Submitted by: Emily Morris
Everyone knows that good health is associated with getting enough vitamins & minerals, but do you know about Trace Minerals? These special substances are often over looked because you only need them in such small amounts. However, its a BIG mistake to leave them out of your diet because as youll soon see, trace minerals may be small, but theyre super effective at keeping you healthy.
Which minerals are trace minerals? Trace minerals include iron, manganese, zinc, copper, iodine, chromium, boron, & selenium. Youll find some of these on the periodic table, but you can also find them in many healthy foods. The amounts you need are very small, only milligrams or micrograms, and its important to not get too much, as well. Maintaining a balance is important, especially for minerals. For example, getting too much zinc will interfere with your ability to absorb iron & copper, and too much iron results in free-radicals and oxidative damage. (Free radicals help cause premature signs of aging)
Where do trace minerals come from? Trace minerals can be found in many foods, including raw vegetables, some fruits and certain meats. However, it is important to keep in mind that many foods today are NOT as healthy as they once were! Beef thats factory-farmed is often nutrient deficient. Cows who feed on a proper natural diet of grasses (and not expired candy, saw-dust, corn, meat & cheap grain and youll often find used today) have much better quality and healthier meat. They pass on the nutrients found in the grass to you, so choosing grass-fed meats are a big advantage. Youll find trace minerals like iron & manganese here.
Vegetables & fruits suffer similarly, as the land used to grow them may be depleted from years of repeated farming, and use of chemical fertilizers. Food labels arent required to document the soil history of, say, a tomato or your fresh broccoli. The items will look the same, but something important may be missing! Its important to ask your doctor about your own personal mineral levels, to see if theyre where they should be for optimal health.
What do trace minerals do for you? Iodine- Helps make thyroid hormone. Youll see salt is fortified with iodine. Some natural crystal salts (which are becoming popular today!) even have it already included from the earth. Chromium & Manganese Work together to help you properly process carbohydrates. Manganese also works with bone formation and keeping bones strong. Copper Helps you use iron properly, as well as aiding with cartilage growth and repair. Zinc- This is important for immune & reproductive health. However, too much zinc can actually interfere with your ability to fight off disease. Iron Important for blood formation (if you have suffered blood loss) and blood function (carrying nutrients around to different parts of the body, and supplying oxygen. Iron is even the reason that blood is red. Boron Works together with calcium to build and maintain bone mass. Its especially important for all people later on in life to help avert arthritis and the symptoms of menopause & andropause.
With all these great benefits coming from such small amounts of minerals, how can you be sure youre getting enough? Turning to unusual (at least to westernized diets) foods can be a big help. Sea vegetables are rich in trace minerals, because the ocean has not been nutritionally depleted, as some soils have. Free range & grass fed meats, as previously mentioned can also be a good source, as well as cold-water fish. However, what if seaweed & algae arent a part of your menu? What if you dont like the idea of harming animals or the taste of fish?
You can still turn to plants for good taste and good nutrition. Local farms and small farms (farmers markets) usually use land that hasnt been over-farmed, so theyre a good place to start. You might also consider an unusual seed with fantastic properties. Its the chia seed, and it has no flavor of its own. You can make it taste like whatever food (or drink) you put it in. This makes it especially easy to eat, as it can taste different every day. It has more calcium by weight than milk, more iron than spinach and it includes boron, the trace mineral to help you absorb it all. If you throw in complete protein, like that found in meat, as well as healthy omega-3 oils, like those in fish, youve got a real winner for your diet.
Why has chia escaped the nutrition loss? It grows in places that are hot and dry, where you cant raise traditional crops. These rough conditions have forced the plant to be hardy resourceful, using everything from the soil around it. This soil still has the trace minerals and ordinary minerals (such as calcium) that you require. The seeds feature a unique soluble fiber on the exterior that when exposed to water (or other liquid) hydrates forming a thick gel. Originally this gel helped the plant cling to dirt or rocks, allowing it to germinate in unlikely inhospitable placesbut when you eat the seed it instead aids digestion by hydrating the colon and providing gentle fiber.
Just because trace minerals are so small, doesnt mean they should be over looked. These tiny amounts of minerals have a big job to perform in the body.
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