So far, scientists have discovered that there are about 20 kinds of minerals in the human body that are necessary for the human body. Among them, those whose content is greater than 0.01% of human body weight are called macroelements. Each person needs to take in more than 100 mg daily, mainly including calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulfur, chlorine, magnesium, etc. Another type of elements whose content in the human body is less than 0.01% of the human body weight, or whose concentration in human tissues is less than 250 micrograms/gram as proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee in 1990, is called trace elements. Their daily requirements range from micrograms to milligrams per person.
All these essential minerals play an extremely important role in the life activities of the human body. They participate in the formation of human tissues. For example, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sodium are the main components of human bones and teeth. Potassium, sodium, and chlorine are in the intracellular and intracellular fluids, mediating the internal and external osmotic pressure of cells, controlling the distribution of water in the body, and maintaining the balance of body fluids. It plays an important role in stability; at the same time, appropriate concentrations of mineral ions such as potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium are necessary to maintain the permeability of the excitatory cell membranes of nerves and muscles and the normal function of cells; there are also many ions Maintains the acid-base balance of the body; finally, many mineral elements are also prosthetic groups of enzymes active in the human body. They are components or activators of hormones, vitamins, proteins and nucleic acids, and participate in the metabolism and physiology of various substances in the body. Biochemical activities.
These minerals interact with each other in the body. For example, sodium and calcium compete in the reabsorption process in the renal tubules. Therefore, when sodium intake is high, calcium reabsorption will be reduced accordingly and urinary calcium excretion will be increased. Therefore, the impact of a low-sodium diet on bone loss is to prevent osteoporosis. issues that require special attention. In addition, calcium also affects the absorption and utilization of trace elements iron and zinc. Calcium can significantly inhibit iron absorption. Therefore, reasonable dietary intake and matching are crucial.
