There are many minerals which are critical to your health. Some of them are macro minerals – ones of which you need larger amounts, like calcium, magnesium, sulfur, sodium, phosphorus, chloride and potassium. These are all elements. The body takes in other elements from water and air, providing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
The body also needs small amounts of other minerals (elements) and these are called trace minerals. Ideally, the body will get trace minerals from foods. However, due to the depletion of elements in the soil, it is not uncommon for trace minerals to be lacking in the diet and health can suffer significantly from that. Though the body doesn’t need a large amount of trace minerals (less than 20 mg per day of each) they are still critical to excellent health. Inadequate copper intake can cause premature graying of the hair. Insufficient iodine can lead to thyroid problems. And these are only the tip of the iceberg.
Using whole unprocessed foods will maximize the nutrients supplied from the diet. High quality herbs also contain trace minerals. Herbal tea is a source of many trace minerals.
Sea salt has trace minerals. Table salt usually has iodine added to it, but none of the other trace minerals.
Blackstrap molasses is an excellent source of concentrated nutrients, including zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, iron.
Trace mineral supplements can be purchased and taken on a regular basis according to package directions.
If you use distilled or reverse osmosis water, the trace minerals that are naturally present in water will have been removed. In fact, distilled water will actually pull minerals out of the body. Certainly if a water supply is full of toxins, chlorine and fluoride, filtering or distilling may be needed, but it will be necessary to replace the minerals that are removed.
Store bought bread used to have iodine added to it. Iodine was used as a dough conditioner even in the 60’s. However, it was found that bromide was a cheaper way to condition the bread and iodine was no longer added. Not only did this mean that people were no longer getting iodine, it meant iodine from other sources was negatively affected by the bromide in the bread!
Medications, including over the counter and prescription medications can have chemicals that negatively affect the minerals in the body. For example, many medications, have fluoride in them, which negatively affects iodine levels.
Medical conditions which result in poor absorption of minerals can be a cause of mineral deficiency.
The conditions caused by insufficient trace minerals are too many to list. Perhaps a better question is, "Are there any health conditions NOT affected by a lack of trace minerals?" A partial list of health concerns would include hypothyroidism, immune deficiencies, hormone problems, joint problems, and heart issues.
Have you found a good way to get your trace minerals? Has your health improved? Please send us some feedback! Keep reading to see what our readers have to say about the importance of trace minerals for health and longevity.
