8.2: Minerals

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Minerals are elements that are essential for body functions that cannot be synthesized in the body. Some people refer to them as elements instead of minerals, and the names can be used interchangeably. However, in the nutrition community, they are more commonly referred to as minerals. Minerals can be divided up into three different categories:

Macrominerals
Trace Minerals (aka Microminerals)
Ultratrace Minerals

There is not an exact, agreed on definition for how the different categories are defined, but in general they are defined by the amount required and found in the body such that:

\[ \text{Macrominerals} > \text{Trace Minerals} > \text{Ultratrace Minerals}\]

Table 8.22 shows the estimated amount of the macrominerals, trace minerals, and ultratrace minerals found in the body.

Table 8.22: Amount of different minerals found in the body1
Macrominerals		Trace Minerals		Ultratrace Minerals
Calcium	1200 g	Iron	4 g	Silicon	1 g
Phosphorus	780 g	Fluoride	3-6 g	Boron	17 mg
Potassium	110-140 g	Zinc	2.3 g	Nickel	15 mg
Sodium	100 g	Copper	70 mg	Arsenic	7 mg
Chloride	95 g	Selenium	14 mg	Vanadium	0.1 mg
Magnesium	25 g	Manganese	12 mg
		Iodine	10-20 mg
		Molybdenum	5 mg
		Chromium	1-2 mg

Minerals are elements. Figure 8.21 below shows the distribution of minerals in the periodic table, which you should be familiar with from your chemistry education.

800px-Periodic_Table_by_Quality.SVG.png

Figure 8.21: Minerals are elements, this figure shows their position within the periodic table, (Public Domain; Stone),

References & Links

Emsley, John. Nature’s building blocks : an A-Z guide to the elements. 2001. Oxford, Oxford University Press.