Major minerals and how they function in the body
Here’s a table of minerals, their chief function in the body, deficiency symptoms and their sources.
| Mineral | Chief function in body | Deficiency symptoms | Toxicity symptoms | sources |
| Sodium | Maintains normal fluid and electrolyte balance; assists in nerve impulse transmission and muscle contraction | Thirst, muscle cramps, mental apathy, loss of appetite, dehydration | Excess excreted in urine, acute hypertension. Excess may increase calcium loss from bones | Table salt, soy sauce, moderate amounts in meats, milk, breads and vegetables. Large amount in high processed foods |
| Chloride | Maintains normal fluid and electrolyte balance, forms part of hydrochloric acid in the stomach | Not present under normal circumstances | Vomiting | Same as sodium |
| Potassium | Supports cell integrity; assists in nerve impulse transmission and muscle contraction | Excessive diarrhoea and vomiting. Muscular weakness, paralysis, abnormal heart rhythms and confusion | Excess excreted in urine. Muscular weakness, vomiting, kidney failure can cause high blood levels leading to heart failure | All whole foods. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grain cereal foods, bran, meat , milks, legumes |
| Calcium | Structural formation of teeth and bones, involved in muscle contraction nerve transmission and blood clotting, blood pressure and immune defences | Long term deficiency may contribute to low bone density and osteoporosis in later life. Stunted growth in children. Low blood levels result in muscle twitching | Constipation; increased risk of urinary stone formation and kidney dysfunction. May interfere with iron and zinc absorption | Almonds, swiss cheese, dairy products, fish with edible bones, tofu, some green vegetables, some fruit and nuts |
| Phosphorus | A principal mineral of bones and teeth; part of every cell; important in genetic material; used in energy transfer and in buffer systems that maintain acid based balance | Weakness, bone pain | Low blood calcium levels | All animal tissues (meat, poultry, eggs, milk) |
| Magnesium | Weakness, confusion, convulsions (if extreme), bizarre muscle movements, hallucinations and difficulty in swallowing; in children, growth failure | Large doses have been taken in the form of laxative | Nut,s legumes, whole grains, dark green vegetables, seafood, chocolate, cocoa | |
| Sulphur | As part of proteins, stabilses their shape by forming disulphide bridges, part of the vitamins biotin and thiamine and the hormone insulin | Protein deficiency would occur first | Eaten in excess could depress growth | All protein containing foods (meats, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, legumes, nuts) |
