While we all know the importance of Vitamins for our well-being and consume them but we tend to ignore minerals which are equally important for our mind and body. Yes, not just Vitamins, you need enough Minerals too.
Minerals maintain electrolyte balance, strengthen teeth and bones, boost energy levels, enhance immunity, and support nerve and thyroid functions. They also convert food into energy and repair cellular damage. The lack of them can have negative effect on your overall well-being. Therefore we must ensure that we take them to maintain the well-being.
While many of you would know the crucial role Iron and Calcium play for the body, there are some lesser known minerals that are highly important for managing variety of body and mind functions.
Let us know about the 4 such important Minerals:
1. Zinc
Zinc supports the immunity, blood clotting, wound healing and thyroid gland functions. It also effects our sense of taste and smell.
You need a very small amount of it. It is largely paired with Vitamin C by many brands. It is required for almost 100 types of enzymes to carry out the important functions. Enzymes are the proteins that manage chemical reactions in our bodies. If you want to draw Zinc from the natural sources, Chickpeas, Cashews, Pumpkin Seeds and Oysters are good sources of it.
2. Sodium
Your body uses Sodium to control blood volume and blood pressure. In addition, it also helps your muscles and nerves to function optimally. It is available in normal table salt which is the primary source. But be careful! The excess of Sodium can cause heart disease, higher blood pressure and stroke. You should also be careful in consumption of it if you have any medical conditions associated with your heart or blood pressure and decide the intake of it after taking the opinion of your doctor.
3. Magnesium
The role of this Mineral is to produce protein in your body and maintain bone health. It also helps in managing the blood sugar levels. Low Magnesium levels effect old people more due to their long-term health conditions, changes in diet and medications. The natural sources of Magnesium include Green leafy vegetables, seeds and nuts. However, many people do not get enough Magnesium in their diets and they should consume it in form of a supplement.
4. Potassium
Potassium plays a very vital role for almost everything inside your body. It is required for optimal health of your kidneys, heart, muscles and nerves. It also prevents stroke, osteoporosis and high blood pressure. The rich natural sources of Potassium include Spinach, Potatoes, Bananas and Avocado.
The importance of above minerals for our mind and body cannot be ignored. However, in today’s modern era, it is very difficult to get optimal quantities of the above minerals from the diet itself. Therefore, you should take them in form of supplements which are available easily and are of over the counter category.
