Mineral storage in human body

by Ashanti Daily

Ashanti's Question:

What happens to minerals that are not quickly used up by the body?

Suzy's Answer:

This is a great question!

Minerals are inorganic elements found in your body that must be supplied by your diet for good health. They cannot be manufactured by your body and therefore must be obtained from the food you eat.

Most foods contain some minerals and many people also take supplemental minerals in the form of tablets or tonics.

If the minerals are not used by the body, they are either stored in the body or removed by way of the excretory system.

The concern with minerals is that if you take them in the form of supplements, they can reach toxic levels in your system.

However, this toxicity is not likely to occur if you get your nutrients from food (unless you have some kind of metabolic or other disorder that affects your body's absorption, storage and excretion of minerals).

Nutrient minerals are usually divided into two groups—major and trace. This categorization is not based on importance, since they are all important, but rather on the amount present in your body, as well as the amount you need for good health.

In other words, the majors, like calcium, are found in larger amounts in your body and you need to obtain a greater amount from your diet than you do with trace minerals, such as copper.

Your body has an amazing ability to maintain the balance of minerals it needs, but you need to help by eating a variety of whole foods and being careful about which supplements you take and in what amounts.

If you have a particular concern about your health with regard to minerals, you may want to consult with a dietitian or other health care professional for advice.

Thank you for a great question and for visiting our healthy eating site!

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