Your advantage from our obligation: with us you get no empty advertising promises or false claims, only the scientifically proven information on the effects of the individual nutrients.
In the following sections we have gathered all the health claims for minerals approved in the European Union's Health Claims Regulation (HCVO). Find out here what the individual minerals do! The statements made in the HCVO have been extensively scientifically reviewed.
Effects of potassium
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Potassium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
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Potassium contributes to normal muscle function.
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Potassium contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure.
Effects of calcium
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Calcium contributes to normal blood clotting.
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Calcium contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
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Calcium contributes to normal muscle function.
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Calcium contributes to normal neurotransmission.
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Calcium contributes to the normal function of digestive enzymes.
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Calcium has a role in the process of cell division and specialisation.
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Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal bones.
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Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal teeth.
Effects of phosphorus
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Phosphorus contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
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Phosphorus contributes to the normal function of cell membranes.
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Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
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Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth.
Effects of magnesium
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Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue
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Magnesium contributes to electrolyte balance.
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Magnesium contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
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Magnesium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
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Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function.
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Magnesium contributes to normal protein synthesis.
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Magnesium contributes to normal psychological function.
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Magnesium contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
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Magnesium contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth.
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Magnesium has a role in the process of cell division.
Effects of iron
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Iron contributes to normal cognitive function.
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Iron contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
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Iron contributes to normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin.
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Iron contributes to normal oxygen transport in the body.
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Iron contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
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Iron contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
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Iron has a role in the process of cell division.
Effects of iodine
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Iodine contributes to normal cognitive function.
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Iodine contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
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Iodine contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
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Iodine contributes to the maintenance of normal skin.
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Iodine contributes to the normal production of thyroid hormones and normal thyroid function.
Effects of zinc
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Zinc contributes to normal acid-base metabolism.
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Zinc contributes to normal carbohydrate metabolism.
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Zinc contributes to normal cognitive function.
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Zinc contributes to normal DNA synthesis.
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Zinc contributes to normal fertility and reproduction.
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Zinc contributes to normal macronutrient metabolism.
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Zinc contributes to normal fatty acid metabolism.
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Zinc contributes to normal metabolism of vitamin A.
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Zinc contributes to normal protein synthesis.
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Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
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Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal hair.
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Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal nails.
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Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal skin.
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Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood.
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Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal vision.
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Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
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Zinc contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
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Zinc has a role in the process of cell division.
Effects of selenium
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Selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis.
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Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal hair.
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Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal nails.
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Selenium contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
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Selenium contributes to normal thyroid function.
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Selenium contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
Effects of copper
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Copper contributes to the maintenance of normal connective tissue.
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Copper contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
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Copper contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
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Copper contributes to normal hair pigmentation.
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Copper contributes to normal iron transport in the body.
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Copper contributes to normal skin pigmentation.
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Copper contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
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Copper contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
Effects of manganese
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Manganese contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
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Manganese contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
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Manganese contributes to the normal formation of connective tissue.
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Manganese contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
Effects of chromium
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Chromium contributes to normal macronutrient metabolism.
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Chromium contributes to the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels.
Other effects of minerals and final notes
For the minerals with no approved health claims, or only one, we have the following information:
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No health claims are approved for sodium.
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Chloride contributes to normal digestion by the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
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No health claims are approved for sulphur.
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Fluoride contributes to the maintenance of tooth mineralisation.
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Molybdenum contributes to normal metabolism of sulphur-containing amino acids.
In closing, it's worth noting that the tasks, functions and effects of minerals in the human body are immense. Bones and teeth, blood clotting, the flawless functioning of muscles and nerves, the immune system, the water balance, even hair pigmentation: all this and much more is positively influenced by minerals. The trace element iron shows that even nutrients needed in relatively small amounts can take on far more important tasks, and more of them, than nutrients with recommended daily amounts of several thousand milligrams.
Vitamins for covering the full spectrum of micronutrients
Minerals and vitamins are grouped together as micronutrients. Vitamins are also involved in various processes in the body and are therefore indispensable for health. Compared to minerals, it is harder to cover your daily vitamin requirement from food alone. For this reason, taking dietary supplements is particularly sensible for vitamins.
For vitamin supplementation too, we at frank. have the right products. These include our varied, trendy and creative juice cleanses and soup cleanses. Feel free to browse our website and visit our blog if you're looking for interesting info on nutrition, health, supplements, fasting and a healthy lifestyle!
