In order to lead a healthy, normal life, and for our body to function efficiently, it requires a regular dose of all the food groups. One such important group is vitamins and minerals. There are certain minerals that are absolutely essential for our overall health and well-being and therefore large amounts of it are required in our body—for example calcium.


Minerals such as manganese are required by our body only in small amounts; however their presence in our body is equally important. The role of minerals is to regulate the various processes of our body such as creating hormones, fluids, enzymes, skeletal bones and tissues, and teeth. The minerals that keep our body in good working condition are calcium, iron, copper, zinc, phosphorus, sulfur, chloride, fluoride, magnesium, sodium, and potassium.


Overabundance of and inadequate supply of minerals both causes problems in the body. For example, a very high level of sodium does increase the blood pressure. Likewise, a low level of mineral supply has several adverse effects on the body.

Calcium, one of the most important minerals required by our body, helps in the build-up and maintenance of bones, facilitates the working of the muscles, regularizes the clotting of the blood, and helps in building and keeping the teeth healthy. Deficiency of this mineral leads to weakened muscles that ache all the time and are prone to cramps and spasms; weakened bones that loss its density and become soft, leading to osteoporosis; and problems with oral hygiene. To absorb and utilize calcium in the body, make vitamin D an essential part of your diet. Anemia is the biggest problem caused by lack of adequate iron. The red blood cells also have hemoglobin which helps carry oxygen from the lungs and transports it to the various tissues present in the body, and the one thing that helps in making hemoglobin is iron. In our body, iron is stored in the bone marrow, where blood cells are created. If the quantity of iron is insufficient, the bone marrow is not able to produce proper blood cells, leading to a low level of hemoglobin, which in turn leads to insufficient oxygen being supplied to the body. This leads to problems such as dizziness, tiredness, difficulty in concentrating, and headaches. Zinc deficiency leads to loss of appetite; weak immune system, healing of wounds takes longer, and decreases the level of testosterone in men. Iodine deficiency leads to the swelling of the thyroid gland and low levels of thyroid hormones.