Minerals

DEFICIENCIES   Growing conditions are important for plants to absorb trace minerals.  See the brief discussion under organic food.  Many diets are mineral deficient because of amount of vegetables eaten and/or their growing conditions.

Some National Academy of Sciences intake recommendations.

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• BORON   Important for calcium retention, diets may be deficient (HFN 8/98 p.15).
• CALCIUM The key issues are preventing loss and using what is eaten, not the amount is the diet which is often adequate.  Click for specific information on osteoporosis.
  LOSS:  Caused by excessive phosphate, salt, or coffee.  Protein appears to play a role as well: both excessive animal protein (especially red meat) and insufficient protein may increase loss, but the studies are ambiguous (SN 1/13/01 p.20).
  USAGE:  Absorption requires vitamin D , which is often deficient.  Excess vitamin A can block absorbtion of vitamin D and increase fracture risk.  Important minerals for retention and utilization are boron (3mg/day helped postmenopausal women), copper (3mg/day helped, typical diet has 1mg), magnesium (often deficient), manganese (often deficient), silicon, and zinc (HFN 8/98 p.15).  Organic produce can eliminate deficiencies in trace minerals.  If you take a calcium supplement, it should include magnesium and is even better if it contains vitamin D and some of the other minerals just mentioned.
  SOURCES:  almonds, fish, dairy, tofu, turnip greens
• CHROMIUM   Potentiates the action of insulin so may be important in Type II diabetes prevention/reversal.
• COPPER   Important for immune system and calcium usage.  Many people get only about half the RDA of 1.5-3 mg. (SN 8/12/95 p.102).  Important for calcium retention in bones (HFN 8/98 p.15).  Excessive zinc may cause deficiency.
• IODINE   Important component of thyroid hormones.  Deficiency causes goiter.
• IRON   Worldwide, the most common nutritional deficiency (NAS report, 2001).  Deficiency often makes concentration difficult (SN 11/2/96 p.282) and leads to fatigue.
  SOURCES:  lentils, pumpkin seeds, seaweed, spinach
• MAGNESIUM 70% of people are deficient (HFN 8/98 p.15).  Depleted by alcohol, diuretics and high doses of calcium.  Needed to utilize vitamin D and calcium.  Facilitates vitamin E.  As little as 500mg/day can help lower blood pressure and may help prevent migranes (Alt. 11/95 p.39).  Irregular or fast heartbeat may indicate a deficiency and be helped by a 500mg/day supplement (Alt. 8/02 p.112).  Excretion of phosphorus causes excretion of magnesium.  May be important in Type II diabetes and in sound sleep.
  Warning: A magnesium deficiency may also indicate a copper deficiency (Alt. 8/02 p.112).
  SOURCES:  pumpkin and sunflower seeds, wheat bran, tofu, nuts, green leafy vegetables, fish
  DEPLETED BY:  a variety of drugs.
• MANGANESE   Required to form connective tissue, bones, and cartilage, and deficiency is common in osteoporosis (see calcium) (HFN 8/98 p.15).  Also plays a role in metabolism.
• MOLYBDENUM   Molybdopterin is a cofactor for several enzymes (NAS report, 2001).
• PHOSPHORUS Many people get too much, which is bad for calcium and magnesium retention.  Colas are high in phosphoric acid.
• POTASSIUM
  SOURCES:  plants, especially avocados, legumes, beet greens, apricots, peaches, quinoa, sweet potatoes
• SELENIUM Powerful antioxidant.  Apparently plays a role in T3 (thyroid hormone) production (SN 12/9/95 p.399).  Significantly more effective in food than as a supplement (SN 4/21/01 p.248).
  Helps prevent various cancers, including prostate, colorectal, and lung (SN 1/4/97 p.6).  Deficiency associated with lower levels of glutathione. It seems likely that deficiency is common since average intake is below the RDA which is probably too low. It’s very hard to overdose on selenium unless you take a lot of pills. But just in case, here are signs to look out for: garlic smell in breath, sweat or urine; yellowing of skin; intestinal problems.
  SOURCES:  Brazil nuts (highest by far), beans, bran, garlic, mushrooms, seafood (plants must grow in soil containing selenium)
• SILICON Needed in small amounts for proper bone formation (see calcium) (HFN 8/98 p.15).
• SODIUM (Salt) Too much can cause high blood pressure, loss of calcium and loss of potassium.
• STRONTIUM A deficiency can be a factor is osteoporosis.
• ZINC   Ubiquitous involvement in metabolic processes results in diverse symptoms of mild zinc deficiency (NAS report, 2001).  Contributes to bone formation and retention (see calcium), stimulates white blood cell activity (HFN 8/98 pp.15, 23).  May be important in Type II diabetes.  If taking zinc supplements, consider taking copper, too.  For example, the supplement regimen recommended for AMD (age-related macular degeneration) has 80mg zinc and includes 2mg copper for safety.
  SOURCES:  oysters (highest by far), bran, meat, egg yolk, fish, wheat germ, yeast
  DEPLETED BY:  high-fat diets, alcohol, smoking, diuretics, cholesterol-lowering drugs, cortico-steroids (Alt. special report), some ACE inhibitors.