Our need for minerals in our diet, even though in the most tiny amounts, reflects our link with our ancient heritage of the sea. The major salts from seawater in various combinations are the same as the salts in our cells and body fluids. This is why some of the mineral supplements sold today are taken from dry seabeds.

Minerals are inorganic substances. This means they are not formed by living matter and contain no carbon. All organic material contains carbon and once was part of, or was produced by, living plants or animals. We are all familiar with the minerals: sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and many others as well as some combinations. The most common combination is sodium chloride, or ordinary table salt.

Minerals used in the body are classified as:

• The major minerals, also called "macrominerals," and
• Trace minerals.

The trace minerals are iron, zinc, copper, iodine, fluoride, chromium, selenium, manganese, and molybdenum. Other trace minerals such as bromide, cadmium, vanadium, tin, nickel, aluminum, and silicon are found in the body but less is known about their usefulness or the amounts required. Authorities feel these latter trace minerals are believed to be received by way of our diet. If there are any disorders associated with these latter trace minerals experts are not aware of them. Lead, mercury, and cadmium are all heavy metals, which can cause severe poisoning and death. Copper can also if used in excess.

Although minerals are of vital importance, they make up only about 4% of the body's weight; all of the trace elements account for only about .01% of total body weight.

Although the role of minerals in body functions is not well understood, it is known that even in tiny amounts they are vital in the delicate balance of body functioning. Too much or too little of a mineral can throw the whole balance off. When this happens symptoms appear telling something is wrong. For more information check HERE to learn about our need for essential minerals and cleck HERE to learn some important facts about the functions of organic colloidal minerals and symptoms of deficiency.

In general, the minerals have the following functions in the body:

• elements of bone structure;
  
• they aid in various metabolic reactions;
  
• they help in moving substances across body cell membranes;
  
• they assist in the movement of muscles; and
  
• they are needed as part of compounds that contain organic matter (vitamins, hormones, certain elements of the blood, and enzymes).

The table below lists some important minerals, RDA's, what they do, and the food sources containing the mineral.

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